First up I decided to try the stunningly beautiful Scutosaurus (Shield Lizard) which lived in the Permian era between 259 and 252 million years ago. Maybe some of the older members might remember them?
Right, I need to get my excuses in early...if you Googalise any pre dinosaury type creature, you will be lucky to get any two images which agree. Photographic evidence is a little sparse, so you have to rely on some artistic licence.
Now, the photos of modelling the clay progress are a bit sparse (as in, there isn’t any more). The clay part is seriously messy so I didn’t want to totally screw-up my camera just to pass a second and a half of your life. Sorry, your just not worth it. I was so covered in clay it got so that it was difficult to know were the model started and the Gorby bits stopped. This is the end result of my wrestling mud.
As you can see from it’s dainty looking paws, it looks like leprosy was present very early in our planets history. It’s because adding tiny details to a sticky mess isn’t the easiest thing. To experience the same, try squashing a jam donut in your hands and then individually apply grains of rice to depict a micro Stonehenge.
Then it was doused with several coats of diluted PVA and brush painted with acrylic. As this was a few million years before Instagram, I doubt fastidious grooming and cleanliness was one of their top priorities (see! I said teenager) I went with a grubby scheme.
The end result even looks as miserable and uncommunicative as your average teen.
I did this fella a few months ago and although I enjoyed it (mostly) the chaotic, messy process isn’t ideally suited to my current workspace...however, when I am ready, I’ll have a mini Middle Permian Park! 🙂
I mentioned on another site that I’m not able to do a dio base for it a the mo, and that I don’t know how to do an AI background on Linux (I’m such a therapsid!). They took pity on me and did and excellent one for me.
No doubt Bughunter will now tell me how easy it is to do AI pictures on Linux. 😳
shadowlight Hey you changed your method of work... You didn't punched the humps from the inside
1 29 June, 12:56
gorbyAuteur 😂 Until you mentioned it , it didn't occur to me that the first creature I was compelled to make is covered in rivets!
No doubt there is a Therapsid rights charity which would object to me punching them from inside. 🙂
1 29 June, 13:15
Alec K Now this is very original, I like it! Glad you found an outlet for something three dimensional to go with your insatiable prose 😄
29 June, 13:57
gorbyAuteur Thanks very much Alec. Not heard my prose being referred to as 'insatiable' before.
That's much more polite description than may people would use. Are you sure it hasn't auto-corrected from 'Unstable'. 😄
I have a feeling I should have put more words in the title?
I am bereft. I have no modelling room, as I’ve whittered about endlessly elsewhere, and that is possibly to be the case until autumn, if I’m lucky. I thought I could cope without my modelling fix but it is really getting to me.
I HAVE TO MAKE STUFF!!!!
Then I had an urge (don’t worry, this one’s legal).
In 1997 I saw a documentary which introduced me to a class of creatures I had never heard about before, Therapsids. It was called ‘When pigs ruled the world’ (what an offensive title! I can’t think why the therapsids haven’t sued yet). They were the ancient ancestors of dinosaurs, lizards and mammals – including us. I’ve been fascinated by them ever since – as I have about prehistoric creatures in general.
I ordered some Das air drying clay and a few cheap tools and hoovered up some Youtube vids in preparation....
shadowlight
gorby Auteur
Alec K