Live Blog 2011 #1

Working away on my ART Evolved feathered Dinosaur, while talking to Peter Bond.

While we've worked on art while talking together on skype in the past, the new feature of being able to share live screen shots, has massively increased the experience. Not only can we discuss our art, we can take the other through our process. Amazingly fun stuff.

I finished rigging and feathering the Troodon.

However as rigging 100's of individual feathers is slowing things to a near halt I'm tempted to engage in a short side project of "billboard" decal replacements that might let me not slow down.

Feather progress

I think I've got base feathers down pretty solid these days.

While it is time consuming to render I've got my work flow on the feather base coat and over coats to near clock work. Apart from the odd replicator malfunction I can feather a body part every 40-60 minutes (with most of that being rendering time).

Undercoat.

Overcoat.

Feathers beyond the coats may be another story. How do these primary feathers look beyond placement (which frankly I'm not worried about as we don't know where the feathers on Troodon were).

The digits aren't finished either. I'm debating whether the fingers should be feathered or not too. The toes won't so I can play with my new scaling trick there.

Thoughts or input? (Okay including primary feather placement... Albertonykus :P)

Another stab at Troodon

Considering how long I've been trying to get a formal Troodon together, I thought it would be the ideal subject for ART Evolved's Feathered Dinosaur gallery in the new year.

I had always planned on bringing Zendin the Troodon back into Traumador's life in a big way (though this effort to rebuild the Troodon model into a Mark 7 model is once again demonstrating the death of the Tyrannosaur Chronicles... this has taken me a week so far, and its only half done. The finale of New Zealand was going to require at least half a dozen new feathered theropods... Though I'm wondering about a point form finale just to wrap up the current loose ends, and because I have some great photo plates).

So here is a half finished Troodon. Let me know your thoughts. The arms and legs have not been touched at all in this new effort.

Colouring Evil

Despite being very busy in life, I have been finding the time to mindlessly redo my feathered Dinosaurs. Layla the Oviraptor is halfway through her retooling, but she waits for another post (I need to work on her ornamental feathers before unveiling her).

I have hit a brick wall with Razi Saurornithoides. I need your help.

Which looks better? (Just looking at the "pelt" colour, and ignoring the current black and white display feathers)

1. The darker blue version

2. The lighter blue version

3. The Black version