DinoReplicas - dinosaur bone models and more

Introducing high-level details now that the mid-level forms are defined. There's no point into going into too fine detail as it won't register well in the 3D print.
In a similar vein I've cut the sutures (seams between the bones) quite broad and deep so they will show clearly in the final model. I'm learning got to keep this sort of thing in mind when working for scale reduction.

head_sculpt03_by_strick67-dcczizb.jpg



head_sculpt04_by_strick67-dcczj8c.jpg


The weird bright green is just to help me gauge the forms in 3D. For sculpting detail I find it useful to have a broad specular highlight that is shifted chromatically from the diffuse colour. In addition to the green with yellow highlight I often use blue/cyan and red/orange. Don't know if anyone else does this but it works for me.

sculpt_colours_by_strick67-dcczjj0.jpg
 
Awesome work.
Thanks.

- - - Updated - - -

This dorsal view shows the latest parts I worked on at the back of the head. Pretty much done on the cranium now, Probably need a final pass after the jaw is done, maybe a few adjusts in he joint area.

head_sculpt05_by_strick67-dcd1sjc.jpg


I'm now getting down some of the very tyrannosaurian features I wanted this model to show.

-The relatively narrow snout with the back of the nasal tightly pinched between the lacrimals.
-The broad back of the head and the huge spaces for the jaw closing muscles.
-The bony bosses at the top of the postobitals and the rough pitted texture on the nasal.
 
The lower jaws of theropods weren't joined at the centre point (unlike mammals, the jaw was a number of bones and not a fused unit) so it makes sense to temporarily separate the two halves to make it easier to sculpt the hard to reach areas.

jaw_sculpt03_by_strick67-dcd6761.jpg
 
For convenience I joined the meshes for the neck bones into one object but I still need to pull them apart to sculpt some detail into the areas which are occluded when in their articulated position. I can achieve this fairly easily by using a temporary 'blendshape' also known as a 'morph target'.

View attachment neck_stretch_anim_by_strick67-dcddwoq.gif

Due to me being so obsessive about getting the shape of the cervicals correct I put most of the detail into the base meshes. Consequently there's not much to add at the sculpting stage.

neck_details_by_strick67-dcddx6x.jpg


I'm using symmetry across the X axis to lay down the basic detailing. To finalise I turn the symmetry off to give individuality to the left and right sides. Being able to sculpt both sides simultaneously is one of the benefits of digital sculpting. At some point though you've got to break that computer perfection.

Because of the millions of years of crushing and stretching, fossils tend to be very distorted and asymmetric but I don't want to emulate the fossil look. I'm aiming to model the bones as they would occur in the living animal. When I examine the actual bone skulls of animals they're pretty symmetrical with most difference occurring mostly in the details.
 
It's always fun making these little GIF animations but procrastination is one of my known flaws.

head_120_turn_by_strick67-dcdjzmz.gif


Just about done with the skull and neck now. I'm going to leave it alone for a couple of days then come back and look at the work with fresh eyes. That always helps me spot things I've missed. In the mean time I'm going to start the mesh work on the foot.

jaw_rotate_by_strick67-dcdjzz0.gif
 
cyl_tars_by_strick67-dce365j.jpg


To start the foot I've used a hexagonal prism (just a low poly cylinder in Blender) as a base mesh for the three main (weight supporting) metatarsals.

tars_dorsal_medial_by_strick67-dce36br.jpg


After pushing around vertices and adding/deleting edges and loops here and there the bones start to emerge.
Much viewing of the Sketchfab 3D Trix and the Brochu paper helps me to close in on the forms.

tarsals3dview_by_strick67-dce36jb.jpg
 
You are doing great work! Thank you for sharing the process.

Will you create the whole skeleton? In what scale will you print it?
 
Generic sub-D meshes for phalanx and ungual in 2 views. These two shapes form the basis of the majority of the toe bones. Substantial topology modifications will be required for the proximal phalanges though.

generic_toe_by_strick67-dce3qtv.jpg
 
You are doing great work! Thank you for sharing the process.

Thanks, I'd hoped some folks would find the project process interesting.

Will you create the whole skeleton? In what scale will you print it?

At the moment I'm sticking to the plan I set out at the beginning of the thread. I may re-visit in the future to complete the skeleton. If there was demand and incentive though, that would increase motivation a lot?

The parts I'm putting on Shapeways, I'm aiming to make available in the following scales-
1:10, 1:12, 1:16, 1:18, 1:20, 1:24 and 1:32.
 
The metatarsals seem to be fitting together OK after a bit of adjustment.

tarsals_wires_by_strick67-dce6rpq.jpg


Tyrannosaurs are well known for their interlocked and compressed upper foot (known as an arctometatarsal). The middle bone (digit 3) is tightly pinched between the adjacent metatarsals. It's believed the extra strength and rigidity provided by this feature helped Tyrannosaurs to be faster than similar sized prey.

That degree of tight interlocking (like a 3D jigsaw puzzle) I'll have to complete at the sculpting stage when the mesh will have a much higher polygon density.

tarsals_back_by_strick67-dce6rvn.jpg


The right upper foot viewed from behind, left to right are metatarsals II, III and IV. The flat egg shaped feature on the back of MT II is the attachment area for digit I, kind of like a 'dewclaw'.
 
Full set of base meshes modelled for the toe parts. I'll spend some time getting all the foot bones properly fitting together in a neutral pose before I start sculpting details.

foot_bones_by_strick67-dce76yf.jpg
 
Wahey! it's a foot!
Quick anim showing assembly of parts and one full rotation. Think I've got this to a point where it's ready for sculpting. Going to get it out of my head for a while so I can look at it with fresh eyes. Tomorrow I'll have a last check/adjust then I'll UV map the mesh before I start detailing, same reason as per the skull.

foot_rotate_by_strick67-dce88a5.gif


I can definitely say that so far, the foot has been a substantially easier (and quicker) build than the skull which of course is inevitable, it being a much simpler structure.

I'm now thinking maybe I should have dealt with the skull as individual bones. If I ever do another revision I reckon that's what I should do. So rather than have a couple of polymesh structures representing cranium and mandible which I have to carve the bones into, I'll make a separate mesh for Nasals, Maxilla, Lacrimal etc.

Bleh! maybe next time. Don't know why I love to torture myself with these crazy notions, I just do!
 
Really, really love coming back to this thread. Awesome work and attention to detail. What I always find fascinating is how the eye sockets on the Rex skulls is positioned to have the eyes looking in such a forward facing direction whereas nearly all sculpts I've seen have the eyes more to the sides. Always wondered what was up with that.
 
Really, really love coming back to this thread. Awesome work and attention to detail.

Thanks, I'm just about ready to commit the skull and neck to 3D print, still plenty of the project to finish though.

What I always find fascinating is how the eye sockets on the Rex skulls is positioned to have the eyes looking in such a forward facing direction whereas nearly all sculpts I've seen have the eyes more to the sides. Always wondered what was up with that.

This is certainly true of older T. rex restorations, I think modern paleoartists are getting up to date with this now.
As a kid I had the old Invicta Tyrannosaurus model and it's head was so narrow it couldn't help but have deer-like sideways facing eyes. Bleh!

Tyrannosaurus heads have a boxy, almost dog-like shape, broad at the back and a relatively narrow snout. If you restore the skull as per nature (I referenced the proportions of 3 well preserved skulls), the eyes naturally take on the correct orientation. I'd say the eyes are semi forward facing but not to the same degree as modern birds of prey and carnivorous mammals.
 
Made the UV map for the rex foot prior to sculpting. As with the skull and neck, this will only be of use if I ever make some renders. The UVs are not that tightly packed but it still takes ages to unwrap and position the meshes, bit of a chore but it's done. Anyway I'm satisfied it's ready to sculpt. To get at the occluded areas I'll fall back on the pull apart/push together method I used for the neck (see post 46).

Also this is currently a right foot because I've mostly based the foot model on the preserved bones of SUE (see the Brochu 2003 paper). However I'm going to flip the mesh horizontally so it becomes a left foot. The reason for this is for consistency with the Allosaurus arm and foot 3D prints.

rex_foot_uvs_by_strick67-dcecsir.jpg
 

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top