Liam Elward Paleoart 🇵🇸
@paleobyliam.bsky.social
Chicago-based paleoartist. He/him. Email for commissions/inquiries at liam_elward@yahoo.com
And conversely, aardvark "claws" are approaching hoof status
November 18, 2025 at 3:31 AM
And conversely, aardvark "claws" are approaching hoof status
Here's how they look "in context"
November 18, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Here's how they look "in context"
In "Ecology of the Brontosaurs" Robert Bakker describes adaptations of many ungulates, including the "elongate, banana-shaped" hooves of the swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope. Surely, I thought, that's an exaggeration. But these are crazy!
November 18, 2025 at 12:52 AM
In "Ecology of the Brontosaurs" Robert Bakker describes adaptations of many ungulates, including the "elongate, banana-shaped" hooves of the swamp-dwelling sitatunga antelope. Surely, I thought, that's an exaggeration. But these are crazy!
Have you ever used Joel Sartore's/National Geographic's The Photo Ark? It's great for that kind of thing
November 15, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Have you ever used Joel Sartore's/National Geographic's The Photo Ark? It's great for that kind of thing
Saw this on FB just now
November 15, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Saw this on FB just now
Those ventral brick or rectangular rows of scales are present in: Juravenator, Triceratops, pelycosaurs, a ton of snakes/lizards, & crocodilians. It seems a common way to protect the often vulnerable underside of an animal, especially parts lower to the ground
November 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Those ventral brick or rectangular rows of scales are present in: Juravenator, Triceratops, pelycosaurs, a ton of snakes/lizards, & crocodilians. It seems a common way to protect the often vulnerable underside of an animal, especially parts lower to the ground
A feature I don't think I've ever seen depicted in #paleoart, although I gave this New Mexico chasmosaur a speculative ring-scaled tail. It seemed a natural transition from the ventral brick-like rows of scales based on Triceratops
November 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
A feature I don't think I've ever seen depicted in #paleoart, although I gave this New Mexico chasmosaur a speculative ring-scaled tail. It seemed a natural transition from the ventral brick-like rows of scales based on Triceratops
One interesting thing you often see scales do is becoming "banded" or forming ring-like formations down the tail. It's present in countless lizards, and pretty clearly visible in crocodilians.
November 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
One interesting thing you often see scales do is becoming "banded" or forming ring-like formations down the tail. It's present in countless lizards, and pretty clearly visible in crocodilians.
I’ve been working on some commissions involving Jurassic frogs, salamanders & turtles, so I practiced with a quick portrait study of an indeterminate turtle. I LOVE turtles and it’s always a treat to see them basking, a rare experience in my home of Chicago. #sciart
November 1, 2025 at 8:37 PM
I’ve been working on some commissions involving Jurassic frogs, salamanders & turtles, so I practiced with a quick portrait study of an indeterminate turtle. I LOVE turtles and it’s always a treat to see them basking, a rare experience in my home of Chicago. #sciart
#Temnovember a study of the Jurassic temnospondyl Sinobrachyops, which lived alongside mamenchisaurs. Smaller than I picture temnos! Partly inspired by the work of cqin & Emily Stepp. Larva is speculative & not to scale
November 1, 2025 at 6:18 PM
#Temnovember a study of the Jurassic temnospondyl Sinobrachyops, which lived alongside mamenchisaurs. Smaller than I picture temnos! Partly inspired by the work of cqin & Emily Stepp. Larva is speculative & not to scale
To clear up any confusion wrt that viral pic of the Edmontosaurus mummy, the end of the snout is a cast that @tylerkeillor.bsky.social made (and I painted) to help visitors, the press etc understand what they're looking at. Last pic shows what is actually preserved in the fossil
#paleontology
#paleontology
October 26, 2025 at 7:57 PM
To clear up any confusion wrt that viral pic of the Edmontosaurus mummy, the end of the snout is a cast that @tylerkeillor.bsky.social made (and I painted) to help visitors, the press etc understand what they're looking at. Last pic shows what is actually preserved in the fossil
#paleontology
#paleontology
Honestly it's not that bad considering the other pics out there. Especially with Diplodocus
October 21, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Honestly it's not that bad considering the other pics out there. Especially with Diplodocus
A portrait sketch a portrait of Diplodocus hallorum based on the skeletal mount at the NMNH. As pointed out by Tess Gallagher, studies like this are a good reminder of how bizarre sauropods probably looked at certain angles.
#paleoart
#paleoart
October 20, 2025 at 8:28 PM
A portrait sketch a portrait of Diplodocus hallorum based on the skeletal mount at the NMNH. As pointed out by Tess Gallagher, studies like this are a good reminder of how bizarre sauropods probably looked at certain angles.
#paleoart
#paleoart
Thank you for such a thorough and informative response! I think a less scientific explanation may also just be paleoart inertia. After the Saurian T.rex came out those (speculative) larger diamond-shaped snout scales started appearing everywhere.
October 16, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Thank you for such a thorough and informative response! I think a less scientific explanation may also just be paleoart inertia. After the Saurian T.rex came out those (speculative) larger diamond-shaped snout scales started appearing everywhere.
But even the ankylosaurs in PrehistoricPlanet2 seem to have fairly small-sized scales on the sides of their head
October 16, 2025 at 6:33 PM
But even the ankylosaurs in PrehistoricPlanet2 seem to have fairly small-sized scales on the sides of their head
This scientifically-informed #paleoart of Tarbosaurus from #PrehistoricPlanet showing what I'm talking about. These are proportionally very small, even compared to the varanid above. Is the general consensus that scales simply not "scale" up? The lip scales here would be ginormous on that snake
October 16, 2025 at 6:31 PM
This scientifically-informed #paleoart of Tarbosaurus from #PrehistoricPlanet showing what I'm talking about. These are proportionally very small, even compared to the varanid above. Is the general consensus that scales simply not "scale" up? The lip scales here would be ginormous on that snake
...when depicting scaly extraoral tissue in dinosaur #paleoart why do we always have them proportionally small or mid-sized like a varanid, rather than the giant plate-like scales or snakes? Is the latter possible?
October 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM
...when depicting scaly extraoral tissue in dinosaur #paleoart why do we always have them proportionally small or mid-sized like a varanid, rather than the giant plate-like scales or snakes? Is the latter possible?
Question for people more knowledgeable than me on the subject... Anyone can answer if they have an idea but paging @tetzoo.bsky.social @markwitton.bsky.social @serpenillus.bsky.social
October 16, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Question for people more knowledgeable than me on the subject... Anyone can answer if they have an idea but paging @tetzoo.bsky.social @markwitton.bsky.social @serpenillus.bsky.social
A day late for #NationalFossilDay - here's me in 2019 with the iconic rearing Barosaurus skeletal mount at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. How is this my only pic with a sauropod skeleton? Shameful
October 16, 2025 at 3:55 PM
A day late for #NationalFossilDay - here's me in 2019 with the iconic rearing Barosaurus skeletal mount at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. How is this my only pic with a sauropod skeleton? Shameful
Rough sketch of a Shunosaurus tail club functioning as an anchor for simple display filaments. Inspired by African crowned cranes.
#paleoart
#paleoart
October 12, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Rough sketch of a Shunosaurus tail club functioning as an anchor for simple display filaments. Inspired by African crowned cranes.
#paleoart
#paleoart
Some aspects of this Teleocrater #paleoart I'm still fairly proud of are the coloration with the brighter red tail (display? aposematism?) which I thought worked well against the green, & the shading. But god those bushes could use some work. I was on a pretty tight timeline & this was 1 of many
October 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Some aspects of this Teleocrater #paleoart I'm still fairly proud of are the coloration with the brighter red tail (display? aposematism?) which I thought worked well against the green, & the shading. But god those bushes could use some work. I was on a pretty tight timeline & this was 1 of many
This remains a huge highlight for my career that I'm still humbled by & grateful for. Being so new to #paleoart, some things were tricky for me that I think are evident - this was the first time I had attempted painting without pencil outlines in the final product, & I was still new to backgrounds
October 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This remains a huge highlight for my career that I'm still humbled by & grateful for. Being so new to #paleoart, some things were tricky for me that I think are evident - this was the first time I had attempted painting without pencil outlines in the final product, & I was still new to backgrounds
Since #Croctober has just kicked off, here's an older illustration of the VERY distant relative to crocodilians, the Triassic archosaur Teleocrater. I made this illustration in 2019, just 2 years into my career, for the Field Museum of Natural History's Evolving Planet exhibition
#sciart #paleoart
#sciart #paleoart
October 5, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Since #Croctober has just kicked off, here's an older illustration of the VERY distant relative to crocodilians, the Triassic archosaur Teleocrater. I made this illustration in 2019, just 2 years into my career, for the Field Museum of Natural History's Evolving Planet exhibition
#sciart #paleoart
#sciart #paleoart