Mary Parrish (moderator), Karen Carr, Britt Griswold, Mark Klingler, Greg Paul, Chris Sloan, Alice Tangerini

Six speakers will be grouped together for a half day of paleo talks. Always a strong contingent at GNSI meetings, these forces are being pulled together in one room (both speakers and audience) in an afternoon of back to back talks for a full immersion into the processes and challenges of the paleo artist. Originally billed as “paleo short talks” three speakers opted for, and were given, more time. We look forward to seeing everyone who works in this field, wants to work in this field, or are simply interested in this field, to join us!

Illustrating Science in the Computer Age —Chris Sloan

Cheaper, faster computers and powerful software are having a dramatic impact on the ways science is presented in the 21st century. This PowerPoint presentation will review how this phenomenon has impacted illustration at National Geographic.

The Science of Dinosaur Art: Advances and Problems —Gregory S. Paul
The field of dinosaur art made major advances in the last third of the 20th century, due to a symbiotic revival of paleontological research to unprecedented levels combined with greater rigor in efforts to restore the extinct creatures. As a result current paleoart is presenting images of dinosaurs and their habitats that are probably markedly closer to reality than the classic art of the first two thirds of the previous century. However, problems continue to hinder the field from achieving its full potential in terms of accuracy and realism. For example, restorations of dinosaur limb posture often fail to match the hard evidence provided by fossil trackways. These issues are best addressed by a yet more rigorous application of science to the art.

Digital Media and Natural Science Illustration —Karen Carr

Learn how science, art and digital technology come together to create museum art and scientific reconstructions, including murals spanning thousands of square feet. Artist Karen Carr discusses how your computer, the Internet, and sophisticated electronic painting systems can make these giant murals a collaborative effort involving scientists from around the world, curators, design firms and review committees—all without adding gray hairs! Includes a hands-on look at software, systems, and the intermediate and advanced techniques Karen uses. Q&A and hands-on welcome.

Bringing Eocene Primates Alive! —Mark A. Klingler

Those little primates we see at zoos. What did they look like 38 – 50 million years ago? I have the opportunity to work with scientists to recreate these little creatures from the fossil record. Get a glimpse of the process used in reconstructing these critters in their habitats for science. These images will be published in a book: The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans, author: C. Beard, University of California Press this fall.

Reconstructing Plants from 2D to 3D: Applying Modern Botanical Illustration Techniques to Fossil Plants —Mary Parrish & Alice Tangerini

One of the first steps in the process of paleo reconstruction is to look at living modern analogues. In addition to looking at live animals or plants, a paleobotanical artist can benefit from learning the techniques botanical artists use to reconstruct dried and flattened herbarium specimens into drawings of plants that looks alive. Mary Parrish (Department of Paleobiology) and Alice Tangerini (Department of Botany) will present a joint talk using projects they prepared for the National Museum of Natural History as subject matter for this larger theme.