Top PaleoArtists
Click on the name to view the artist's website.
A Canadian paleoartist and natural history illustrator living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He specialises in photo-realistic restorations of dinosaurs, paleo-environments and extinct animals. His techniques encompass both traditional and digital media. His art is included in museum displays in many countries.
Known for his cartoonish illustrations of the prehistoric past ability to show a world of animals interacting with each other in a way that no other paleoartist has done in the past. His work is awarded and praised by numerous art and paleontology centers and continues to WOW us with his unique view of the prehistoric past.
An outstanding Paleortist who uses a variety of gradient colors to show a center point for his art and captures the emotion of an animal that is unmatched in many paleoart today. His attention to detail to skin and feathers brings a life to his art that is something a community of artists look up to and try to duplicate.
A Swedish artist who focuses on a prehistoric environment that captures the prehistoric world in a way that only our imaginations can understand. The Shadows, the texture, the flow of the water is done in a way that captivates the viewer and keeps you looking at every detail.
From Croatia. Self-taught both in traditional and digital sense.
"I love the art of storytelling, film making, and photography.
I'm an avid photographer and like to take my camera with me whenever possible.
It provides great inspiration and reference material for my illustrative work.
I guess you could say artistic expression is a big part of my life and who I am as a person."
RJ Palmer. Another amazing artists who has changed the way that we look at prehistoric life. His ability to movie light and shadow gives his images a personality that brings real life to the viewer. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. He is also one of the main artists for the hit video game Saurian!
See more at https://www.rj-palmer.com/paleoart/
"Two main aspects of my life have, for as long as I can remember, been art and palaeontology. I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil and have stubbornly refused to grow out of the dinosaur/palaeontology craze that afflicts most children. The latter proved so hard to shake that I studied for a degree in Palaeobiology and Evolution between 2002 – 2005 at the University of Portsmouth, UK and stayed there for my PhD studies between 2005 – 2008. I have since held a research position at Portsmouth. In 2010 I was honoured to be part of a joint University of Portmsouth/Royal Society exhibition which installed several models of giant flying reptiles in the centre of London (image of me and Bamofo, one of our giant azhdarchid models, right). In 2013 my book, Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy was published by Princeton University Press to critical acclaim. I now make a living as a technical consultant on palaeontological documentaries, palaeoartist, graphic designer and author."
See more at http://www.markwitton.com/home/4552741214
This Russian-American artistic titan has worked on Discovery channel shows like Dinosaur Revolution & Dino Death Match! Which I am a huge fan of. The detail in the skin of his #dinosaurs mesmerizing. But what is truly impressive is his attention to lighting. The shadows and moon light draping over his animals is so realistic that #DiscoveryChannel showcased his work.
The way he works with colors really gives you some insight into his #imagination. It almost feels like you can jump into the image and touch the animal...not that it would be a good idea to so lol.
See more at https://www.artstation.com/vlad_konstantinov
Andrey Atuchin is a freelance natural history illustrator and paleoartist living in Kemerovo, Russia. He specializes in dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. As a certified biologist he leverages his scientific background to inform his illustrations.
In 2002 Andrey was noticed as a paleoartist at the first time as he was awarded by honorable mention on International Dinosaur Illustration Contest. His career in illustration began after collaborations in projects with Dougal Dixon. Results of this work were “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs” and “The illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures.”
See more at http://andrey-atuchin.blogspot.ru/
Aram Papazyan's portraits of dinosaurs, reptiles and mammals really jump off the page. He hand draws every single scale and hair you see in pen or pencil. This is a very time consuming and difficult process that takes a steady hand, calm focused mind and patience that most people just don't posses.
Aside from the amazing detail in the skin, teeth, texture, muscles and shadowing of his art, I am most impressed by the detail in the eyes of his animals. The focus In and around the eyes really brings the detail to life. Also the angle at which he draws is impressive. It's much more difficult to draw your subject from an angular perspective then from the side. It give a real 3D effect that is memorable.
Finally, when Aram uses color, he doesn't disappoint. Using a vast spectrum reds, oranges, greens browns, blues, yellows dark tones.
See more at https://www.facebook.com/APPaleoart/
I have been a professional paleoartist since the late 1980s, when I did my first paleontological illustrations for the permanent exhibits of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid. But my interest in depicting prehistoric life began much earlier, when at the age of 8 I saw the paleontological art of Rudolph Zallinger published in “The golden book Encyclopedia of Natural Science”. Over the few following years I also saw the work of paleoart masters Charles Knight, Zdeneck Burian and Jay Matternes, which inspired me to pursue a career in paleart.
See more at https://mauricioanton.wordpress.com/gallery-2/
This amazing artist sheds a whole new way at looking at the prehistoric beasts that we all love so much. Taking the colors, presentations and adaptations of modern birds and reptiles into consideration, Brian Engh has created an artistic world of animals beyond most of our imaginations.
His dinosaurs are brilliantly colored with physical aspects that most other paleo-artists stray away from. In the fossilization process, most if not all organic material like skin, organs, and muscle tissue, decay over time and are lost to time. That being said, there is no evidence that these animals of the past didn't have flesshy head displays or waddles like today's chickens.
See more at http://dontmesswithdinosaurs.com/
Phil Wilson!
This artistic genius has over 50 years in the business. You might not have known it but growing up there is a very good chance that you were captivated by his interpretation of how these majestic animals looked in some of your favorite dinosaur books. Lost in not only your imagination, but Phil Wilson's as well. He has worked for Disney, and Paleontologists like Jack Horner and Robert T. Bakker! Producing art for their books include "Raptor Red"!
He was captivated by dinosaur at a young age. Their size and variety. The same as a lot of us, and never lost that love. "They are real dragons", he said. When I asked him why he paints and how he gets his motivation for his art he said, "I paint them because I want to see them. What would they would be like? It's amazing even to think about."
A good majority of his prehistoric art is viewed from a lower vantage point. Really trying to portray the size of these animals as they would be seen from lowly mammals like ourselves. He has always tried to "capture a moment" as he said, providing you a glimpse into his imagination while at the same time expanding yours. Wilson works on his backgrounds first, creating the scene and atmosphere for the animals to interact in and adapt to.
See more at http://pittsburghillustrators.org/accounts/view/dynoillustr8r
Ricardo Recto!
Ricardo lives in Tagum, Davao in the Philippines and uses only BALLPENS ..and a little support sometimes from his 5 year son's old poster colors. Ricardo is able to capture an amazing array of colors, textures and life like anatomy in a unique style setting him apart from a lot of Paleo-Artists today.
"I believe that art really is within you the mediums are just a channel to see who you really are.....i just simply used whatever medium i can get my hands on.. i draw dinosaur because of my childhood days and since my son' loves them." -Ricardo Recto
This style of art, as many forms of art do, requires a great deal of patience. If there is something about the art he is unhappy with he very well might have to start over from the beginning.
I personally am fascinated by the color patterns and the accurate anatomy of his animals. The gradients of colors and even the majestic feathers.
See more at https://www.facebook.com/ricardo.recto
Li Hairo!
First of all, I think it is safe to say that Li Hairo is a MAJOR Jurassic Park fan... If you couldn't tell lol. Li's style of prehistoric art is vastly different than the majority of Paleo-Artists I have featured. It is colorful, deep, bright, and for lack of a better word, just plain cool!
What is most impressive about his work is that while it is obviously more of an Anime style, his animals are still for the most part biologically accurate. Which in reference to anime in general is usually not the case. So Li is able to combine a unique style while still keeping his animals realistic. And as you can see, a lot of his art is inspired by Jurassic Park and Jurassic World.
Take a minute to look closely as his skin tones, Li does an amazing job of mixing colors that would normally contrast, and blends them together for each animal. Giving the animal a personality. Not only emotionally but physically as well.
https://www.deviantart.com/michiragi
Rushelle Kucala!!!
This amazing artist has a style and process quite different from the majority of Paleo-Artists we have featured. There is an extensive amount research that goes into every paleolithic piece of art she creates. Literally, Rushelle uses all of the latest research available on each animal she draws and will study living animals to get a sense of behavior and movement. She attended the Academy of Art University for illustration but after taking an anatomy class she realized how much she loved the subject. The love was cemented when she took her first science illustration class. Thus a star was born!
When you combine a love for the prehistoric past, art and anatomy you are left with someone who can produce some of the most accurate and educational art out there. Rushelle is able to literally show us the ins and outs of these animals. She uses rulers and tools to make sure that the skeletal structure of these animals are as accurate as possible. Once she is done sketching the skeleton Rushelle scans the image, cleans it up, and then prints two copies. One is used for coloring the bones with Prismacolor markers and the other is for adding the muscle to the bones. But using photoshop seems to have added some extra features and speed to her process.
Parik Malmqvist
The spectrum of the art travels vast and far in many realms. In this case the New paleo-artist of the week comes in the form of a Photographer.
Parik Malmqvist has done something very few artists can do. He has taken common everyday dinosaur toys and has photographed them in the most realistic of ways. When you look at his images, the lighting and the angles are all perfect. As a fellow photographer myself I can tell you that the lighting seen in his images is not easy to portray in an image yet Patrik seems to produce these amazing images with ease.
The next and I think most impressive aspect of his images is how he utilizes the world around him to produce images that look like the prehistoric world. untouched by man with his animals flourishing in their everyday lives.
Dinosaurs and pterosaurs in the rain, wind, sun, water, and even the snow. He even has images of primitive man and mammoths that will blow your mind. I am happy and honored to thank Patrik Malmqvist for his talented contribution to the love and world of the prehistoric past.
Jonathan Kuo
Some of you gamers might be familiar with some of his work already. He has been part of some major video game productions such as Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 4. But it's his amazing work with the prehistoric world that really catches my eye.
His obvious love for dinosaurs, mammal like reptiles, and marine life reflects in the way his artwork jumps off the page. His lifelike depictions of these animals interacting with their surroundings and the weather really puts your imagination in his art.
His work with Dromaeosaurids like Dakotaraptor, Utahraptor, and Deinonychus and other theropods like Dilophosaurus, Carnosauria and Tyrannosaurids are absolutely amazing. Jonathan absolutely excels at Skin texture and feathers even with more of a digital watercolor style. The lighting for his environments is spectacular but its the shadowing of light on his animals that is even more impressive. The creators of the Jurassic World movies could learn a thing or two from his art and lighting in my opinion.
Modern day birds and reptiles are full of texture and color so why should their ancestors be any different...
It's an honor name Jonathan Kuo as Jurassic Jabber's Paleo-Artist of the week.
Esther Van Hulsen
Her gripping images have been featured in - I Nature, National Geographic, Colored Pencil Magazine, Raptor Research and Fossil News.
Esther started working as a wildlife artist, not long after she was asked to create a few images of prehistoric animals and she not only did she love it but she has excelled far beyond her original expectations and hasn't looked back since.
What is so special about her images is her ability to tell a story in a single moment. Every one of her pieces shows the animal's lifestyle. It can be as subtle as a pterosaur casually scratching an itch or a Smilodon quenching its thirst. But her art can also showcase the primal life or death side of the prehistoric world. What is most impressive to me aside from the stunning colors, landscapes, attention to detail in the texture of the skin or feathers, is the emotion in the animals eyes. Esther has the ability - nay, the gift to show us all what the animal might have been thinking at that exact moment. Her goal is to tell the animals story.
I want to personally thank Esther Van Hulsen for her amazing and unique view of a prehistoric world that we are all so captivated with.
Lucas Jaymez
A 39 year old graphic designer from Argentina. This man is a triple threat when it comes to his artistic talents. 1.He takes images of modern day animals in real life situations and then duplicates the image replacing the modern animal with a prehistoric one. The beauty of his illustrations is that it really give you a sense of common and familiar behaviors that these prehistoric animals most likely did on a every day basis.
2. Lucas is a sculptor and a spectacular sculptor at that. His models exhibit a real sense of texture and life. Especially in the eyes. The colors and attention to the details of the skin are quite impressive. Sculpting and molding skulls of animals like Carnotaurus, miniatures of sauropods, Raptors, Pterosaurs and more!
3. Lucas is a photoshop wiz and is able to combine images of modern day birds, lizards, Crocodiles, snakes and mammals to create a realistic prehistoric masterpiece. Simply put, he combines animals like a bird and a lizard to create a Dinosaur or pterosaur. Some of his images are almost scary how realistic they are.
Thank you Lucas Laymez for bringing a new form and art perspective to us all. I am honored to name you Paleo-Artist of the week.
Jaime Chirinos
A prehistoric enthusiastic, imaginative illustrator and an alumni of the School of Visual Arts who. Inspired by maybe too many Godzilla movies and Sci-fi cartoons from the 70s and 80s Jaime began drawing creatures of all types at very early age. Jaime's artistic career finally inclined to paleo-art thanks to the works of some former paleo-artists of the week such as Mark Hallett, James Gurney, Gregory S. Paul, and Raul Martin to whom he looks up to and hopes to be like when he grows up.
Jaime’s artworks have been used in various scientific and educational articles all over the world such as Science Illustrated, Scholastic books, the BBC’s website Nature Prehistoric Life and the National Geographic’s series Monster Fish, to name a few. Click on the ‘Publications’ link on the left to preview some of these works.
