We left off with Stephanie receiving a few coats of Rust Reformer. As always, turning the dinosaur on its side makes it easier to reach the underbody and inside the legs. After a couple of coats of Rusty Metal Primer, it was time for Stephanie to get back on her feet for finishing the priming step.
Another short nap on her side and the Stone Grey for the underbody and the Hammered Grey for the rest of the body are applied. I use small sheets of cardboard to block overspray with each color. Stephanie returns to her feet for additional coats of the Hammered Grey.
I found an Apple Metallic for the Plates. I wanted the plates to stand out and the addition of the metallic in the red should make them really pop! I used blue tape to mask between the plates and black trash bags and other leftover plastic from previous projects to cover the body. After several coats of the Apple Metallic and a couple hours to cure, the coverings were removed revealing Stephanie’s Beautiful Plates & Spikes!
A little masking around the mouth and wrapping the body with plastic to protect from overspray Stephanie was really for some more color. Gloss Berry Pink worked well for the mouth. A little of the Berry got behind the tape which I will touch up later. My experimenting with eye colors for the Brontosaurus resulted in the Maui Blue (see post July 6, 2018 “The Brontosaurus and Early Dinosaur Sculptures”). This is a nice color for Stephanie too. Purple was added to the body to transition from the Apple to the Grey. This was done by spraying paint into the cap and using an artist brush to reach between the Plates. Spray a little at a time or the spray will dry in the cap before you have used it all. Later Purple accents will be added to the Plates.
Again, using artist brushes the Stone Grey and Hammered Grey were blended using random overlapping patterns. More Purple was added with the same method. Stone Grey was added to highlight the beak and claws.
Stay Tuned for the addition of more details and the final clear coating for Stephanie!
Stegosaurus Greek for “Roof Lizard”.
When Othniel Charles Marsh discovered the Stegosaurus, he believed the Plates laid flat across the back like shingles on a roof, thus the name. Fossils date to the Late Jurassic period between 155 to 150 million years ago. Found in the United States & Portugal. The Morrison Formation in the US. Stegosaurus roamed the Earth with Apatosaurus, Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Allosaurus & Ceratosaurus. They were herbivorous, quadrupeds with short fore limbs, long hind limbs and their tails held high in the air. Their broad upright plates and tail tipped with spikes distinguish them from other Dinosaurs. The tail spikes were clearly used for defense. Examination indicated stress from use in combat. The remains of an Allosaurus reflected a puncture the same shape and size of a Stegosaurus Spike! The Plates are thought to have been for display & possibly for thermoregulation. Under examination it has been determined they contained groves that supported blood vessels. Under stress the blood flow could have made the Plates very bright. This could have been a way to attract a mate. Although both male and female had plates. The brightness of the plates would make the Stegosaurus appear much larger which could have also deterred a predator. The Stegosaurus had between 17 and 22 separate plates. The largest ever found was 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 2 feet tall. Smaller relatives Kentrosaurus and Huayangosaurus.
For additional information check out Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stegosaurus
Mark Your Calendars:
3:00 pm August 30th at the Vernon Branch Library
4504 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
323-234-9106
Join Kevin the T-Rex hatchling & I for a Reading of Dinosaur Fun Facts & Fiction to be followed by
a “How to Draw Dinosaurs” Activity!
7:00 pm September 18th at The City of Camarillo Library
4101 Las Posas Road, Camarillo, CA
805-388-5222
Join Alejandro the T-Rex and I for a Reading of Dinosaur Fun Facts & Fiction at “Family Story Time”
to be followed by
a “How to Draw Dinosaurs” Activity!
Join Angie the Augustynolophus & Me for Complementary Dinosaur Painting
at Natural History Museum’s 3rd Annual Everything Dinosaur “Dino Fest” Weekend
September 29th & 30th
Angie is looking forward to some New Splashes of Color
Plus learn what we know about the Color of Dinosaurs at Our Tent in the Garden!
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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