Flukes, flukes, and more flukes... All Coming Soon!

Feels like I've (Craig) been neglecting ART Evolved lately, and so to prevent this from happening in the future I'm making a few commitments here in public. So that I can be called out if I neglect to do these (but I am planning too, promise!).


The first of these is documenting a really exciting project I've been working on in conjunction with a new palaeontologist based here in Alberta. I've been collecting all the artistic bits and pieces so far that should make for a descent new series of article.

For no reason other than subject manner of this new project, I've decided to jokingly to make this an indirect sequel to my previous Flukes series. The reason why will become clear once I post this, but for you keeners out there the skull in the logo and the big publication related to this family in 2010 should give away why I'm calling this series Flukes.

I will quickly disclaim, I need to get permission from my collaborating palaeontologist to post this stuff. As they are currently away on their holidays at moment, I will have to wait to arrange this until into the New Year. However, I don't think they will have a problem with our exchanges and progress being made public, but I leave myself the wiggle room in case this is an issue.

Hopefully watch for this shortly into the New Year.

Speaking of Flukes the first, I still owe you guys at least two posts in this series. Sadly as there has been no news on the publication of the paper my artwork is supposed to accompany, one of these posts is delayed indefinitely till we get published. However I still do have one more post I have material for...

This is how to work with actual scientists on palaeo-art projects. Now mind you this is not how to work for a palaeontologist for money, but rather how to hopefully get your foot in the door into the world of scientific illustration.

Personally I found the experience a very educational but challenging one. It had a steep learning curve, and I couldn't imagine any legitimate scientist putting up with paying me while having to take me so much by the hand.

With my post though I hope to prepare you for some of the challenges should you one day pursue this avenue, and also hopefully highlight some of the potential benefits that come with all the obstacles too!

So watch for these and more in the New Year!

We are also looking to expand our ARTicle content. If you are interested in learning about something specific related to palaeo-art let us know so we can try and get some articles together to get you in the know. Also if you have an idea for a single shot article or a whole series of themon something Palaeo-Art just let us know and we'll make it happen! (Our email as always is artevolved@gmail.com)

Scientific American Guest Blog

Today on the Scientific American Guest Blog I have a post entitled, Scientific Accuracy in Art. 

©  Glendon Mellow 2010

In it, I touch on fossils, math, a crucifix and microscopic paint. It attempts to answer: what is science-art for?

Would love if Art Evolved contributors and fans could head there to comment - disagree, support or ask questions!

The burgeoning field of science-art is one I love to explore.  Recently, I was also on a podcast on Atheists Talk with science-artist Lynn Fellman and host Mike Haubrich, and I have been discussing science-art some more on my own blog as I gear up for ScienceOnline11 in North Carolina in January.

-Glendon

Vote for ART Evolved's Second Anniversary Gallery!

Hard to believe that 2 years ago this upcoming March that ART Evolved started. In many ways it feels we just booted up the palaeo-art community yesterday, but yet it has been running for decades.

Regardless, we need a topic for our Year 2 anniversary gallery in March 2011.

Time to have your choice heard again! On the right side bar you'll find the poll. Possible topics include:

• Ammonites
• Hominids
• Sea Scorpions
• Terror Birds
• Troodons

You can vote for multiple choices, but remember to do so by Dec. 31st! The poll closes then.

Can't wait to see what wins!

Elephant Live Blogging Event

With the due date of the Elephant Gallery approaching fast (where does the time go?), a few artists are going the extra mile to get their artwork done. Join us (and them) as they blog their progress on their pieces "live" on the web.

Our current participating artists include:

Peter Bond's efforts will be viewable here as of Dec. 20th

Craig Dylke's posts will be here on Dec. 20th

So check them out, and give them feedback please! Enjoy...

and Happy Holidays from ART Evolved!

Senckenberg Elephant Wall

The Senckenberg museum in Frankfurt has a great wall of elephants about 40 meters long… I composited a bunch of photos into a flat view, detail below is that first skull on the far right (Deinotherium giganteum). Download the big original by clicking the first image.

A Holiday Live Blog

We haven't done a live blogging in a while, so this is the official call out to all you palaeo-artists!
Start work on your piece for the January Elephant Gallery, document your progress on your blog, website, flickr/deviantart/etc site so everyone can follow your artistic process and progress. Let us know when you'll be starting to post your live blogging and the where (please include the html in addition to your sites name so we make sure we link to the right place).

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The live blogging central event post goes up tomorrow, but we'll be accepting live bloggers till the Elephant Gallery goes up. So be sure to check in back at ART Evolved now and then through this time to catch all the live blogging action.

Remember the Elephant Gallery will be launching on January the 7th 2011!

If you're new to the site, we accept any and all artwork submitted that is themed around any of our gallery topics. Just send your submission(s), along with any accompanying text you'd like with them, and the link to your website/blog/online picture gallery to our email artevolved@gmail.com, and we'll post them!

Head over to Brian Engh's post about his Brachiosaur reconstructions, and Matt Wedel's encouragement to be bold with his edgy ideas:

If you go bold, you won’t be right; whatever you dream up is not going to the same as whatever outlandish structure the animal actually had. On the other hand, if you don’t go bold, you’ll still be wrong, and now you’ll be boring, too.

Plateosaurus skull video

Plateosaurus skull _ Loewentor from david maas on Vimeo.

Scrubbing the timeline of a video is the simplest form of interactive illustration I can imagine and already it expands the available information literally into new dimensions. I started some experiments with videos I've taken at museums and will be posting more of these as I find time to stabilize them. That is, if you like them!

Revised date for the Elephant Gallery

As I'm sure many of you have noticed, the Elephant Gallery has yet to go up.

The reason being that with the incredible success of the Pink Dinosaur fund raiser, we lost track of everything else on the site for a month and a bit (can you blame us with an average of 2-4 Pink Dinos coming in a day!). Added to that all the administrators have either been insanely busy with the end of the school year (being teacher and education related professionals) or big developments in their family and career lives.

With things returning to normal finally it time to get back to business as usual.

So the Elephant Gallery will be launching on January the 7th 2011!

If you're new to the site, we accept any and all artwork submitted that is themed around any of our gallery topics. Just send your submission(s), along with any accompanying text you'd like with them, and the link to your website/blog/online picture gallery to our email artevolved@gmail.com, and we'll post them!

Thanks to everyone who have already gotten in their pieces, we apologize about the delay (but it was for a good cause!)

No, no translation yet. I got overwhelmed by a greedy moment of actually drawing and relished it. So... you'll have to wait. In the meantime, you can take in my Veranus indicus reconstruction.

Another Paleoart Competition ... for Kids!

This seems to be the time of the year for eggnog and paleoart contests!  The Creative Kids Contest is for kids 12 and under, by The Fossil Freak Show - a B.C. fossil hunting crew!  Click here for all the information and details for this awesome contest!

Deadline is December 8, so get sketching kids!