Arioch paleoart

[Arioch]

Cheers! here´s the finished thing:

[Sumo]

Awww yeah... Love it!:D It's so nice to see a marine reptile in a color other than grey!

[Horridus]

Awww yeah... Love it!:D It's so nice to see a marine reptile in a color other than grey!

Or blue/white countershading.

Nice work Arioch.

[Arioch]

Cheers! 

Yes, as I said in DA a colourful mosasaur is not only original but also, according to phylogenetic bracketing probably more likely. Their closest living relatives are snakes and varanids (in fact seems like snakes are the closest ones, surprisingly... if some papers I have readed recently are reliable) and most of those have very vivid stripped patterns. Only komodo dragons have rather dull pigmentation, and a lot of people seem to think that´s related to their size....so, the bigger, the more monochromatic? I dont think so. Lets check the whale shark, for instance.

Ah, I edited the pic with some caustic reflections on the back-seems a bit more blended in the water.

[Gwangi]

so, the bigger, the more monochromatic? I dont think so. Lets check the whale shark, for instance.

Ah, I edited the pic with some caustic reflections on the back-seems a bit more blended in the water.

Lets keep in mind that the whale shark eats plankton, it doesn't really need the element of surprise to catch them does it? Not saying Mosasaurs couldn't be colorful but there is a reason why a good portion of predatory marine animals are various shades of grey, black, blue and white.  Beautiful artwork regardless.

[Gryphoceratops]

I think what he has colored here totally believable.  A lot of marine animals have some pretty colors on them that help break up their form really well in the open ocean (lots of porpoises, seals, ever see a dolphin fish?  those guys are GORGEOUS).  Keep in mind mosasaurs were mostly living in shallow oceans so the broken light effect pattern would be especially handy if it was indeed the pattern/colors they had. 

Don't mean to plug but I wrote a little about this on the jersey boys hunt dinosaurs blog.  (posted on jan 23)
http://jerseyboyhuntsdinosaurs.blogspot.com/#!/2012/01/christopher-dipiazza-guest-hosts-jersey.html

[Arioch]

Thanks Gryph. Yes, that´s sort of my point, any animal -specially a reptile with all the wide pigmentation possibilities that scales have, plus the iridescence of some lizards - can be strinkingly colourful and still blend perfectly with its surrondings. Take sea snakes and even some colorful -and predatory- shark species. That doesn´t rule out monochromastic mosasasaurs, but they don´t have to be the "default" model at all!

[Gwangi]

Thanks Gryph. Yes, that´s sort of my point, any animal -specially a reptile with all the wide pigmentation possibilities that scales have, plus the iridescence of some lizards - can be strinkingly colourful and still blend perfectly with its surrondings. Take sea snakes and even some colorful -and predatory- shark species. That doesn´t rule out monochromastic mosasasaurs, but they don´t have to be the "default" model at all!

Those snakes and even the sharks you mention are mostly small and tend to live in places with coral reefs or kelp forests. I don't know what species you've drawn but even the smallest mosasaurs were still what...10' long?

Also Grypho, I'm aware of the dolphin fish. I don't think they make good mosasaur analogies given that they only reach 6' and being fish and all they change colors and are quite reflective. I'm not talking about marine animals in general, just the ones that fit the supposed mosasaur lifestyle. Larger sharks and cetaceans. But I'm not trying to start an argument really. I think all of Ariochs artwork is stunning and that includes the mosasaur. I'm just defending the colors these animals are usually given because to me, they make the most sense.

[Gryphoceratops]

Thanks Gryph. Yes, that´s sort of my point, any animal -specially a reptile with all the wide pigmentation possibilities that scales have, plus the iridescence of some lizards - can be strinkingly colourful and still blend perfectly with its surrondings. Take sea snakes and even some colorful -and predatory- shark species. That doesn´t rule out monochromastic mosasasaurs, but they don´t have to be the "default" model at all!

Those snakes and even the sharks you mention are mostly small and tend to live in places with coral reefs or kelp forests. I don't know what species you've drawn but even the smallest mosasaurs were still what...10' long?

Also Grypho, I'm aware of the dolphin fish. I don't think they make good mosasaur analogies given that they only reach 6' and being fish and all they change colors and are quite reflective. I'm not talking about marine animals in general, just the ones that fit the supposed mosasaur lifestyle. Larger sharks and cetaceans. But I'm not trying to start an argument really. I think all of Ariochs artwork is stunning and that includes the mosasaur. I'm just defending the colors these animals are usually given because to me, they make the most sense.

Sure its smaller but how is a dolphinfish different lifestyle wise where it counts?  Its an open ocean animal.  Its a predator.  It usually swims near the surface.  Even so if that doesn't work for you still there are porpoises, seals and sharks with relatively striking patterns.  The tiger shark for instance can be a brownish color with pattern.  In the ocean its easy to forget that the light is different depending on where you are and how deep.  Animals big or small sometimes seem flashy and colorful to us but in their environment they blend in really well. 

Read my blogpost on the jerseyboys thing i explain all of that.   

[Gwangi]

Sure its smaller but how is a dolphinfish different lifestyle wise where it counts?  Its an open ocean animal.  Its a predator.  It usually swims near the surface.  Even so if that doesn't work for you still there are porpoises, seals and sharks with relatively striking patterns.  The tiger shark for instance can be a brownish color with pattern.  In the ocean its easy to forget that the light is different depending on where you are and how deep.  Animals big or small sometimes seem flashy and colorful to us but in their environment they blend in really well. 

Read my blogpost on the jerseyboys thing i explain all of that.   

I can't think of many porpoises, seals and sharks that deviate much from the white, gray, black and blue I mentioned earlier even if their pattens vary. Even the tiger sharks you mention are dark dorsally and light underneath. The dolphin fish doesn't work IMO because it is primarily a hunter of small open water fish and invertebrates. The animals it hunts are too small to outpace it and in all likelihood the reflective nature of the fish confuses its prey...I don't think mosasaurs were very reflective. I also don't think mosasaurs hunted in the manner the quick and agile dolphin fish can. I will read your blog post though. Again, I'm not against the idea of interesting colors and patterns for mosasaurs, just defending the normal coloration they're given...because it makes sense.

[Gryphoceratops]

Sure its smaller but how is a dolphinfish different lifestyle wise where it counts?  Its an open ocean animal.  Its a predator.  It usually swims near the surface.  Even so if that doesn't work for you still there are porpoises, seals and sharks with relatively striking patterns.  The tiger shark for instance can be a brownish color with pattern.  In the ocean its easy to forget that the light is different depending on where you are and how deep.  Animals big or small sometimes seem flashy and colorful to us but in their environment they blend in really well. 

Read my blogpost on the jerseyboys thing i explain all of that.   

I can't think of many porpoises, seals and sharks that deviate much from the white, gray, black and blue I mentioned earlier even if their pattens vary. Even the tiger sharks you mention are dark dorsally and light underneath. The dolphin fish doesn't work IMO because it is primarily a hunter of small open water fish and invertebrates. The animals it hunts are too small to outpace it and in all likelihood the reflective nature of the fish confuses its prey...I don't think mosasaurs were very reflective. I also don't think mosasaurs hunted in the manner the quick and agile dolphin fish can. I will read your blog post though. Again, I'm not against the idea of interesting colors and patterns for mosasaurs, just defending the normal coloration they're given...because it makes sense.

I pretty much agree with you.  Arioch made his shades of brown with lighter patterns.  Honestly that doesn't seem too crazy to me.  When you read what I wrote you'll see.

[Arioch]

Thanks Gryph. Yes, that´s sort of my point, any animal -specially a reptile with all the wide pigmentation possibilities that scales have, plus the iridescence of some lizards - can be strinkingly colourful and still blend perfectly with its surrondings. Take sea snakes and even some colorful -and predatory- shark species. That doesn´t rule out monochromastic mosasasaurs, but they don´t have to be the "default" model at all!

. But I'm not trying to start an argument really. I think all of Ariochs artwork is stunning and that includes the mosasaur. I'm just defending the colors these animals are usually given because to me, they make the most sense.

You don´t have to worry or justify yourself -and thanks for the compliment, by the way-. Any kind of debate and critique my work could generate is always welcomed within certain limits, as there´s always something I could have missed.

Now on the subject. From what I can gather, mosasaurs were insanely fast swimmers, faster than a shark or a dolphin atleast in short speed bursts. That means they probably woulnd´t need that kind of greyish-blue fading tone to remain half hidden most of the time because most of the time prey wouldnt even have time to react. Also, mainly remaining close to the coast and reefs rich in food resources when such a colors could even help to remain subdued, but they probably would do it quite decently in open sea too (think in the rather big striped marlin, for instance).

That said, you make quite a good point here so for the record I´m going to use this kind of "traditional" colors in another incoming sea scene including a metriorhynchid -probably Dakosaurus, but I haven´t decided yet-.

[Arioch]

I´m hesitating to post this future entry for an art contest as it is still quite sketchy, but some input would be appreciated. A yawning Arizonasaurus:

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Interesting..would it rear up to yawn like that you think ? Maybe if it had a rock it's front limbs were on ?

That's just personal opinion mostly..it looks great !

[Arioch]

Interesting..would it rear up to yawn like that you think ? Maybe if it had a rock it's front limbs were on ?

That's just personal opinion mostly..it looks great !

Thank you! We don´t have the limbs of this animal, but seeing how small the scapula is most likely it had shorter forelimbs than other similar builded quadrupedal pseudosuchians (not my originally theory, I think its from Darren Naish). That means it maybe was more than a facultative bipedal, like a semibipedal...similar to some ornithopods. Rearing or even walking on the hindlimbs wouldnt be probably too strange for it.

That said, I was reconsidering the approach, because it also looks like its towering over its dead prey and trying to intimidate another predator...it all comes if I´m in the mood to draw any other animal there or not.

That will have to wait though. Right now I´m on the middle of my Yutyrannus piece....I promised myself to wait some days until the hype passes, but finally couldn´t resist and last night I started with this thing. Expect to see something pretty soon!

[Gryphoceratops]

I have a yutyrannus in the works too.  A bit hesitant to apply color after what happened with my microraptor though.  :/

[Arioch]

I have a yutyrannus in the works too.  A bit hesitant to apply color after what happened with my microraptor though.  :/

Yep, if you work traditionally waiting for the color study to come out could be the more sensitive thing to do . I´m painting mine with greyish-white feathers and then will change them depending on the study results (or not, if it turns out to have "snowy" pigmentation... )

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

As nervous about color as I am I've found when I want to color a piece it's better to  copy it and color the copy..doing so helps you try diff schemes and such..not sure how much that will help you guys though.

[Arioch]

Sure, Blade. I´m keeping a copy of the "white" animal before I start with the markings or wathever other detail that might be out of place once the colors are revealed. 

Here´s the first WIP of the Yutyrannus:

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The feathering looks great..I would like to see more detail in the un-feathered parts...I'm sure you will add that later though.