February 17, 2011
Drawing a Dinosaur Death Trap
About 90 million years ago, a flock of teenage Sinornithomimus got stuck in the mud. They didn’t make it out alive. At least 13 of the poor young dinosaurs perished and became preserved in this single bonebed, and a new painting by artist James Gurney offers a look into some of the last moments of these animals.
Gurney’s painting was commissioned by Scientific American as a supplement to their story “Dinosaur Death Trap,” and as detailed in a behind-the-scenes video, the artist put considerable effort into getting everything just right. Using wire outlines and a three-dimensional model, Gurney tried to make his Cretaceous snapshot as lifelike as possible. The results are amazing—dinosaurs brought back to life, just before the moment they perished.
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Gurney’s work is always a pleasure, and seeing his process is a great bonus!