This video tutorial gives the viewer front row seats at the creation of two paintings for Scientific American magazine, including one for the cover. Illustrator James Gurney fully documents the process as he reconstructs two recently discovered relatives of Tyrannosaurus rex.
Working closely with scientist Stephen Brusatte, who discovered one of them, Gurney shows the sketches, including thumbnails and color comprehensives. He also explains how he uses photos and models, as well as outdoor studies, as he moves ahead to the final oil illustration. The artist explains both pragmatic methods and background thinking with a special emphasis on techniques for suggesting feather and foliage textures, and how to paint a believable reconstruction of a scene that is imagined based on scientific evidence.
Gurney shows how he chooses his colors, what brushes he uses at each stage, and how he prepares his board for painting. The production is packed with practical information that will fascinate not only dinosaur artist, but anyone who paints landscapes or creatures of any kind. DVD includes 13 minute special feature called Sketching Chickens, Sketching Dinosaurs.