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tranimation-art — Microraptor gui I
Published: 2007-04-09 23:20:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 3062; Favourites: 50; Downloads: 3
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Description
Recovered from fossil-rich Liaoning province of China, Microraptor gui ("small plunderer") is among the tiniest dinosaurs discovered, 16 inches (40 cm) long, roughly the size of a small crow, dating from the early Cretaceous Period. This remarkable specimen is believed to be capable of true, powered, agile flight and passive gliding on four wings, with long, pennaceous feathers on its forearms and hind legs. However, unlike the Archaeopteryx , which is considered a true bird, Microraptor is actually a dromaeosaurid (raptor) and has closer relations with the deadly sickle-toed therapods, such as Deinonychus and Velociraptor. And yet, this is another feather in the cap in the intermediate evolution between reptiles and birds.(This is the result of six hours of Defensive Driving class on Easter weekend, oye!)
Medium - 2B mechanical pencil.
© Diane N. Tran.
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Comments: 71
This is amazing work.
I love the sketchy quality to the piece which gives it that charisma and individuality as a piece, something that can be lost if you refine it and clean it up, but also the way you stuck to the natural anatomy and possible behavior of Microraptor without it becoming too cartoony
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Thanks! Glad you liked it! I want to show a "pack" (or is it a "flock"?) of Microraptors and show the various ranks. You can tell which are the alphas by size and the juveniles by their behaviour.
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never heard about these dinosaurs. but I like this picture. it is reminds me of hoopoes (I do not know why) XD
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The microraptor is a very decent discovery. It took the science world by storm, but the dinosaur hasn't really caught on publicly. I suppose it's because it's only the size of a crow and not huge like a T-Rex. I think it's a fascinating little creature and has quickly became my favourite dinosaur ever: [link]
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Thank you. but seriously, before, I only heard about Archaeopteryx
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It's still unclear if the Archaeopteryx could fly. Yes, it has wings and feathers, but it doesn't have a breast bone capacity for powered flight. It just doesn't have the muscle. Microraptor, however, has the breast bone, but how it flew with four wings...that's a puzzle.
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Adorable, yes! Very well done, actually. Me? Leave the ghostly sketch lines in! Not only will I not feel alone in having ghostly sketch lines, but it lends the pic an air of humanity. This is a drawing, not a finished pic for an ad, or a finished painting. Let us see your thoughts in action. 
Of course, make your drawings/paintings and whatever art you do as clean as you want. The above were just my own opinions.
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I prefer sketches over clean ups. There's a lot of character lost in the final stages with clean lines and colouring over mistakes where you lose the action and emotion from the original. So I'm very, very happy you like this!
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i love the expression on their faces, amazing work
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! Since many theorize raptors were in groups, so I wanted to show the interrelationships between the pack...er, flock. I wanted to show that the one on the nest is alpha female and the largest one climbing the tree is alpha male and all the other ranks, the youngest being the one making faces.
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you're welcome
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Thank you! I really appreciate that! I hope you like the rest of my prehistoric work: [link]
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wow i read in one of ur comments u had this idea and i just had to come looking for it
this is amazing and i love it great job
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Thank you! I really wanted to show how these animals would be like naturally, in a "pack/flock" situation. You can tell which is the alpha male (the largest climbing the tree) and alpha female (sitting on the nest) and all the subsequent ranks.
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yeah the size is a really kool proportion to their ranks i love it
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Great rendering of a wonderful little animal. Terrific job!
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate that! I really wanted to show the interrelationships of the species as a pack...er, flock. Alpha male is the largest on climbing the tree, the alpha female on the nest, and other beta and lower ranks. The youngest being the one that makes faces.
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Thank you so much! I'm glad you like this! Since many believe raptors were in groups, so I wanted to show the interrelationships between the herd...er, flock. Whatever.
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Haha I like the term pack, because they are predators 
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I like the term "pack" as well. I give it a "pack" quality. I wanted to show that the one on the nest is alpha female and the largest one climbing the tree is alpha male and all the other ranks, the youngest being the one making faces. I'm used to work for Disney, so I love giving dinosaurs specific personalities and natural behaviours. I definitely want one as a pet.
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They're about the size of a crow, therefore I wanted them to be very small, graceful, and rather delicate, much like modern-day birds are themselves. Harming a bird just the littlest bit could break them or prevent them to fly. I also wanted to show they that could be capable of active gliding, like sea gulls or flying squirrels.
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Thank you! I really appreciate that! I still feel these little creatures are still active hunters. Like wolves, they look all soft and cuddly when they're doing normal family things, like grooming, playing, caring for young, but that all turns when you see them tearing an elk apart.
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I really wanted to show the interactions and relationships of the herd...er, flock.
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Thanks! I really appreciate that!
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Thanks! I really wanted a nest-like familial group with these.
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Oooh, awesome! I love!
Are Archaeopteryxes true birds? I know there were real birds during the Cretaceous, like Iberomesornis, but I wasn't sure Archaeopteryxes themselves were... I thought they were an in-between stage?
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Although paleotologists have argued for years if the Archaeopteryx is a bird or "something in between". Recently, they have officially placed the scientific category of the Archaeopteryx as an TRUE avian (Class Aves), thus a TRUE bird! It's still considered a transitional species, more hard evidence of the evolution of therapods to birds.
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This rocks, damnit!
I love the spatial sense created by their tiny bodies, the way you positioned them and turned them, and the tree.
I also liked the nesting idea and the striped feather design.
Their eyes are damned CUTE!
It is the first I've favourited!
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Thank you!
The ideas spawn from several things. Microraptors are dromaeosaurid (or raptors). Raptors are pack animals, so I can picture these microraptors living in tightly knit pack...er, flock, whatever. The one climbing up on the tree is the Alpha Male, one on the nest is the Alpha Female, the one about to land on the branch is the Beta Female, others are of lower ranks.
Raptors did lay eggs in a nest format. Fossilised nests have found the eggs purposedly positioned in circle motifs; others are just laid in no pattern at all. Microraptors are a point between the seperation of dinosaurs and birds. Logically, I don't believe such a tiny flighted animals like these would lay eggs on the ground. So a nest of some sort.
Striped feathers, several present-day birds of prey have striped flight feathers and/or speckles. That's what I was thinking.
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Wonderful work, love all the detail in both the litteral sense, and the intereatcion between all of them
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Uh, thank you. Coming from you, I am, indeed, flattered.
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