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When I reconstruct extinct animals, the first step is to initially assemble references – in my case these are skeletal restorations, and photographs of fossils and of living relatives – then come up with the concept. My art is digital most of the time, produced in Corel Painter Essentials 8 and Adobe Photoshop (I try to use the most up-to-date versions), because it provides increased flexibility and it’s made easier to implement changes and revisions with new scientific data. There is no specific protocol when commencing a piece. I sometimes start with a pencil sketch and scanning it, other times directly via digital sketch on Corel. Once the general idea is established, I work on the separate elements, individually, on Corel. Next, I finesse the composition on Photoshop using layers, and develop the elements further, using reference photographs for the details, such as an ear, a limb, or a branch, but for the textures as well. I subsequently adjust the details on every element to fit in with the general composition. Afterwards, I paint the entire illustration on Corel, using the different brushes they provide - for the final details, I use mostly the airbrush tool. Once all that is complete, I play around with the colours, light, etc. on Photoshop. Depending on the complexity, size and composition, the shortest it can take to get a painting done is 3-5 hours, whereas the longest it takes is one to two weeks, sometimes more. 

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