Kane’s Trilobite Drawings

[Kane]

Thanks all, and thanks for all the fish (puns), too.  

[Kane]

First attempt at a speculative reconstruction.

It's been quite a few months since I last drew, so this is a bit rusty. There just hasn't been much time for drawing due to work, and I have a very brief pause in workload until the big end of semester crush. 

 

Acanthopyge contusa is only known from fragments, of which I've been fortunate to find quite a few this year. A complete specimen has not yet been reported. My task was to draw from the many fragments I have (many of which are not the greatest preservation), and to borrow a few missing parts from its taxonomic cousin of equivalent age, Acanthopyge consanguinea. 

 

This would be my best estimate of what it would look like complete on the basis of fragments. I've had to make a few guesses/choices, so any errors are certainly a product of some creative license mixed with a lack of whole specimens.

[Al Tahan]

You have a real talent Kane. 

[Kane]

Thanks, Al! 

[Mahnmut]

Beautiful as always.

In case of the reconstruction I would like to see some of the fragments you based it on in the drawing.

best Regards,

J

 

[Kane]

23 minutes ago, Mahnmut said:

Beautiful as always.

In case of the reconstruction I would like to see some of the fragments you based it on in the drawing.

best Regards,

J

 

Thank you! As you are a keen eye for reconstructions, I can show a few images here of my own finds that served as source material that informed this one. The actual reconstruction process meant relying on much more than these few representative images (I have around 25+ similar fragments which gave me a good view of more unique variation expression of the species)

Other elements, such as the thorax, had to be borrowed from looking at images of a contemporary taxonomic cousin. Less than ideal, but the morphology should be fairly close as the body plan is virtually identical. That being said, not having any examples of the thorax leaves that section a bit more speculative in terms of whether or not the tubercles would have appeared there, or if those were limited only to the cephalon and pygidium. As a conservative estimate, I opted to keep the thorax relatively smooth and in line with its contemporary relative. 

 

Of course, all it would take is for me to find a complete specimen (highly unlikely!) or a thorax, and I may find myself having to redo this reconstruction.  

[Kane]

Kicking off the new year in a spiny fashion. About 20-ish hours, mostly HB, some H and 6B. The spines are as fussy to draw as they are to prep on the real deal.

 

[Misha]

Your art is absolutely incredible!

Can I ask how you developed it to such a level?

[Kane]

Thanks, Misha. 

I suppose it is just good old fashioned time and practice.  It helps that I was developing drawing a lot in my teens with designs on pursuing a career in animation, but other passions stole me away, and after two decades I came back to it. 

[Fossildude19]

Unreal!  

Another masterpiece, Kane!

   

[FossilNerd]

I agree with Tim! 
 

It’s truly amazing what you can do with time and graphite! 

[Ruger9a]

Superb work!

[Kane]

Thanks, gents!  This one was more of a challenge due to temporary lack of concentration issues, but it got done... slowly.  

[Pagurus]

You are one amazing dude, Kane. Your determination and your success is astounding.

[snolly50]

@Kane From casual exposure here on the Forum, I have learned of your diverse interests and efforts. As I recount them - academic achievement and publication, rigorous martial arts training, underwater photography, fossil hunting/preparation and gardening; spring readily to mind. Now, reviewing this topic, I see truly wonderful photorealistic drawing. They are wonderfully done. Now, if i learn you are the master of a difficult musical instrument (e.g. bassoon or bagpipe); I will be totally impressed. Even if that is not the case, I still must judge you a polymath. I really do like your drawings. 

[Kane]

Thank you Mike and Snolly for your very kind words, My darker complexion hides the blushing.  

 

Sadly, I am not proficient in a complicated instrument, but have slightly beyond intermediate skills in guitar (a far too common instrument!). Nothing quite compares to steel strings under a balmy summer sky...

[Bob Saunders]

Love your drawings. I sat down with a M. C. Escher book and did some pencil drawings of insects a long time ago. need to try my hand again. I have a set of Winsor & Newton pastel pencils that I used more to color wood burning s. 

[Kane]

I've had no time for drawing at all this semester due to a massive teaching overload, but I am jonesing to get back to it.

I've temporarily put aside essay grading to spend a very short burst of time experimenting with mid-tone paper.

 

This is just a first 20 minute draft. I'll see to doing this up on bigger paper, adjusting the browns on the next go, and actually adding detail. But this shows the process to some extent, beginning with the darks and lights and moving toward the mid tone of the paper. On white paper, it is a process of fading toward white; on black towards the black. 

[Kane]

Finally finished. Almost entirely HB pencil, blending stump, and getting the hang of using the tortillion for sharper gradation steps. Looks a lot better in person, but taking photos of graphite drawings is notoriously challenging unless one has a very elaborate lighting set-up. 

 

Shell stains, cracks, and other intriguing flaws faithfully retained. 

[dinosaur man]

10 hours ago, Kane said:

Finally finished. Almost entirely HB pencil, blending stump, and getting the hang of using the tortillion for sharper gradation steps. Looks a lot better in person, but taking photos of graphite drawings is notoriously challenging unless one has a very elaborate lighting set-up. 

 

Shell stains, cracks, and other intriguing flaws faithfully retained. 

Amazing drawing!!

[Tidgy's Dad]

Beautiful drawings. 

What a talent. 

 

[Kane]

Thank you both for such kind words.  

 

I forgot to mention that it took this long (about 15 hours) as the drawing covers almost the entire sheet of paper. 

A few more to come, hopefully.

[dinosaur man]

1 hour ago, Kane said:

Thank you both for such kind words.  

 

I forgot to mention that it took this long (about 15 hours) as the drawing covers almost the entire sheet of paper. 

A few more to come, hopefully.

I’m wondering what kind of pencils do you use for these drawings? 

[Kane]

1 hour ago, dinosaur man said:

I’m wondering what kind of pencils do you use for these drawings? 

The majority of the work is done using standard HB (the "default" pencils that are generally used by most people), but for darker shadows I use softer pencils in the B-range (2B-9B). In the lighter areas I may use some of the harder pencils in the H-range (2H-9H).

[dinosaur man]

42 minutes ago, Kane said:

The majority of the work is done using standard HB (the "default" pencils that are generally used by most people), but for darker shadows I use softer pencils in the B-range (2B-9B). In the lighter areas I may use some of the harder pencils in the H-range (2H-9H).

Thank you!!