The Palaeoartist’s Handbook
Recreating prehistoric animals in art
Mark P Witton
Extinct worlds live again in palaeoart: artworks of fossil animals, plants and environments carefully reconstructed from palaeontological and geological data. Such artworks are widespread in popular culture, appearing in documentaries, museums, books and magazines, and inspiring depictions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals in cinema. This book outlines how fossil animals and environments can be reconstructed from their fossils, explaining how palaeoartists overcome gaps in fossil data and predict ‘soft-tissue’ anatomies no longer present around fossil bones. It goes on to show how science and art can meet to produce compelling, interesting takes on ancient worlds, and it explores the goals and limitations of this popular but rarely discussed art genre.
ISBN: 9781785004629
Published: October 31, 2018
Format: Ebook
£25
Buy PaperbackISBN: 9781785004612
Width: 220mm
Height: 280mm
Pages: 224
Published: September 6, 2018
Format: Paperback
About the author
Mark P Witton is a leading palaeontological artist, author and researcher at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He has produced artwork for museums and universities worldwide, including the Natural History Museum and The London, and American Museum of Natural History. He has also acted as a consultant for documentaries and films, including the Walking with Dinosaurs franchise, the BBC, National Geographic and research institutes around the world. His palaeoart works have also been featured in numerous research papers, news reports, books, television shows, museums and art galleries, and he has consulted on the appearance of fossil animals for numerous television shows and films. He has written numerous books on palaeontology and palaeoart, including three books for Crowood.
