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While raptors are my namesake and all, the armored dinosaurs are an extremely close second. Maybe if I'd had an Ankylosaur toy to cherish instead of my Primal Rage Talon action figure, I'd be called Polacanthar or something. (Armadon doesn't count, he was clearly ceratopsian.) Everyone always loved T-Rex; I loved the fact that T-Rex could get knocked toothless by something that didn't really even have to move to do it.
Edmontonia is actually probably my all-time favorite, followed by Euplocephalous, but neither lived in the Early Cretaceous. However, Gastonia did, who was my favorite at the Utah Museum of Prehistoric Life. Sauropelta did, too, and both species appear in Mark of the Conifer. Gastonia has a lot of friggin' spines to study; I'm glad I did like 5 scribbles of him while I had a skeleton to study.
Aside from the fact that this clade suffers from probably the worst "It belongs here! No wait ... here!" arguments, there are a lot of cool theories surrounding the ankylos. Some think they may have had trunks or some other appendage on their noses, because they have such big, complex nasal chambers. I'm also well aware that I took some pretty dynamic liberties with how these things might have moved, but the fact that their armor isn't attached to their skeleton just opens up too many worlds of cool to ignore.
The only things I'll say NOT to reference is the spike patterns. Look at a real skeleton to make sure of how things looked; I was kinda random.
Edmontonia is actually probably my all-time favorite, followed by Euplocephalous, but neither lived in the Early Cretaceous. However, Gastonia did, who was my favorite at the Utah Museum of Prehistoric Life. Sauropelta did, too, and both species appear in Mark of the Conifer. Gastonia has a lot of friggin' spines to study; I'm glad I did like 5 scribbles of him while I had a skeleton to study.
Aside from the fact that this clade suffers from probably the worst "It belongs here! No wait ... here!" arguments, there are a lot of cool theories surrounding the ankylos. Some think they may have had trunks or some other appendage on their noses, because they have such big, complex nasal chambers. I'm also well aware that I took some pretty dynamic liberties with how these things might have moved, but the fact that their armor isn't attached to their skeleton just opens up too many worlds of cool to ignore.
The only things I'll say NOT to reference is the spike patterns. Look at a real skeleton to make sure of how things looked; I was kinda random.
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KhandleHobbyist Digital Artist
Anks are awesome.
And, I kinda think, since Armadon is a hybrid of a lot of things, that he fits into what he needs to. Really he was the character that covered the most classic, stock dinosaurs that you'd want to get covered. So yeah, I'd say he has some ank in him.
But that's not what we're really talking about here. No, we're talking about Ankylosaurids. Well, yeah, I think the Borealopelta fossil was a super awesome find.
And, I kinda think, since Armadon is a hybrid of a lot of things, that he fits into what he needs to. Really he was the character that covered the most classic, stock dinosaurs that you'd want to get covered. So yeah, I'd say he has some ank in him.
But that's not what we're really talking about here. No, we're talking about Ankylosaurids. Well, yeah, I think the Borealopelta fossil was a super awesome find.
Ankylosaurs almost never get drawn right.
Amazing guide!
One nitpick, though; it's Nodosauridae, not Polacanthidae.
Amazing guide!
One nitpick, though; it's Nodosauridae, not Polacanthidae.
The toes are super difficult to draw. Amazing!
DinoLover09Hobbyist General Artist
Very nice. Do you have one for ceratopsians?
DinoLover09Hobbyist General Artist
Oh, OK. 
DoggamaranStudent General Artist
You should design a game like monster hunter
ebelesaurus Digital Artist
one of those pic is from luis rey
AhrkeathHobbyist Digital Artist
Nicely done, though the little running Ank throws me off-I'm used to the 90 degree rule for theropods! Ankylosaurs are some of the trickier dinos to draw-but this reference should help! ^^
And odd trivia-I went to an exhibit once where the poor Saichania's knee was mounted backwards. It was painful just to look at, but the sad part was it wasn't the first or the last dinosaur mounted like that.
And odd trivia-I went to an exhibit once where the poor Saichania's knee was mounted backwards. It was painful just to look at, but the sad part was it wasn't the first or the last dinosaur mounted like that.
whipscorpionStudent Traditional Artist
I'm gonna be honest I don't draw too many dinosaurs, but I have sooo many creature concepts that utilize this exact body type that I have struggles FOREVER to draw! Very sweet tutorial.
and this will be really useful.
I rember than once, I meet with another dinosaur lover, and while we we're talking about ankylosaurs, I mentioned that they we're swift animals and he just gave me a cold, unblinking, "Whats this idiot talking about", stare.
Anyways, they're both hard and fun to draw!
Anyways, they're both hard and fun to draw!
ZaneWolfeHobbyist General Artist
Wicked cool tutorial ^^ Anks were always beyond me, (too much detail for poor little me). Thanks for trying to shed some light on thier complex anatomy. The whole ossification is still beyond me, lol.
I had a fun rubber Ank that was bright yellow and orange. My Primal Rage Talon ate him a lot, teehee. So did my JP dinosaurs, but he beat them up first.
I had a fun rubber Ank that was bright yellow and orange. My Primal Rage Talon ate him a lot, teehee. So did my JP dinosaurs, but he beat them up first.
This is brilliant. Great reference. Very helpful for thyreophorans.
This was really entertaining. I'm working on a dinosaur-themed comic as well, and trying to work some folklore into it. Is there more of this comic, or was this it?
Hahaha, fuck, I commented on the wrong picture. This was meant to go on the final page of the Pact. Good thing you knew that!
I eagerly await your animatic.
I eagerly await your animatic.
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