David Silva's Beasts of the Mesozoic Tyrannosaur Series

[Faelrin]

Really displays the size difference greatly too. And yes the small one looks beautiful so no doubt the large one will be as well.

Also in the comparison/group shot image, is the second to large tyrannosaur the Tarbosaurus? If so the arms still look too big like they were on the earlier render. Hope that gets corrected.

[Flaffy]

With all the justifiable thrill over the big boy, I haven't seen anyone praise the little one. Those colours look great!

Indeed! The colour scheme turned out a lot better than expected. Choosing between this and the WWD version will be a difficult choice.

[Psittacoraptor]

Dilong sculpt update on instagram and FB. It's so cute! It will go perfectly with the raptors since it's 1/6 (also shares the upper arms, thighs & tail base with the raptors). A definite must have for me.

[suspsy]

The 1/35 T. rex gallery is on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/113487525333128/posts/4947386801943152/?d=n

As I've said before, I was disappointed at first when the earless monitor was chosen as the colour inspiration. I was hoping for a cool venomous snake instead. But these colours look good. Really, really good. Hell, it looks like a totally original scheme. It's beautiful!

[Faelrin]

I'll be home in a bit, so I will update this then. Glad to see a full gallery finally though. Sure is beautiful. Now I just need to decide on which 1/35 scale T. rex between all the options (BotM, PNSO, Rebor).

[Carnoking]

I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get to see more of the range of articulation in that photo gallery. Felt like all we got was the mouth opening and closing. That being said, DANG that closed mouth look tho!

[Dusty Wren]

I'm a bit disappointed we didn't get to see more of the range of articulation in that photo gallery. Felt like all we got was the mouth opening and closing. That being said, DANG that closed mouth look tho!

The prototypes aren't articulated. David says he casts the prototype pieces in resin and glues them together before painting. The articulation gets worked out at the factory, so he won't be able to show it until production is further along. My guess is that he left the jaw unattached so he could close it and show off the lips.

[Carnoking]

That makes sense. Can't wait to see some of the motion on these things!

[suspsy]

I really hope it turns out that these tyrannosaurs can achieve at least some active poses without the aid of support rods. Not holding my breath, however.

[Creature]

She's so pretty!

[Faelrin]

I updated the op, but I'll do a big image dump here tomorrow (unless someone beats me to it). Lots of pics for the Tarbosaurus, etc now. I'll at least start with the Dilong for tonight though (it was mentioned to re-use some raptor parts):







Not sure the pennaceous feathers and tail fan really works for it though (at least it comes across as such due to its general similarity in sculpt detail to the raptors, especially when compared to the Guanlong and Yutyrannus for example)? Thoughts?

[Psittacoraptor]

@Faelrin The illustration in Xu et al.'s paper on Dilong depicts it with a tail fan, maybe that was the inspiration for it. It's behind a paywall on nature, but you can find the pdf on Google Scholar (Xu et al. (2004): Basal tyrannosauroids from China and evidence for protofeathers in tyrannosauroids). The integument is described as branched filamentous protofeathers, similar to the ones found in coelurosaurians. So, maybe if the tail fan was resculpted to look more like simpler protofeathers, it would be better. The integument on the rest of the figure looks simple enough to not be seen as pennaceous feathers, to my eyes at least. I'm not a paleontologist, though, so what do I know.

Integument aside, I just love how weirdly cute this Dilong looks.

[andrewsaurus rex]

I really hope it turns out that these tyrannosaurs can achieve at least some active poses without the aid of support rods. Not holding my breath, however.

They probably will be able to, at least for a while.  If BOTM use the same plastic on the tyrannosaur series they used on the ceratopsian series, which i'm guessing they will, then eventually any bipedal posed figure will fall over, as the toes will slowly bend over time from any unbalanced force on them (the posed figures will probably tend to be a bit nose heavy).  This process will happen faster in warm months of the year, as the plastic will be a bit softer.

So a posed figure may stand on its own for a few days, maybe even weeks, but eventually will probably do a face plant.

[Flaffy]

"I just wanted to share some insight into one of the Beasts of the Mesozoic Tyrannosaur sculpts currently in-progress. I'm modifying an Alectrosaurus neck piece with castilene (Alectrosaurus parts sculpted digitally by Jake Baardse) to work with my traditionally sculpted juvenile Tyrannosaur body by blending the scale transitions from the neck to the body. Having the flexibility of combining digital and traditional sculpting methods allows us to utilize the benefits of both medias. And I can tell by looking at these details without color that I'm almost finished with the transition.

I can't wait to see how this one will turn out- I love this head sculpt!"





Is there even skull material assigned to Alectrosaurus proper? If not, then I wonder what prompted David to pick this genus for the line instead of another genus with preserved skull material.

[Reuben03]

anyone else couldn't care less about the t rex colour scheme?

im basic. love a t rex. sue me. (no pun intended)

but i really am not interested in the colours for the big rex, i want a big WWD t rex!

im sure im not the only one?

[Faelrin]

@Flaffy Apparently there are a few specimens that appear to have some remains of the skull, or at least portions of it. Though to what extent I'm not fully sure. The wikipedia article goes into a little detail about them.

Moros and Proceratosaurus are also pretty fragmentary, although I suppose I get the latter's inclusion, since the rest could possibly be inferred from relative Guanlong, and well it does have some of the skull at least, even if incomplete.

[suspsy]

anyone else couldn't care less about the t rex colour scheme?

im basic. love a t rex. sue me. (no pun intended)

but i really am not interested in the colours for the big rex, i want a big WWD t rex!

im sure im not the only one?

I think the standard T. rex colour scheme is superb, especially because, unlike many of the other tyrannosaurs and ceratopsians and raptors, you'd probably never guess it was based on a real extant animal. The earless monitor is a pretty obscure reptile, and most individuals (at least the ones on Google Images) seem to have blander coloration than the T. rex. I think David spruced it up a fair bit for his project. It looks totally original.

That said, I still like the Dino Riders version best. I'd argue it's the most realistic out of the three.

[Eocarcharia]

Did someone say T. rex color scheme?


(Painting in progress.)

[Creature]

She's so pretty! And so big. My heart is ready but my wallet and shelves are not.

[Reuben03]

anyone else couldn't care less about the t rex colour scheme?

im basic. love a t rex. sue me. (no pun intended)

but i really am not interested in the colours for the big rex, i want a big WWD t rex!

im sure im not the only one?

I think the standard T. rex colour scheme is superb, especially because, unlike many of the other tyrannosaurs and ceratopsians and raptors, you'd probably never guess it was based on a real extant animal. The earless monitor is a pretty obscure reptile, and most individuals (at least the ones on Google Images) seem to have blander coloration than the T. rex. I think David spruced it up a fair bit for his project. It looks totally original.

That said, I still like the Dino Riders version best. I'd argue it's the most realistic out of the three.

I get that!

but im walking with biased haha