Posts tagged wings
This is a complete remake of an old picture of mine, and is hopefully the last full picture for this creation/evolution book, though I know I’ve been saying that for a while. It’s very interesting how much the scope of the project has, well, evolved since 2008. This painting is, obviously, a depiction of Microraptor gui gliding down from a rock. It is a rock and not a tree branch because (in my opinion, at least) there is not yet enough evidence for the idea that Microraptor was arboreal, so it’s possible that it didn’t spend very much time in trees at all. Here it is chasing Pompiloperus, a species of early Cretaceous Jehol digger wasp. Insect-chasing was unlikely to be something that Microraptor did often, but as we can learn from All Yesterdays, animals commonly do things they don’t do commonly, if you know what I mean.
This is old news at this point, but the main impetus for deciding to redo the old drawing was the Microraptor color study, which revealed a few finer points of the animal: that its long-assumed headcrest was more likely to be an artifact of smushed feathers in fossilization, that at least some Microraptor had a pair of long tail ribbons extending back from the fan, and most notably, that the animal’s feathers were iridescent, perhaps shiny blue-black like a crow.
There seems to be some debate at present about whether Microraptor’s legwings were typically held perpendicular to the metatarsals or more in parallel when gliding, so I painted them somewhat intermediate - a likely position for takeoff, I think.
This represents probably over 100 hour of work and is entirely hand-painted in Photoshop CS4. As always, a huge thanks to Jon for endless support, critiques and suggestions. Be sure to buy the book if you want to see this in high-res! ;) This will be my last upload for 2012 (perhaps my last ever, if the Mayans are right :p). May 2013 be full of many featheries!
woah, beautiful!!
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In Chinese mythology and culture, the three-legged crow is called the Sanzuwu and is responsible for the sun’s passage across the sky. The earliest known depiction of a three-legged crow appears in Neolithic pottery of the Yangzhou culture. The Sanzuwu is used in the decoration of formal imperial silk garments of the Western Han Dynasty 202 BC -220 AD depicts a Sanzuwu perched on a tree.
In Japanese mythology, this flying creature is a raven or a Jungle Crow called Yatagarasu and the appearance of the great bird is interpreted as evidence of the will of Heaven or divine intervention in human affairs. This great crow was sent from heaven as a guide for Emperor Jimmu (reigned 18 February 660 BC - 9 April 585 BC) on his initial journey from the region which would become Kumano.
In Korean mythology, it is known as Samjok-o. During the period of the Koguryo Kingdom 37 BCE–668 CE, the Samjok-o was a highly regarded emblem of power, thought greater than both the dragon and the Korean phoenix.
Raven is the great shape shifter. The three legs symbolize Heaven, Earth and Humanity. It is one of the most universally ancient images of raven, appearing in the China, Japan, Korea, Neolithic site of Newgrange, Celtic art, Scandinavian art, Ancient Italian art, Egyptian art, and cultures throughout Africa.
Art by Larry Vienneau Jr.
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A Large, Winged Fish, from the Wonders of Creation (Aja’ib al-makhlugat) of Muhammad ibn Mahmud Tusi, Turkey, 16th c.
“This folio from Walters manuscript W.593 depicts a large, winged fish.”
You know what, Walters museum? I can’t argue with that. This shit is nothing if not a large, winged fish.
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Curious History: Extremely Disturbing Taxidermy
Enrique Gomez De Molina is an artist from Miami who creates bizarre sculptures with the stuffed parts of dead animals. While taxidermy itself isn’t something new, what De Molina does is he mixes up parts from different animals to create a new one, a new species all together. The result is what some might call art, and others may find plain disturbing.
For instance, one of the strangest beings created by De Molina is a combination of a squirrel and a crab. The head of a squirrel and the body of the crab. Another one has the heads of two swans placed on the body of a goat. The art is all fine, but the artist himself is facing the possibility of landing in jail for no less than 5 years. He may also have to pay $250,000 in fines. The reason – he illegally imported the body parts of endangered species, a crime that he has pleaded guilty to. He was arrested in November, 2011.
According to the police, De Molina did not obtain the permit required to import animal parts, skins and other remains. He apparently was aware that his actions were illegal. However, he went ahead and smuggled in the remains of animals from all over the world.While these sculptures might look disturbing and even seem like cruelty against animals, De Molina says that his aim is to raise awareness regarding the dangers faced by a range of species. He wanted to depict the dangers of genetic engineering and human intervention. Meanwhile, he offers his pieces for sale on the Internet and through exhibitions. The prices go up to $80,000. His work was recently displayed at the Scope Art Fair in Miami. Two pieces were sold for a total of $100,000.
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Put some more time into my A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) direwolf today. I think we are at about 7 hours now
Done by Shish at Millennium Tattoo in Newburgh, NY
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Angels lookin’ non-plussed about… harps? scales?, from the Escorial Beatus, a 10th century illuminated manuscript of the Commentary on the Apocalypse by Beatus of Liébana.
(；⊙_⊙)╯
why are the feet the best thing though
aren’t feet difficult for everyone“I found your copy of Fifty Seraphim of Grey”
“Oh”
“Oh”
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This is my second tattoo, which was just recently finished. My own design and color scheme. This tattoo is a representation of my fursona, along with my love for animals. My fursona is a silver fox named Uno. This piece of work was done by the talented Kyle Oxford of Read Street Tattoo Parlour in Baltimore Maryland.
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