I have recently rediscovered my passion for palaeontology through the scientific breakthroughs I missed in my childhood (one example being the Tyrannosaurus rex plausibly having feathers due to it’s equally-tall “cousin” from China, Yutyrannus huali, having visible feathers in fossil remains). Found below are my works made from such passion.
The beauty of palaeontology, I find, is how there existed, before humanity, thousands of creatures who’s bones we have restored, reconstructed, and imagined as living, breathing creatures. That is what I hope to create through future works. So far, I have yet to paint pre-historic creatures and landscapes, however that is a future endeavour of mine.
Illustration standalones
Click the artwork to view the title, dimensions, and a brief explanation.
Daeodon Cow & Calf. | A3, coloured pencil on card. | A maternal moment between a cow and calf in the drylands of Oligocene North America. Markings are inspired by striped hyenas, as they share a habitat type.
Dimorphodon in gingko branch. | A4, coloured pencil and ink pen on card. | A cheeky, little pterosaur (the first found in the UK!) perching on an extinct Ginkgoites huttoni branch. Pterosaur markings are inspired by the Atlantic Puffin and Black Turn.
Illustration series
Click the artwork to view the title, dimensions, and a brief explanation.
Pre-historic creatures we know the colours of
Nine illustrations of pre-historic creatures we know the colours of through scientific evidence. These drawings were made for a university module. Their sizes range from A2 (Inkayacu catching a fish) to A4 (Caihong head).
Two Sinosauropteryx. | A3, pencil and ink on paper card. | An illustration of two Sinosauropteryx. One displaying his tail, the other watching in disinterest.
Psittacosaurus with babies. | A3, pencil and ink pen on white card. | An illustration of Psittacosaurus walking alongside their babies.
Microraptor. | A3, pencil and ink pen on white card. | An illustration of the little, feathery dinosaur Microraptor mid-flight, showing off their two pairs of wings and unique tail.
Caihong Head. | A4, pencil and ink pen on white card. | An illustration of the dinosaur Caihong's head, showing off my portrayal of their iridescent feathers.
Cruralispennia in nest with chicks. | 297mm x 297mm, pencil and ink pen on white card. | An illustration of two tiny, feathery Cruralispennias looking after their chicks. Funnily enough, this creature is a dinosaur, despite looking very much like a bird! This species even has lots of sharp, little teeth!
Beipiaosaurus. | A3, pencil and ink on paper card | The little "cousin" of Therizinosaurus showing off their dark brown plumage and claws.
A Mated Pair of Anchiornis. | A3, pencil and ink pen on card. | An illustration of a female and male Anchiornis – showcasing the theory that the red plumage found on some mature Anchiornis fossils is sexual dimorphism – which only ties avian-dinosaurs more closely to birds!
Inkayacu Catching a Fish. | A2, pencil and coloured ink. | An illustration of the pre-historic penguin Inkayacu catching a fishy meal, showing off their (science-led speculations of) orange-red plumage on their inner wing and belly.
Borealopelta. | A3, pencil and ink pen on card. | An illustration of a Borealopelta eating ferns. A reference to the near-perfect fossil found in Alberta, Canada in 2011, with even the dinosaur's stomach contents intact (and which included ferns and charcoal).