HOME | DD
DrScottHartman β Unenlagia fishing at dawn
Published: 2012-04-09 00:13:24 +0000 UTC; Views: 11692; Favourites: 417; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description
I've had this sitting around for ages, so I took a small break the technical drawings to finish it off. It was supposed to be "fast" since I didn't have to do much with the animal's silhouette, but the water and background took a while to get right anyhow.Unenlagia is here interpreted as a somewhat less specialized dromaeosaur than its relatives Buitreraptor and Austroraptor, one that could fish (obviously) but perhaps spent more time on mixed small game. And at least somewhat crepuscular in habitat...
Edit: Oh, and I should probably say something about the art. It was taken with a Nikon D2 on a recent trip to South America...just kidding, it's one of those new-fangled digital paintings; it was started in Photoshop CS5 but finished in the CS6 beta. The silhouette was based on a pencil sketch I did for my ABC Dinosaurs book.
I used only the standard round brush (no custom brushes) since I was going for a photographic look, but I did vary the edge strength and transparency of the brush a lot, and used a Wacom tablet for greater stroke control.
Related content
Comments: 85
I return to look at it every now and then and never leave disappointed.
Love your gallery and thanks for great skeletal references!
π: 0 β©: 1
Glad you enjoy them
π: 0 β©: 0
Simply loving your work
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks!
π: 0 β©: 0
Simply beautiful. In some weird way, something about this picture makes me feel warm inside...
π: 0 β©: 0
I think this is the closest I have ever come to seeing a living breathing dinosaur, utterly gorgeous!
π: 0 β©: 1
Technically you see them any time you see a bird out your window, but I appreciate the compliment
π: 0 β©: 0
ThisΒ looks so real that it looks like a photo.Β
π: 0 β©: 0
So! Bwahahahahaha!!! You want a critique? Can't write an official critique, but here goes!
A critique often implies ideas about how the critic would have done the artist's work. Usually, I don't say anything about how I would have done the work. Scott certainly does not need my advice on drawing/restoring Unenlagia and he's done a bang-up job. The animal looks alive, like it is really fishing. How accurate is it? I cannot say, since my experience with this beasty's bones is extremely limited.
The pose captures the fisher's activity; slowly now! Don't scare the fish!
So, artistically, it's beautiful. Moody. Evocative. But there is more; I would love to see that implied horizon about two thirds of the way up. And I'd love to see some reeds and branches sticking out of the water; it would put this lovely beast IN its environment. Mists can evoke incredibly effective moods of beauty and mystery, especially when they have something to both hide and conceal. For my taste, add the flora. A little bit can make an incredible difference.
π: 0 β©: 0
wow! the water and dinosaur shadow its selve make this look so realistic!!!
epic job, can't wait to see more life like reconstructions!!
i mean honestly, it looks like a photo!!! (i bet i'm not the first to say that 
π: 0 β©: 1
It's ok, I don't tire of hearing it
π: 0 β©: 1
Haha, glad to hear
π: 0 β©: 0
Actually it IS a photo, I'm just not allowed to say where I took it. Oops, I've said too much!
π: 0 β©: 1
Haha, if only.
π: 0 β©: 0
Pretty sure that was a photo for a bit. Really awesome work!
π: 0 β©: 1
wow wow wow wow
did you use flash for this? what was the lens aperture?
haha
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow, this and Stan are probably the only non-skeletal pics I've seen from you. XD Awesome job on the piece.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks. I actually illustrated a children's book on dinosaurs: [link] Sometime I might put up a gallery of them on my website.
π: 0 β©: 1
Yeah, I think I saw that book at Barnes & Noble once. Definitely something I would have enjoyed as a kid.
π: 0 β©: 0
I love the mood. It almost looks like a real photograph, too. Beautiful.
π: 0 β©: 1
You really should do more life reconstructions as they're always really good w/this 1 being my favorite. To use a "Rocko's Modern Life" quote, "It is ingenious in its simplicity."
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks - I'd love to spend more time doing life reconstructions, but they generally take a back seat to research and skeletal reconstructions, so they tend to get the short end of the stick.
π: 0 β©: 0
This is really nice, I love the moody, introspective look (I wanted to say reflective but no one would've pardoned the pun). Great choice of colours, and the birdlike pose is gorgeous, it is wonderfully reminiscent of a Great Egret or Night Heron fishing, giving it a very realistic feel.
Enjoying CS6? I particularly love autosave, saved my butt a few times!
π: 0 β©: 1
I love everything about CS6. I'll clearly have to scrounge for the upgrade when it comes out in another month.
π: 0 β©: 0
very impressive, really does look like something you snapped on your trip.
π: 0 β©: 1
For my Alaskan K-T project, the main island(225,000mi) split off of western Asia. However I have been considering a secondary island(65,000mi) from South America that collides and sends the combined islands northwards. I already know the animals of Maastrichtian Mongolia however the only animal groups from South America at that time I know of are Titanosaurs, Abelisaurs,Neovenatorids, and Unenlagids. If there are any other groups, it would be much assistance if you could tell me.
π: 0 β©: 0
I feel a twinge of shame, but it was worth it.
π: 0 β©: 0
Stunning! Really nice job on the lighting and water. Were the water effects (particularly around the reflection) hand-drawn or filters, or a combo?
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks Matt. The water effects are a combo - I got some of the high frequency detail and depth of field blur on the cheap with creative use of filters and custom depth and displacement maps, and then hand drew the rest until I was happy.
π: 0 β©: 0
| Next =>