DINORESTORATIONS

[GSP1954@aol.com]

Rachael had some interesting observations on dinosaur art. My opinion is that
Gurche is the best ARTIST among the bunch, Mark and I are operating at a
similar level. Henderson does very nice atmospherics. IMNSHO we are all
getting better as we become older. This is normal among artists, whose skill
level is accumulatory with time. (An exception was Knight, whose last work
was below earlier standards. I suspect failing vision.) The competition
between the artists also helps inspire the others to improve their work. My
images of 15 years ago are crude by my current standards, which is one reason
I keep reworking the old stuff so I can still use it.  

As for who does the most accurate dinosaurs, well that's another matter. 

In criticizing my "wingless dragon" sauropods and "mutant horse" hadrosaurs
Rachael is confusing desire with science. There is increasing fossil evidence
(presented by others) that many sauropods where adorned with arrays of
spine-like scales. Impressions also show that they had a reptilian skin
topography. If this makes them look like dragons it's not my fault, blame
evolution via sexual selection. What are incorrect are restorations that show
sauropods with wrinkled elephantine skin. The impressions falsify such
restorations. 

As for hadrsoaurs, again there is fossil evidence (also presented by others
so don't blame me) that hadrosaur head-neck systems were supported by deep,
ungulate-like nuchal ligaments. This makes anatomical sense, and I think it
looks fine. But how I "think" it looks is irrelevant. If the fossil evidence
of skin imporessions eventually shows they had slender swan necks I'll go
right back to doing them that way. 

The more we know through direct fossil evidence the actual skin of dinosaurs,
the less room we will have for illustrating them the way we WANT them to
look. Some may not like this, because they prefer dinosaurs to be in part
fantasy creatures, which they were not. As for me, I wish we had time
machines and could photograph and film them rather than doing all this
detective work. 

GSPaul