Re: Paleontologist and artist

["Chris Bennett" <cbennett@bridgeport.edu>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy L. Ford" <dino.hunter@home.com>
To: "Vertebrate Paleontology" <vrtpaleo@usc.edu>; "Dinonet"
<dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 1:33 PM
Subject: Paleontologist and artist


>
> I've a sort of burning question. When paleontologist write books and have
> artist illustrate them, why are so many of them totally wrong? They don't
> get the feet right, the crests, hands, etc. Some of these paleontologist
> write several books but the problem persist. Why?
>
> I was just talking to someone about this and wonder if some paleontologist
> really care about it? Are they more interested in the skeletons and not
the
> outlook of them?
>
> Some of the stuff they get wrong is basic. Or is it the publisher who uses
> their 'in house' artist and its they who don't care?
>

Tracy,

I can't speak for any others, but I can describe what happened in the case
of my book,   Pterosaurs:  The Flying Reptiles, Franklin Watts, Inc.  Brain
Franczak was contracted to illustrate the book and I was working closely
with him.  I sent him info, he sent me drafts, I commented on the drafts,
and he changed what I wanted changed.  I am very pleased with some of the
illustrations that he did.  Then time was running out, Brian could not
complete the work, and the publisher got two or three other people to
provide the necessary figures to fill the book.  I think they simply got the
basic desciption of the figure (e.g., flying Sordes) and went from there.  I
never saw drafts and I was certainly surprised and dismayed when the book
came out.  I certainly was not responsible for the flying Sordes that
reminds me of a Ford Trimotor airplane with its distinctive corrugated wing
skins, but I had no control over it.

So, at least some paleontologists do care about the illustrations, and
perhaps all do, but that does not necessarily mean that the publisher cares.

Chris


S. Christopher Bennett, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Of Basic Sciences
College of Chiropractic
University of Bridgeport
Bridgeport, CT  06601