@ewilloughby / ewilloughby.tumblr.com
I imagine Deinonychus as a highly opportunistic predator that would’ve attempted small prey whenever possible, much like modern wild canids and felids. Here it crashes into shallow water to snatch an eel.
Another graphite sketch on computer paper that began as a glorified doodle at a conference. I know, most of my uploads lately have been pencil drawings, but never fear, I have a big new paleoart painting to share at the end of the month!
Another mechanical pencil drawing finished up at a conference. Two Deinonychus have a power scuffle, with a younger rival attempting to displace a more experienced, dominant male. Could be over food, territory, or a female. Wouldn't want to get in between those claws! Poses inspired by two wonderful paintings: 'Hawking in the Olden Time' by Edwin Henry Landseer, and a beautiful piece of an Australian black falcon hunting Mulga parrots by Tony Pridham.
Finished gouache & watercolor T. rex painting commission, with some Photoshop touchups. Hell Creek matriarch surveys her kingdom at first light, scenting the cool air for anything of interest. Intended as a slightly fantastical piece (it's for a 7-year-old's birthday) and not strictly rigorous paleoart.
This painting, originally posted here Feb 15, 2017, was hilariously marked as “adult content” by what may be the worst filter algorithm in the history of social media, so I’m reposting it.
One of the new full-color paleoart pieces featured in my & Jonathan’s new book on the creationism/evolution controversy, God’s Word or Human Reason? I’ve been waiting to share this one for ages, as it is probably my favorite of my artworks right now.
This snapshot from the Early Cretaceous Yixian of Liaoning, China, depicts a Caudipteryx zoui mother and her two chicks darting across a shallow riverbed to the safety of denser cover beyond. In the background, a pair of shaggy tyrannosauroid Yutyrannus try to decide if they ought to be interested, and a pair of Changchengornis, a confuciusornithid basal bird, glide by. Together, the three genera represent a wide span on the continuum of feathered dinosaurs and of feather complexity: from hulking, filamentous carnivore, to ground-bound, display-feathered oviraptorosaur, to flight-capable bird.
This illustration, along with 11 other full-color paintings of feathered dinosaurs, appears in chapter 4 of our new book. If you haven’t already bought it on Amazon, you can order a signed copy directly from me for $40 via PayPal at e.deinonychus(at)gmail.com, personalized with a sketch of a bird or dinosaur of your choice! (International orders are totally fine, but please include an extra $5 for shipping.)
Many thanks to Jonathan for his critiques and suggestions on this piece, as well as to Doug Henderson, my favorite paleoartist, for his undeniable stylistic influence on the composition.
Another dinosaur pencil drawing that I've been working on very slowly for a very long time. A pair of Hesperonychus watch over their trio of awkward, half-naked and half-fluffy nestling chicks. Inspired by this beautiful photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/6889558970
On and off pencil sketch I've been working on in seminars & meetings for a month or so. Archaeopteryx mom and chick. Cute, but then you realize he's trying to get her to regurgitate half-digested fish for him. Yum!
Inspired by this wonderful photo. fstoppers.com/photo/173380
But I was thinking of coming back... as long as people don’t mind a relative dearth of finished polished pieces, and don’t mind dinosaur sketches and silliness. Yeah?
Say hello to "Silky" the Serikornis, the newest member of the paravian menagerie! Published online yesterday in The Science of Nature, I illustrated this guy for Andrea Cau, Ulysse Lefèvre & their coauthors in 2015. So, I have an unusually long cycle of review, revision, and resubmission to thank for helping in my struggles to stay relevant in the paleoart community now that I'm in grad school! :p
Despite being over two years old, this remains one of my favorites of my semi-recent pieces. The new dinosaur is related to other fuzzy little paravians like Eosinopteryx and Aurornis, and sports a voluminous covering of shaggy filaments that may've given the creature a life appearance somewhat like a silky chicken--hence the nickname. Incidentally, I first learned about the new find at SVP in 2014 in Berlin, and sketched out a brief rendition of it during the talk. Some of you might remember it!
So anyway, enjoy our sweet little Silky and his delicious meal of an orb-weaver ancestor--which is based on a specimen of Mongolarachne from Jurassic China--amidst a delicious spread of chanterelle ancestors. It almost invites the comparison to a roast hen with mushrooms. Almost.
One of the new full-color paleoart pieces featured in my & Jonathan’s new book on the creationism/evolution controversy, God’s Word or Human Reason? I’ve been waiting to share this one for ages, as it is probably my favorite of my artworks right now.
This snapshot from the Early Cretaceous Yixian of Liaoning, China, depicts a Caudipteryx zoui mother and her two chicks darting across a shallow riverbed to the safety of denser cover beyond. In the background, a pair of shaggy tyrannosauroid Yutyrannus try to decide if they ought to be interested, and a pair of Changchengornis, a confuciusornithid basal bird, glide by. Together, the three genera represent a wide span on the continuum of feathered dinosaurs and of feather complexity: from hulking, filamentous carnivore, to ground-bound, display-feathered oviraptorosaur, to flight-capable bird.
This illustration, along with 11 other full-color paintings of feathered dinosaurs, appears in chapter 4 of our new book. If you haven’t already bought it on Amazon, you can order a signed copy directly from me for $40 via PayPal at e.deinonychus(at)gmail.com, personalized with a sketch of a bird or dinosaur of your choice! (International orders are totally fine, but please include an extra $5 for shipping.)
Many thanks to Jonathan for his critiques and suggestions on this piece, as well as to Doug Henderson, my favorite paleoartist, for his undeniable stylistic influence on the composition.
At long last--it is here!
After nearly a decade of hard work, patience and stubborn perseverance, the book on the evolution/creationism debate that I've been working on with Jonathan Kane and colleagues is finally ready for public consumption.
Published by Inkwater Press, 424 pages, you can get the hardcover on Amazon for $36: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Word-Human-Reason-Perspective/dp/1629013722
But for a limited time, I am offering exclusive signed and sketched-in copies for $40, shipped straight from me to you. Just PayPal me at e.deinonychus(at)gmail.com and tell me your favorite bird or dinosaur and I will draw it and personalize the title page.
I will not be offering this for long, so now's your chance for an exclusive copy. I am happy to ship overseas as well!
My first four illustrations for the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs: Oviraptor, Pinacosaurus, Protoceratops and Velociraptor. We are seeking to raise money to fund an expedition across Mongolia that will recover poached fossils, educate children about paleontology, and hopefully make a significant dent in the damage done to some of these rural communities by greedy fossil poachers. Perks for donating include awesome dinosaur swag featuring the above illustrations and many other things, including a once-in-a-decade opportunity for a fully-detailed painting by me of any dinosaur for a $1200 donation.
Only one day left to donate to the campaign! We’ve raised an amazing amount of money from amazing people, all for the singular purpose of preserving fossils and funding outreach campaigns to Mongolian children. You guys are awesome!
But we still have a ways to go, and with one day left, we’re down to the wire. Please chip in and signal boost with all your might for the last day! I’ve been amazed at what Tumblr can do before, especially when it comes to social campaigns and science outreach. <3
My first four illustrations for the Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs: Oviraptor, Pinacosaurus, Protoceratops and Velociraptor. We are seeking to raise money to fund an expedition across Mongolia that will recover poached fossils, educate children about paleontology, and hopefully make a significant dent in the damage done to some of these rural communities by greedy fossil poachers. Perks for donating include awesome dinosaur swag featuring the above illustrations and many other things, including a once-in-a-decade opportunity for a fully-detailed painting by me of any dinosaur for a $1200 donation.
I’ve written an article for GotScience.org on an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the protection of Mongolian fossils against the greedy self-interest of fossil poachers. Many of these incredibly valuable, beautiful fossils come out of quarries in rural areas in Mongolia, and their worth should be contributing directly to the communities they belong to. Instead, many of these rural areas do not benefit from the fossils that are illegally removed and sold to the black market.
I am participating as the illustrator for this campaign, which is led by the nonprofit Institute for the Study of Mongolian Dinosaurs. The ISMD will use the raised funds to lead an expedition across Mongolia to repatriate illegally exported fossils and to educate children (and adults!) in rural Mongolian communities about paleontology and the significance of their communities’ fossils.
Perks for the fundraiser include a variety of awesome dinosaur swag. Choose from stickers, coffee mugs, posters and t-shirts featuring my art at the lower donation levels, fossil pendants and reproductions at the middle levels, and a handful of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities at the upper level. For a generous $1200 donation, I am offering my first and possibly last full-color, detailed commission of any dinosaur of your choosing.
Tumblr has always been amazing at generating interest and passion for important social issues, and I implore you to consider the good you could be doing in donating to and sharing this one. Your money goes to a VERY good cause.
Read more and donate here. Thank you!
Today on Tumblr: birds with WAY too much stuff in their bills.
(Common chaffinch, tree swallow, American pipit, Clark’s nutcracker.)
Fun fact: when feeding their young, parent birds will often cram as many invertebrates into their bills at once to bring back to their chicks. Much more efficient than bringing them one by one. Cheesy poof not included.
See more of my photography at http://emilywilloughby.smugmug.com/
A new t-shirt design I’m working on. Planning on getting this one professionally screen printed. The black bits will be the shirt showing through, I plan on getting it done on black and maybe another dark colour? I’m still not decided on the colour scheme here. I quite like this, but greens also work well. Suggestions? Thoughts? Do you like it?
It's wonderful!
Given that Microraptor may have been somewhat iridescent blue, I'd suggest offering a dark blue or navy as an option in addition to black.
