Before work began, I spent time designing the Dinosauroids (Avisapiens saurotheos), tracing every step of their hypothetical evolution from late Cretaceaus bird/dinosaurs called Dromaeosaurs. After the design was complete, I tried to envision the world they lived in, and how they would interact with the creatures there. I studied numerous fossils and scientific illustrations, and drew up conjectural species that would’ve descended from them in a world where dinosaurs did not go extinct.
When my sources were thoroughly-studied, I laid out a roll of cheap paper, soaked it with rain water and prepared “brushes” from feathers and sticks; materials that would’ve been available to the Dinosauroids. I also used “inks” prepared with charcoal dust and saliva, but supplemented this with commercially-available dyes. I then spent a certain amount of time acting like a Dinosauroid as far as my anatomy and conscience allowed. I gripped brushes with my teeth and tweezer-like pinches of my fingers, and ran around naked with my knees folded below my chest. After getting the feeling right, I painted the figures spontaneously, trying to convey the vitality of the people and the animals, rather than their exact likenesses. For the “hunters” I drew four or five figures before resting for about thirty minutes to study more accurate illustrations I’d made earlier. For the flying pterosaurs, I swatted the paper with wing-like strokes. I drew large predator known as the “black thing” by directly spraying the ink from my mouth. In retrospect, process was a remarkably silly one, but fun nevertheless.
When my sources were thoroughly-studied, I laid out a roll of cheap paper, soaked it with rain water and prepared “brushes” from feathers and sticks; materials that would’ve been available to the Dinosauroids. I also used “inks” prepared with charcoal dust and saliva, but supplemented this with commercially-available dyes. I then spent a certain amount of time acting like a Dinosauroid as far as my anatomy and conscience allowed. I gripped brushes with my teeth and tweezer-like pinches of my fingers, and ran around naked with my knees folded below my chest. After getting the feeling right, I painted the figures spontaneously, trying to convey the vitality of the people and the animals, rather than their exact likenesses. For the “hunters” I drew four or five figures before resting for about thirty minutes to study more accurate illustrations I’d made earlier. For the flying pterosaurs, I swatted the paper with wing-like strokes. I drew large predator known as the “black thing” by directly spraying the ink from my mouth. In retrospect, process was a remarkably silly one, but fun nevertheless.
