This year has turned out to be a bit more chaotic than expected, and that’s saying something, because I knew there was bound to be a few twists and turns with Babysaurus’ arrival…

I like to try and keep things limited to cute dinosaurs here on the site, but when real life gets big enough I think it’s important to let you know what’s going on. At least enough to fit in a small nutshell.

Babysaurus needs a little more help than usual. Traveling to specialists and doctor’s appointments, and then surgery at the end of March have made the past couple of months a blur of activity. On the bright side, Babysaurus has a wonderful team to help him (and us!) and is recovering beautifully. A year or two down the road and nobody will even know he ever needed special help.

The only down side is that there simply isn’t any time to draw, even when I try to make time, and Babysaurus still needs a lot of appointments in the next few months.

So I will be taking a break from posting here for a little while.

Thank you so much for your support and patience. The past several months have been pretty crazy, and you have been awesome! It truly means a lot to me to see you here, and I read every comment. 🙂 It just might take me a little while to respond.

Come back July 1st for updates, and hopefully I’ll have some cute paleo critters to share by then!

Critter of the Month is Bowser the Ceratosaurus

Oh Bowser, someday I’ll give you a proper update. I still have quite a soft spot for this illustration, since it was the first one to show me the style I wanted to draw these critters. If I were to make any changes, I think I would make his horns larger and brighter, and perhaps have his mouth just a bit open. Ceratosaurus is quite famous for its teeth after all.

Ceratosaurus doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves. It was very popular at the time of its discovery because the skeleton was almost complete. Extra bonus that it had the flashy nose horn and crests above the eyes, plus osteoderms along its back and very impressive teeth.

All these features make for a dinosaur that is very fun to play with when it comes to drawing flesh on the bones, and I find it a lot of fun to see how other artists illustrate it.

The Youtube video below takes a look at many of the interpretations of Ceratosaurus in the media. I love seeing the variety in how Ceratosaurus is portrayed, though I must admit the Jurassic Park ones make me cringe a bit. They have a very iconic, easy silhouette to work with, and instead made a design that gets forgotten in the background. But maybe that’s the goal?

Anyway, my favorite designs for Ceratosaurus in the video are from the games Path of Titans and The Isle. Just beautiful! The color patterns are interesting, and I love the overall muscle and strength it has. Ceratosaurus is a bit of a bulldog with its shorter arms, thick legs, and powerful neck and jaws, and I think these two games show that beautifully. Enjoy!

See you July 1st for the next Critter of the Month!