Before I started Dominic’s repainting, he moved to Tyrannosaur Terrace. Well, that’s what I call this part of the Park. Dominic will be the 4th Tyrannosaur to stake a claim to this high area of the Park. Dinosaurs are Territorial after all and they travel in packs! First Dominic’s new spot needed preparing. To maintain the drainage, I added a PVC pipe with wire mesh at each end to keep critters from making it a home. Then filled the hole and used Sand for leveling the Concrete Stepping Stones. My greyhounds Kyle & Paris offered to lend a helping paw. I painted the stepping stones to blend with the surroundings. Some Dinosaur footprints are a fun finishing touch. See post Oct. 27, 2018 “The Green T-Rexes New Perch is Finished” for the painting of the stones process.
Dominic was first painted in June of 2015. As You can see, the paint has held up pretty well. Some minor rust has surfaced which will be addressed with this repaint.
We have been talking about the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Tyrannosauridae Family in the posts for Max’s makeover. See posts Nov. 16th & 23rd, 2018 “The little tyrannosaur gets a New Look” & “Max, the Tyrannosaur Gets Color Splashed!”
“The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World” by Steve Brusatte has provided much of this information. As I continue reading his book I find more to share. Scientists know more about T-Rex than many living animals. This 42 foot 7-8 ton beast balanced like a ballerina on the tips of feet with the arch or sole rarely touching the ground! Imagine all of its weight supported on the massive three toes of its feet. T-Rexes head at 5 feet long was nearly the same length as an average human. More than 50 knife sharp teeth! Nipping teeth at the front of its snout and a row of serrated spikes the size of bananas along the sides. Eyes the size of Grapefruits. A thick scaly hide with feathers between its scales. These feathers looked like felt more like hair than a typical feather and the larger ones like quills of a porcupine.
Tyrannosaurs Rex is believed to be the largest carnivore to have ever existed on the Plant Earth. I know you’re thinking, “What about Spinosaurus?”. I did some research on Wikipedia. There are a number of more recent studies that suggest calculations of Spinosaurus size were over estimates. There are only fragmentary remains of this Dinosaur. As more discoveries are made the gaps that have been estimated are revised. Current belief based on 2018 studies is that Spinosaurus may have reached 49 feet long still longer than T-Rex. However new weight estimates are 1 to 2 tons less than T-Rex. Spinosaurus jaws and teeth were designed for catching and eating fish. They did not have the bone crushing strength of T-Rex. Current knowledge is they did not live in the same areas. But if they somehow had ever met, I believe the results would have been very different than portrayed in “Jurassic Park III”.
Check out Wikipedia Yourself for more information on Spinosaurus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosaurus
Back to Dominic. I did a light brushing to remove loose rust from the body. With Dominic on his side I sprayed the Hammered Copper over the existing hammered gold and the Hammered Brown over the old hammered copper.
Before I masked the mouth a more detailed wire brushing was needed here. The front of the lower jaw would collect moisture/water. A few other areas inside the mouth benefited from more attention, as well. A little vacuuming and use of the blower and the mouth was ready for masking. I again used the Stone Grey. After the mouth had a chance to dry, I used plastic bags and some cardboard to protect it while painting the tongue. The Apple Red Metallic was the choice for the tongue.
Next the Teeth and Eyes. French Cream for the Teeth and behind the Eye circle. Marigold for the Eye ring. These details were accomplished by spraying the paint into the cap and using an artist brush to apply. A second coat on both. The Kona Brown on the Claws was freshened up by the same method.
Stay Tuned for More Splashes of Color to highlight the Eyes and the Final Clear Coating for Dominic
and His prominent placement on The Tyrannosaur Terrace!
Special Note: www.readingtokids.org is looking for volunteers for the December 8th reading at Los Angeles Elementary Schools. Check out their site for locations and this month’s book selection. You Can Make A Difference in the Life of a Child just by Reading a Story!
The two Raptors are still considering Names! See post Nov. 10, 2018 “Would You Help Name These Dinosaurs?” You still have Time to email Your Suggestions to paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com
Thanks for Your Ideas!
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
Your feedback is appreciated, Thank you!