IAMFRITZ.com- DinoArt!

It's Always The Year of the Dinosaur at IamFritz.com!
Allosaur Slideshow-After it gets boring from watching it a few times, just scroll down to see some great still sketches

This is a series of dinosaur sktches, for what will hopefully be a series of dinosaur books. The first in the series will feature the Allosaurus atrox. Granted, it's a species many paleontologists don't accept, but I believe the greater robustness of the skull and general bone structure along with the very different pre-orbital horn are enough to suggest a deiiferent species above the Allosaurus fragilis. Nevertheless, other allosaur and theropod types will be represented in the finished product.

Allosaur Sketches

So about a decade ago I was in Brigham young University's Earth Science Museum and as usual I went into the back without permission looking for something or someone interesting . Sure enough, there were three of the biggest names in paleontology- Jim Jensen, Jim Madsen, and, uh, the name of the third guy escapes me right now. But to make it a short story, Jim Madsen- the World's Acknowledged Expert on the Allosaur family, gives me an hour tour of the allosaur skeleton there in the place. WOW, we got up on the pedestal, I put my head up inside its skull, and everything. Here are some of my sketches from that scholarly dramatic evening...

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	Thorax and tail sketches Notice the lightness of the tail and rib cage bones, yet how robust the leg, hip, shoulder and arm bones are. These were definitely used for forceful operations. The neck bones, while not particularly robust, are very long and seem to have supported a very muscular neck, implying strength and flexibility. Note also the curve of the upper thigh bone, indicating a massive muscle set that drove this animal forward.The long, slender tail (not clearly evident in this sketch, but it is longer in comparison to thorax, neck and head length for a theropod) suggests balancing for high speeds, like a Cheetah's tail does. This animal could probably run very fast and, being only in the 1-2 ton area, probably jumped very well, too. *Feet and hand sketches* While there was no fork-holding finesse included here, these hands and claws were obviously used to effect in making a kill, especially that huge thumb claw. They were probably necessary when considering the lightness of the animal's small (though very sharp) teeth, which were used more for de-boning the muscles off its prey. *Skull sketches* It's a very simple, box-like skull compared to later therapod skulls. The bones are somewhat thick, but in photographs the joints and separations are even more obvious than I drew. The lower mandible, split in the front, also had a joint halfway back under the last teeth, and the upper nose shows it may have been jointed as well.

You asked for it- you got it! Here are some more dino-drawings- all original pencil drawings, scanned and touched-up then posted right here on IAMFRITZ.com!

Twin Allosaur atroxi sisters turn their deadly snouts towards a rustling in the nearby underbrush.

Two brother Allosaur atroxi head out on a hunt.

An enormous Allosaur atrox tiercel (male) lifts his snout to gather olfactory data on his doomed quarry.

A large alpha female allosaur marks her territory by toppling a tree.

A study in theropod mandibular manipulation. Meaning: a few sketches to show how a meat-eating dinosaur might have been able to flex and pop his multi-jointed jaw and snout.

A Ceratasaurus nasicornis inevitably loses his life to a larger, deadlier Allosaurus atrox.

A young female Allosaur loses its enthusiasm to eat the Stegosaur with one >THWACK< of its tail.

Ceratasaurus nasicornis profile.

Love is in the air. You don't want to stick around.

This rather violent sketch I actually drew during a team meeting at Fry's Electronics when the supervisors' discussion turned to something- I don't remember what- totally not-work related.

This one I have titled, "Irony". Three sibling allosaurs take turns leaping at a mammal that has been run to the top of a dead tree trunk for refuge. The dinosaurs may win for now...