Detailing

 The next stage in the Plesiosaur Illustration is focussing on the face: specifically adding in the eyes, teeth, nostrils, and some wrinkles.


I used a reference of shark and seal eyes as inspiration for these eyes. Most aquatic creatures have large, dark eyes to help allow the maximum amount of life to pass through, giving them an advantage as a predator in low-light or pitch-black environments. With the coverage of ice on the surface of the water, I thought this might be a possible option for their eye design as light would be limited. I then added in some wrinkles around the eye and nose, pulling colours I'd already used in the skin.


Adding some more depth around the wrinkles and bottom of the jaw. I also started adding in some texture around the top of the nose to make the head a point of interest. I'll also need to fix up some of the spots and their colouring on the bottom of the jaw to give them dimension. At the moment they look very flat and don't wrap around the shape of the jaw. 


I finished off the wrinkles around the face and painted in some more reflective light on the iris of the eye. Looking at it now I'll need to go back in around the eyelid with a deeper colour to really give the impression that the eye is encased with the skin. I've also drawn in teeth, referencing off images of discovered Plesiosaur skulls. Surprisingly their teeth look quite sinister, although I believe it is a necessity to help them eat their food due to their lack of limbs to manage it. A Plesiosaur fossil was found with a pellet in its stomach, much like how birds have pellets in their stomach of indigestible parts of their food, as they have to swallow most things in large chunks due to lack of hands. It would provide an explanation for the large, sharp, and snapping jaws of the Plesiosaur. After adding some more detail and texture to the teeth, I'll work on the gum-line to wrap around the teeth.


An updated mock up of the illustration on a background.
Drawing time: 3.5 hours







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