Tyrannosaurus Regina (the Hunting Lesson)
I'm interested in representing Dinosaurs as real animals who hunted, raised young and interacted with their environment just as modern animals do, rather than just monsters that tore one another apart (although a little bit of that sort of thing did go on), so I sat down to dream up a female Tyrannosaurus rex (regina?) taking her two chicks out hunting.
The scattered sheets of typing paper on my desk represent about one tenth of the paper that I went through, trying to settle on viewpoints, positionings of the respective characters, etc. The sketch in the bottom righthand corner is the layout that I decided upon, after many days of brainstorming.
Main Thumbnail:
Here, I have settled on a design that I like, so I've used this as a rough guide to the next step.
First Pencil:
I sketched this straight onto the board while the idea was fresh, rather than going through the process of sketching out on paper, then tracing. I think a lot of momentum is lost when you start replicating a drawing to another surface. Even so, some changes were made before the final pencil made its way to the board.
Final Pencil:
Next, I put a thin wash of acrylic gesso over the preceding sketch, to facilitate any necessary changes, of which there were a few. Notice that the positioning of all three characters has been changed somewhat.
The trees in the background have been lightly drawn so that any alterations can be made in the next stage. I'm anxious to not let the background dominate and distract from the Dinosaurs, as there is potentially a lot of detail going on in there. I'm mainly concerned with setting tonal values for that area.
The next step is to apply a coat or two of fixative, then yet another thin wash of gesso. These coats allow me to make corrections as I go, over the old coat. At the same time, the washes gradually build a ground to work on.
After the gesso wash is applied, I'll use a mixture of acrylic Payne's Grey and Burnt Sienna (makes a nice opaque almost-black) to finalise the detail, along with the overall painting's tonal value.
Tonal Painting:
This is the final redoing of the picture before I start adding colour. I'll put a last thin gesso wash over it to tone down the darks and then start flinging paint around. First up will be to set the composition of the background forest, then move down to the fallen log, overhanging branch, etc. The actual Dinosaurs will be left until last.
Background:
The forest in the background is almost completed; just some more focus needed in the left-hand corner and some limbs added to the towering trees behind mother Tyrannosaurus. I'll start on the fallen log next and add tree branches and undergrowth while I'm working on that.
Background II:
With the forest basically done, I've now painted in the fallen log. The left hand side has been clarified and I have added some limbs to the tall trees, but there are more to be done.
Foreground:
That's the foreground basically done. As I go, I'll add forest litter etc. I think I'm fairly happy with the overhanging branch. Don't be surprised if that changes as well. For now, though, I think it's just about time to start on our reptilian friends.
Baby #1:
That's one of the babies completed. Just one more to go and then we start on Mama.
Babies:
That's both babies. Now for Tyrannosaurus regina.
Basic Wash:
Now I put a wash of water-thinned paint over the adult Tyrannosaurus. I have to change one or two things at this point, such as the inaccurately placed infratemporal fenestra.
Head and Neck:
The head and neck are starting to take shape, but there is still some more detail to be filled in before I move onto the body. I always like to get this part right first, before I move on. Being the first thing that the eye is drawn to, I think that it is essential to get this right first.
Almost Finished:
Well, that's it, basically, but I feel that the main character's foot needs to be brought out a bit more. Also, there is room in the foreground for some more detail such as fallen twigs and forest debris.
Final Painting:
And that's the final picture. I have made quite a few alterations to the head and jaw and you can compare the differences with the previous version. I feel that the head now looks more Tyrannosaurian, with the more pronounced nasal ridge. I have also added some spines along the back and enlarged the eye and eye-ridge.
I'm happier with her appearance as she is now.
This painting measures 3ftx2ft (900mm x 600mm) and is available as a print. Orders can be made via this site or direct to jamesmckinnon01@bigpond.com. Signed copies are available as a high quality print on various papers or on canvas.
