A Look Into the Wonderful World of Paleoart

As a dinosaur enthusiast (I'd love to call myself a Paleontologist, but no degree yet :( ), if there's one thing I'd have to say was the best part of Paleontology, it'd be the paleoart. There's all-star veterans like Luis Rey, Gregory S. Paul, and Mark Hallett who, since the dinosaur renaissance, have captured the awe of these prehistoric creatures through the use of art. Then there's fairly new artists like Julius Csotonyi , managing to create absurdly lifelike recreations via digitally.

Baryonyx, from Predatory Dinosaurs of the World by Gregory S. Paul

All artists mentioned are amazingly talented, but today, I want to focus on the people who don't have a degree in art. People in which art is not a profession, instead a hobby (this is NOT to say however, that professional artists are in it only for the money). In this post, three different artists are in highlight. 

First up is Kohki, a high school student from Japan! Bringing to the table is a beautifully drawn picture of a Tyrannosaurus hunting down a Triceratops.

Tyrannosaurus vs Triceratops, 2014

Used with permission

Excellent work, Kohki! It is very reminiscent of the artwork seen in Tyrannosaurus Rex And Its Kin: The Mesozoic Monsters, which I absolutely adore. 

Our second artist is a good friend of mine, Justin Banner! While his forte is Daikaiju, Banner has created several works of fantastic paleoart.

Suchomimus Drawings, 2015

Used with permission

Ornitholestes, 2015

Used with permission

Banner was accepted into the Cooper Union Summer Art Intensive as an animator! Congratulations, Justin!

Animated Rexy, 2015

Used with permission

You can see more of Justin Banner's work at http://pulsarium.deviantart.com/. 

The last artist is a gentleman that goes by the name of "Lythronax." What I find incredible about his work is that a majority is done with something as simple as a ballpoint pen

Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis, 2015

Used with permission

Rexy, 2015

Used with permission

Velociraptor antirrhopus nublarensis - Jurassic Park Remake Project, 2015

Used with permission

Lythronax has a thread dedicated to his paleoart on JPLegacy, so check him out on there!