How paleoartists bring dinosaurs to life

From the terrifying, hulking beasts portrayed in blockbuster movies to the friendly, charismatic characters often found in children’s cartoons, dinosaurs have made their way into almost every corner of popular culture. However, in terms of scientific accuracy, such depictions tend to leave a lot to be desired. So, how do we know what dinosaurs really looked like, whose job is it to show us, and how exactly do they go about it?

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Mark Witton, a researcher, author and highly regarded paleoartist based at the University of Portsmouth.

He outlines the detailed scientific process paleoartists follow to bring these ancient beasts to life as realistically as possible, runs us through some of the common mistakes Hollywood directors make in the name of artistic licence, and explains why the T.Rex is one of his favourite dinosaurs to draw.

To see Mark’s work, check out his website www.markwitton.co.uk

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