Bambiraptor Skeleton Project

[Clayton Jones]

This skeleton will make for one fine mantlepiece in your house! You've done some excellent work on those bones!

May I ask what you've been painting them with? I'm going to try to cast my deinonychus skeleton in resin once its finished, but I want to make sure that making the molds won't damage the foam or try to grab the foam texture. Coating the foam with something should help with that.

[LordTrilobite]

Thanks! I'm likely going to make the skeleton in a sitting posture as you don't see that very often. It may not be as dynamic as a running pose but I think it will still be interesting.

I'm using some normal water based paint. I'm not sure what kind of foam you're using. But if you're using the same type of foam. Be sure to test the paint on some throwaway pieces first. A number of paints I tried on the foam I'm using actually partially dissolved the foam (Yikes!).

[kauffy]

This is way cool!!!

Out of curiosity how pedantic are you with maintaining the correct proportions of the bones? I can see your working off schematic illustrations. Are you trying to follow exact measurements/ratios or not too worried about it and making it more a creative masterpiece?

I envy your patience and skills, seriously cool project!!

Cheers

[LordTrilobite]

Here's another update. I finished the feet, I have the neck blocked out and I'm working on the detailing now.

I also found this really nice paper about Theropod resting behaviour. Really useful for making my raptor sit correctly.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0004591

This is way cool!!!

Out of curiosity how pedantic are you with maintaining the correct proportions of the bones? I can see your working off schematic illustrations. Are you trying to follow exact measurements/ratios or not too worried about it and making it more a creative masterpiece?
I envy your patience and skills, seriously cool project!!

Cheers

I'm trying to make it pretty accurate. I don't use exact measurements strictly speaking. Of every part I have at least one view printed to actual scale to use as a reference. With that being pretty accurate, I normally just draw a copy of the shape onto the foam and go from there. the foam is fairly soft and so doesn't really allow for very fine details in such a drawing. So I draw the outline a fraction too big. When I cut out the basic shape it will be slightly fatter than it's supposed to. Then I keep cutting off foam until the shape is pretty accurate from all angles.

Though sometimes I don't have the needed reference for certain angles and I'll have to approximate some stuff.

So generally, fairly accurate.

[Clayton Jones]

Those feet look perfect!

From my experience, some of the sculpting has to be done without directly taking the measurements from the journals or photos; The exact angles of some of the curves or the thicknesses of some bones just aren't available and you have to use your 'sculpting sense' to mentally translate the photos and sketches you have into the right form in the sculpture. Do you ever go through anything like that LordTrilobite?

I just had a thought, at some point, we should work together to do a tutorial of some kind to show others how to do what we do... like the idea?

[LordTrilobite]

Thanks! And yeah, I often have to approximate shapes and angles.

Yeah I think that such a tutorial is a good idea. I have some other projects in mind. I could use those for making a detailed view of the process I go through. I was thinking of making a Gallimimus skull and the foot of Balaur. Would be interesting to see how our processes differ as well.

[Koss1959]

I would definitely be interested in seeing a detailed analysis of your creative process guys! I'm struggling with my rex skull.

[LordTrilobite]

Making some real progress now. I've finished the neck, inserted some steel wire and glued it to the thoracic vertebrae. I've also glued the lower jaw to the skull in a semi open mouth posture.

Overview of all the finished bones with attached neck. The right foot and femur are hidden from view though.

Skull with attached jaw. isn't he cute?

Overview of the shoulder girdle bones I have so far. Seen from the inside. The sternal plates have been glued in the middle but I still need to glue the coracoids together and attach them to the sternum as well. The right arm can be seen but I still need to make much of the hand. I haven't started on the left arm yet.

The Bambiraptor foot compared to a Velociraptor killing claw replica.

[Auspex]

Un-believable

And yet, completely convincing. Bravo!

[Triceratops]

Another master piece coming up!

[gato moteado]

Wow! Incredible work. Thank you for posting the photos.

[LordTrilobite]

Thanks for the comments. It's always nice to see some reactions.

[Fossildude19]

Top notch work, and wonderfully executed.

Thanks for showing your progress - looking forward to the finished model!

Regards,

[MgTattooer86]

Very awesome!

[LordTrilobite]

Here are some more updates. I've finished the tail, I assembled the shoulder girdle and I started working on the ribcage.

[LordTrilobite]

Here are some pictures from last weekend I forgot to upload. I finished the ribcage and attached the shoulder girdle to it. In these pictures I also attached the skull and tail temporarily and layed out two of the limbs so you guys can get an idea what it will look like. Now I'm working on the base it will be mounted on which I'll post pictures of when I'm further towards completion.

[Fossildude19]

Wonderful work!

It is really coming along nicely.

Regards,

[Triceratops]

Incredible, just incredible!

[Mike from North Queensland]

Incredible Work

Mike

[izak_]

When it is finished, My friends will be hanging over you

[LordTrilobite]

Well, I finished the skeleton. I mounted it in a sitting position, which I based on a paper about some footprints of a sitting Dilophosaurus.

I learned a lot from making this.

The base it's mounted on measures just under a meter at 93 cm long (just over 3 feet).

Details

Phone for scale.

And again a scale picture compared to my Gorgosaurus skull.

Edited March 1, 2015 by LordTrilobite

[Auspex]

Ab-so-lute-ly wonderful! We are in the presence of genius!

I take the occasion of its unveiling to award The Golden Drool Bucket, in recognition of your skill, artistry, and desire for scientific accuracy. Bravo, my friend, you have awed us all!

 

[Fossildude19]

Excellent masterpiece!

Well done, Lord Trilobite!

Thanks for posting the finished product here!

Ab-so-lute-ly wonderful! We are in the presence of genius!

I take the occasion of its unveiling to award The Golden Drool Bucket, in recognition of your skill, artistry, and desire for scientific accuracy. Bravo, my friend, you have awed us all!

And thanks for awarding the GDB to Lord Trilobite, Chas,... I would have suggested it had it not already been done!

Regards,

[LordTrilobite]

Ab-so-lute-ly wonderful! We are in the presence of genius!

I take the occasion of its unveiling to award The Golden Drool Bucket, in recognition of your skill, artistry, and desire for scientific accuracy. Bravo, my friend, you have awed us all!

Thanks! That means a lot!

[PFOOLEY]

...I take the occasion of its unveiling to award The Golden Drool Bucket, in recognition of your skill, artistry, and desire for scientific accuracy...

Congratulations! A well deserved award for some quite amazing pieces.