These old depictions of dinosaurs had a type of savage beauty about them , somthing that didn't talk down to children like most of the media for children. These stories , movies and artworks talked about the harsh realities of life in a way that made it bearable even cool. Growing up in South Africa , these depictions of the prehistoric world kind of made my own harsh reality a little more bearable.
The science today doesn't devalue the science of the past, the science of the past is what the science of the future is built upon. Don't look at old movies and art thinking that the people back then were crazy believing dino's looked that way, respect it for what it is, a slice of history.
I’d love to see a movie mix the more modern depiction of dinosaurs and put them in a world with the tone of retro paleoart. I think blending the two would create an unforgettable experience
Excellent analysis! However detached from our current understanding of dinosaurs as it may be, old-school paleoart was the catalyst that captured the mystery and sparked the intrigue for many of us to become fascinated with dinosaurs, myself included. Without its allure, I don't know that I'd be as interested in dinosaurs as I am today.
For me, Charles R. Knight's famous T. rex and Triceratops painting is the best painting of all time. Forget the Mona Lisa and anything by Picasso, none of that comes close to the atmosphere and spectacle that painting inspires. Yes, it's outdated compared to our modern understanding, but for its time also forward thinking in how he depicts the T. rex in a much more horizontal pose with its tail off the ground. What I love about that painting and so many other old dinosaur paintings is that they were more than just an illustration based on the scientific understanding of the day which can become outdated at any moment. They were beautiful works of art that are a sight to behold. This is something I rarely see in modern paleoart.
The fact that DeviantART has a subgenre of dinosaur art called "Retrosaurs" speaks for itself. I'd also like to argue that these so-called Retrosaurs make for ideal fantasy creatures. Especially if you dip one toe into the fantastic with them. My favorite example of this is Gorosaurus from King Kong Escapes, an Allosaurid who primarily fights by balancing on his muscular tail and delivering kangaroo kicks.
There is just something so charming about old school dinosaur art and stop motion. It shows us how far we have come in understanding these creatures. Also fun fact, Disney had paleo experts consult him and the animators on the film since he wanted to show the dinosaurs as realistically as possible. Sure it is super outdated and lots of stuff is wrong but you can't deny that those dinos feel like real breathing animals.
I honestly really like both of them, the new ones are experimental, realistic and exceptional. But there’s just something about the old artwork and setting, it’s grim, it’s harsh, rocky, misty, primordial and the colours are muted, and the music by god the music, much like you said and better. Even the old inaccurate styles I find very appealing.
I agree. I generally like modern paleoart works better in a conventional way (as in, I find them aesthetically pleasing and I like their accuracy), but the old ones are good too, just in a different way. They're less pretty and accurate and don't elicit the same wonderlust as modern ones to me, but they have a fascinating and eery atmosphere, which this video describes really well.
I think that eerie, atmospheric artwork of prehistoric life could still work, even when depicting completely up-to-date science about these animals and the ecosystems in which they lived. After all, there are so many strange, wondrous and mysterious things even in our modern world, along with breathtaking and arguably "otherworldly" landscapes (for example Mt. Roraima, the unique mountain flora of East Africa, the bizarre aquascapes of Lake Baikal, the fluffy moss-coated lava formations of southwest Iceland, the redwoods of California, or the deserts of the American southwest). Imagine, if you will, how hauntingly beautiful it would be to see a herd of (scientifically accurate) Diplodocus crossing a river as they carve a new migration path through a foggy Araucaria forest at the first light of dawn, appearing like majestic and imposing dark silhouettes cutting the rays of morning sunlight...
Back when I was a kid our TVs didn't have a lot of science shows to go around, so I pretty gobbled up all the archaeological contents there were. Dinosaurs and Egypt were my absolute favorite subjects to the point that I wanted to become an archaeologist (until I found out in the sixth grade that I was terrible with remembering dates). I still have images and a voice (I think it was quite possibly Sir Attenborough's) in my head about this one particular story about a brachiosaurus who was attacked by a T-Rex but survived, only to slowly succumbed to blood loss and infection. It died on the bank of a river, and as the water rose, the mud covered its body, eventually fossilizing the remains, and our scientists found it. The show ended with the saying "Her life may have ended millions of years ago, but her story continues to this day." Even as a kid I found it hauntingly beautiful. I don't know if I remember correctly, or it's just my mind trying to piece together memories of different things to make sense, but it's good to air out nonetheless.
We have to remember that scientists worked with the artists at Disney to create the look of the dinosaurs in the Rite of Spring segment. They wanted to shy away from a cute cartoony look to something that was hyper realistic. The dinosaurs that appeared on screen had the stamp of approval by the scientific community of 1940. At the time, the designs were seen as accurate based on the fossil evidence of the era. This means the entire sequence is a time capsule of how these creatures were viewed by scientific researchers in the 30's and 40's.
For all its flaws, I love old art like no other. Outdated, sure, but mythical and majestic. And adding to that was before the idea of a meteor was proposed, the dinosaurs “just disappeared”, is simply existentially haunting. Sure there were ideas of volcanism and mammals and diseases, but it added up to “What happened to the dinosaurs? Nobody knows.”, left an impression like nothing else on me as a kid. Childhood cosmic horror. Anyway, love this video, man.
I can confirm that your fascination and allure of outdated dinos are not just nostalgia. I'm also fascinated by the old dino designs . I just think they're interesting and plain epok
I really admire your appreciation for the old depictions of Dinosaurs and the art of them. Sure, it is outdated, but just cause something is outdated doesn’t mean it needs to be shunned like a supervillain. You are one of the few Dino enthusiasts RUclipsrs who actually appreciates this from a nostalgia point of view and sees some merit to it, unlike most who shun these types of art and laugh at anyone who actually likes them. Don’t get me wrong, I do prefer modern depictions of dinosaurs (even the feathered therapods though mostly for the creative and varied interpretations), but the old art is something to also look back fondly, just like looking back on the old cars or old video games.
I sing the praises of modern dinosaur art, but classic dino art is what got me into the concept of ancient life in the first place when I was a kid in the 90s. I like them both for different reasons.
I relate deeply to this feeling and what you point out about the color tones in this kind of art is something that's been bugging me for a while because I haven't been able to put my finger on it. Old dinosaur art definitely has this hazy, slightly delirious feeling to it, and it really gives off a strong impression of the sweltering HEAT and hostility of the environment itself. You look at the pictures and you can imagine being stranded there on an alien Earth where the environment is as much a threat to you as the beasts inhabiting it are. The fact that the dinosaurs and even creatures like the Dimetrodon (a popular non-dinosaur subject of paleoart) are innacurrate adds to the alien, somewhat nightmarish quality of some of the art, being as it's harder to visually connect them to living lineages of creatures like avians when they are not reconstructed from a perspective that includes that knowledge. They seem like strange monsters from the unspoken before-time rather than the once living animals that they really were. You almost see them moving like stop-motion figures in your mind's eye. In this vein, I find some of Charles R. Knight's work to be genuinely unsettling.
There’s something I really adore about the old types of dinosaur art and depictions, there’s something so savagely beautiful about them, it’s far more strangely alien.
IMO Mark Witton does a really good job of preserving this sort of style while also making his depictions more up to date. A lot of paleoart nowadays is done with a sort of metaphorical rejection of the idea that the image is a painting, they strive to be very realistic in both tone and visuals and it can lead to the art being kinda sterile and looking similar between artists (Henry Sharpe, Gabriel N. U. Julio Lacerda etc.). Mark Witton is on the opposite end of the spectrum all of his works have such bold color pallets and brush strokes he really seems to embrace the medium. Aside from making him stand out since all of his work is instantly recognizable his paintings feel like they have a lot more texture and mood to them, there's a real richness I get looking at the paintings. Don't get me wrong the works of Henry Sharpe, Gabriel etc. are all amazing and much better than anything I could ever do but if I had to choose paleoart to hang on my walls it would be Mark Witton. Idk maybe I'm crazy but this is just the way I feel and I just wanted to gush about his work lol.
@athos9293 Lets just say that if dinosaurs were always portrayed as they are in the modern artworks presented in this video, they would not be nearly as popular a subject as they are.
There is a real charm to these old retro dinosaurs, I've been thinking a lot about it. Is there maybe a community out there that appreciates these retrosauria?
As someone that is no longer super interested in dinosaurs (at least not to the agree I loved them as a kid), I really love this video and how it really hits home not just to the allure of the art but also just of dinosaurs in general and how this older art really captured this nearly fantasy-esque wonder of dinosaurs and these nearly alien, creatures that lived before we ever did and yet eventually declined. It really does capture this weird sense of wonder and like genuinely I feel like a part of my brain got reactivated that I haven't used since I was a kid
basically: Old dinosaur artwork just has a nostalgic Vibe. even the dinosaur designs have a sense of nostalgia. gone are the upright tails and the general energy most dinosaurs have. in their place are slow lumbering animals with droopy, tired eyes and just a general air of sleepiness to them, evoking memories of watching old movies and reading old books. idk, That's probably just me. While I personally love the modern day dinosaur designs, far more then any old paleo art pieces, I can’t help but like these old pieces of art.
> Legless elephant-seal Spinosaurus > Up-to-date and realistic Jokes aside, these are some interesting thoughts... I personally prefer newer dinosaur artwork (speaking in a general way), but I find it interesting to analise old stuff from an artistic perspective, like Victorian illustrations or Soviet paleoart.
It's a completely different type of fantastical dinosaur nostalgia but I think the atmosphere those original Dinotopia illustrated children's books generated fits in with all this somehow and always had a lot of resonance for me as a kid.
The Last Dinosaur was one of my favourite books as a kid. So brutal. As much as I love the accuracy of modern dinosaur art, nothing will ever surpass the mythic quality of old school dinosaur art.
Me too. Wayne Barlowe's dinosaur paintings always have such unique situations instead of just the typical image of a dinosaur standing around doing nothing with a generic background.
Being born in the 60's the books I had when I was a kid came out in that period and earlier. The depictions of dinosaurs were inaccurate but the images of them became iconic in my mind.
I got to agree I'm remember seeing a picture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a book one time it was really breath taking not like the ones we see illustrated or in films theses days but like the old animated ones . It had all the more impact with the scenic back ground and the break weather. It was really well illustrated fir it's time . I think this was in the eighties sometime .
Another fantastic video. While clearly outdated there's a reason "retrosaurs" have their own little following. Actually you might find it interesting that there's an oldish video game that purposely uses more outdated styles for their dinosaurs. "Carnivores" largely bases its creature designs off of Zdeněk Burian's artwork and it really stands out, especially since the game came out after Jurassic Park hit theatres and most people were ripping off that movie for their designs.
@@ruthiecorbyhenry Carnivores is the name of the game. But there is a sequel called Carnivores 2 and it also have a mobile port called Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunters. The comunity around have made fantastic mods too respeting the old school style of the original games, I particularly enjoy Carnivores +, mostly because I never got to play the original Carnivores and it is kind of too buggy for today standarts.
I think the strength of the old dinosaur representations is the narrative sense that permeated everything. Artists took a mysterious and almost Biblical sensibility to their Prehistoric vision. While the more naturalistic style prevalent today has its strengths, i have to say i prefer the epic set pieces and dramatic aesthetic of past dinosaur art.
I’m at my grandparents house and I found some dinosaur books with art from the 50’s and 60’s and I felt so nostalgic I nearly died. My point is it’s crazy to imagine these animals as well...animals!
honestly, i like crazy violent dinosaurs, but not just because its cool as hell. It reminds me that before us, there was a different, more violent world, where fighting was key to survival. groups and families will bond and protect each other in this harsh world. It really appreciate the sheer power and what dinosaurs probaly may had gone through. Of course, dinosaurs mostly did non violent things, but when they got violent, which was more often than todays animals, things got really ugly
I know this is an older video, but I really appreciate what was talked about here. No one really takes much time to discuss vintage paleoart, unless its simply check boxing scientific inaccuracies. While modern paleoart is more scientifically accurate and treats dinosaurs as ordinary creatures, vintage paleoart tends to paint them more as fantastical beasts inhabiting an unforgiving world. That in itself enraptures the human imagination in the way it does, drawn by the mystery spoken of in this video, but there's also a horror aspect as well. Vintage paleoart depicts the Mesozoic landscape as antithetical to the comforts of the modern world, where danger lurks around every tree shrouded in that thick fog. Besides this, the work of artists like Mark Hallett, Douglas Henderson, John Sibbick, Eleanor Kish, and so many others deserves to be seen and respected. They worked with what was available at the time, and created some truly astounding art pieces I remember seeing in paleoart books of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Scientifically inaccurate though it might be, it'd be a crying shame for so much of that artwork to be forgotten or mocked.
I do love new dinosaur illustrations, but old depictions of they and the prehistoric earth always makes me imagine of being there and see how things were. It is a strange feeling of fascination and wonder, maybe cause the inaccurate old depictions that makes them look like some kind of reptile/alien creatures hahaha.
You captured my feelings on vintage dinosaurs exactly. I never had a word for it before but you got it: alien and mysterious. I didn't really grow up with these kinds of dinosaurs, being born a good while after Jurassic park became big, so I don't have the same nostalgic filter. Yet there was always something that drew me in about these portrayals. And I think it was the mysterious feeling they gave. These worlds, these times, swarmed in unknown to me and to the readers then. And even then, they also scared me. As you stated, dinosaurs were portrayed so alien like, so cold and different to our world, our civilizations and animals. Our communities, where we had safety and warmth and familiarity, there is none of that in these old-school dinosaur art. Looking at these grainy images, bizarre stop-motion animation and ugly yet charming toys of the time, it really is something else. Intrigued and amazed yet disturbed all the same by these terrible lizards.
Thoose old pieces really have an alien or unworldly feel. Even the outdated tail dragging dinosaurs i think have an eerie feel to them since we today know that they looked way different. And with those old stop motion movies with the dragging and lumbering movements and the weird screeches. Also with the music as mentioned. I almost prefer these older dinos over the jp/jw version. I just find the older more unsettling.
James Horner really was good at his score for the Land Before Time. Come to think of it, so was John Williams for Jurassic Park. I guess dinosaurs brought out some of the best from those legendary composers.
I think something else about vintage dinosaur art is the scale (no pun intended). I think of Charles R. Knight's murals depicting vast landscapes, creating stages for the giant behemoths to perform on. There was also a flair for extreme conflict, like you state in the video - volcanic eruptions, life-and-death battles, etc - because those create a larger sense of tension, thus reinforcing the grandiosity of the depictions. I think that enormous feeling is what I love about old dinosaur art.
I’m glad someone finally put this into words! Modern dinosaur art has always felt sterile to me, never evoking the same sense of wonder that the old stuff did. The old dinosaur art was romantic, and mysterious, fantastical, and epic in scope, being much more similar to fantasy illustrations than anything to do with science. (I also miss old fantasy art for the same reason actually, although there were several issues with that as well.) I appreciate the increased accuracy of modern Dino art, but I definitely still think there’s a place for the old stuff.
I love the fact that I'm not the only one who has appreciation for these classic pieces of the olden days of paleoartistry. These are great reminders of how far we've come and must be preserved as history of what we've learned and discovered and how much our image of prehistoric animals has changed.
HoopsAndDinoMan my favorite one was called Dinosaurs to Dodos. It’s not as old, but over ten years aged. Great atmosphere to the art, and depicts life from the Cambrian to the last ice age. From what I can remember, most of it is still accurate to some degree, but I always loved the artwork, which there was plenty of
That explains why Ark is so much fun to play. The dinos are colorful and the environment kind of feels like something on earth. But dosn't mean these guys are puppies as they are wild animals that will eat you if your not careful. (Unless tamed)
I think it ovocs a interesting atmosphere it reminds me of an alian world often enough especially with the lighting encoding the environment from the forests to the swamps to the rocky deserts it all feels so provoking
I will never forget my first dinosaur book. The cover was ripped off and lost, before I was born. Some pages were also missing. But everyone who tried to talk me into giving this book away got a clear "no" from me. The mix of hyper detailed, hand drawn dinosaurs mixed with blury, stylized photos of the bones. The dusty quality of the dig site photos, enhanced by the yellowish paper ... I love it.
Consider the following. Nostalgia is more than a memory of simplicity. When we were younger, our minds were more open, allowing us to think about things more deeply. These first memories of curiosity are the building blocks of our determination. When we have something that reminds us of that clarity, we treasure it.
A lot of those vintage artworks were scientifically accurate at the time and some of the works today look more fantasy than science. Art can be weird like that.
Even though I didn't grow up during the time of vintage dinosaur artwork,I was very aware of it and found it very cool,even though I do prefer more modern paleoart.
My first exposure to dinosaur art was that of Charles Knight -- the famous Tyrannosaurus confronting a Triceratops. I also remember another Knight painting -- that of a small leaping theropod attacking another small theropod lying on its back, claws extended and ready to repel the attack. Thanks.
Even if it’s not scientifically accurate there’s still something about older dinosaur work that fascinated me. The mystery, the otherworldly stuff, and much more. Heck stuff like Universe of Energy or at least the dinosaur part fascinates me in terms of how they looked even if I know for example Tyrannosaurus never stood up like in say Valley of Guanji abd was more like the Jurassic park one and later depictions.
I suggest you to read "Love in the time of chasmosaurus", a blog that talks about paleo-art and it's quite respectful about vintage artwork and artists. Also, I noticed you put the music of Walking With Dinosaurs of the asteroid crash scene. Very fitting for "the last dinosaur", uh?
Man I will sing fantasia' s praise forever. So many images from that movie stuck with me through the years. The dinosaurs stuck in the tar pits, the way they all look to the sky utterly hopeless. Plus it introduced me to classical music! I feel like the dinosaur sequence and night on bald mountain really set something off in me artistically. I love it.
his art of prehistoric mammals still holds up scientifically for the most part and i feel they’re the best depictions of these animals you can find to this day
Yes! This is EXACTLY how I feel about old dinosaur artwork and you just put it into words! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who gets this visceral feeling from these images
the other day i find in youtube a 10 minute narration of an old vintage dinosaur book with images, you knoe , the type that everyome had at least 1 when anyone was a child,it was about a normal day in the life of an alpha pachisephalosaurus watching over his pack , it didnt end with everyone dead , or with the extincion (and i was expecting that, is was normal) , but ended with the pack going to sleep when the night comes again , i dont have another worth to express the nostalgy and good feeling of that little history than wholesome.
James Gurney has such wonderful depictions of vintage dinos. He draws from his childhood love & fascination with dinos & I think for many of us vintage dinos take us back to that. And I think we can allow our inner children to get all giddy at vintage dinos and then rediscover our fascination with science through modern dinos.
when I was a kid I was really into warhammer, and what drew me in was the painted illustrations on the boxes. I also had this dinosaur book that I loved, and I found out recently the same artist that did that book also did a lot of those warhammer paintings back in the day.
I made a little dinosaur picture book when I was a kid. I was so proud of it. My teacher saw it and got me to show it to the older kids. I think that was my peak.
At a local art store they sell this huge tome of vintage paleo art that is just titled "Paleo Art" i take a look at it every time im there, unfortunately cant afford it right now, but i would buy it if i could. I do enjoy these old depictions a lot. They just have such a unique atmosphere to them
The atmosphere in your videos are amazing, your editing is great and I think everyone can appreciate these videos. The music, your wording and your use of pictures and clips really helps make this video a masterpiece I and many others will come back to and enjoy fondly. Thanks HoopsAndDinoman you made peoples childhood and you still affect many now.
Its a romanticization of a Dinosaur archetype. The dinosaur is not only a different creature, but something that is also alien, mysterious, and primordial in nature.
You reminded me of a quote by Walter Benjamin: “The grey film of dust covering things has become their best part.” There's a book I vividly remember having taken out from the library when I was a kid in the 80's, full of wonderful illustrations of flabby reptilian dinosaurs in green swamps against orange skies. I wish I could find it again, to add to my collection of retro dinosaur books. One of the challenges of palaeo-art is that it can so often be dismissed as merely scientific, even if it has a high quality of stylistic proficiency. When we look at older palaeo-art, it is easier to appreciate it as art. When I watch Fantasia (which is my favourite movie), I first appreciate Rite of Spring as magnificent animation.
Hooboy, The Land Before Time. Nostalgia and nightmares in one and so, so sad. Sharptooth was a real monster, too. I used to be pretty afraid of t-rexes and such as a kid.
I've always liked the old art of dinosaur. I know they're totally inacurate. But they have a certain charm and dark tone to it that the new ones lack. I can't really explain it. But there's just something romantic about those old pic that has a romance to them that always appealed to me.
There were so many of these books I grew up with, I think despite their inaccuracies they inspired generations to study dinosaurs themselves and led to these more accurate depictions. I would always recommend Dougal Dixon's work, particularly his depictions of evolved dinosaurs which are incredibly inaccurate now but have a certain strange charm to them.
I really appreciate your focus on color sense as part of appeal here (as well as including Johan Egerkrans' stuff in the new paleoart, I think his stuff rocks!). I'd wonder if a small part of old dinosaur artwork is the old style of backbone reconstruction - and a fondness for "shrink wrapped" reconstructions - accidentally solves towards dramatic S curves and shape contrasts. Like both Land Before Time and Fantasia will really use those S curves as part of animating.
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(Here's what I mean by that: ruclips.net/video/KOHMgFxju1g/видео.html )
The Appeal of Vintage DINOSAUR art
ruclips.net/video/GUTF0HTryXQ/видео.html
(P.S. If my video's title is too similar to yours, I can change it.)
These old depictions of dinosaurs had a type of savage beauty about them , somthing that didn't talk down to children like most of the media for children. These stories , movies and artworks talked about the harsh realities of life in a way that made it bearable even cool. Growing up in South Africa , these depictions of the prehistoric world kind of made my own harsh reality a little more bearable.
@Prehistoric Nerd Egypt and Morroco yield tons of dinosaur fossils and is where the famous spinosaurus lived
@@pokechimp1544 rugops charcharadontosaurus too
The science today doesn't devalue the science of the past, the science of the past is what the science of the future is built upon. Don't look at old movies and art thinking that the people back then were crazy believing dino's looked that way, respect it for what it is, a slice of history.
You are standing on the shoulders of giants. Don't believe yourself to be flying.
Exactly. As the years go by we learn more and more about Dinosaurs.
I’d love to see a movie mix the more modern depiction of dinosaurs and put them in a world with the tone of retro paleoart. I think blending the two would create an unforgettable experience
That would be awesome
That sounds incredible
Bonus points if it’s stop motion!
Excellent analysis! However detached from our current understanding of dinosaurs as it may be, old-school paleoart was the catalyst that captured the mystery and sparked the intrigue for many of us to become fascinated with dinosaurs, myself included. Without its allure, I don't know that I'd be as interested in dinosaurs as I am today.
Man, it would be cool if somebody could make an accurate dinosore move with an old school aesthetic.
That would be cool.
Indeed
There are so many dinosaur books I wish I could see again.
I can still smell them. That musty library scent.
I still have most of mine saved, but I really need to find my Zoobook Dinosaurs magazine 😫.
I remember a National geographic dinosaur book I used to read that had artwork similar to what's in this video!
For me, Charles R. Knight's famous T. rex and Triceratops painting is the best painting of all time. Forget the Mona Lisa and anything by Picasso, none of that comes close to the atmosphere and spectacle that painting inspires. Yes, it's outdated compared to our modern understanding, but for its time also forward thinking in how he depicts the T. rex in a much more horizontal pose with its tail off the ground.
What I love about that painting and so many other old dinosaur paintings is that they were more than just an illustration based on the scientific understanding of the day which can become outdated at any moment. They were beautiful works of art that are a sight to behold. This is something I rarely see in modern paleoart.
Charles R Knight style is gorgeous.
Oh and ''leaping Laelaps'', was a classic as well.
The fact that DeviantART has a subgenre of dinosaur art called "Retrosaurs" speaks for itself.
I'd also like to argue that these so-called Retrosaurs make for ideal fantasy creatures. Especially if you dip one toe into the fantastic with them. My favorite example of this is Gorosaurus from King Kong Escapes, an Allosaurid who primarily fights by balancing on his muscular tail and delivering kangaroo kicks.
There is just something so charming about old school dinosaur art and stop motion. It shows us how far we have come in understanding these creatures. Also fun fact, Disney had paleo experts consult him and the animators on the film since he wanted to show the dinosaurs as realistically as possible. Sure it is super outdated and lots of stuff is wrong but you can't deny that those dinos feel like real breathing animals.
Ahh, the old pictures of dinosaurs in misty forest and swamps. Those are the things that to this day give me that childlike excitement in my heart.
Nothing more mysterious than stop motion dinosaurs
I honestly really like both of them, the new ones are experimental, realistic and exceptional. But there’s just something about the old artwork and setting, it’s grim, it’s harsh, rocky, misty, primordial and the colours are muted, and the music by god the music, much like you said and better. Even the old inaccurate styles I find very appealing.
I agree. I generally like modern paleoart works better in a conventional way (as in, I find them aesthetically pleasing and I like their accuracy), but the old ones are good too, just in a different way. They're less pretty and accurate and don't elicit the same wonderlust as modern ones to me, but they have a fascinating and eery atmosphere, which this video describes really well.
The new are accurate and treat the dinos like what they are animals but damn do should someone use the old paleo art for a metal album cover
A gloomy prehistoric world with a red sky, filled with angry lizards and weird plants...
I think that eerie, atmospheric artwork of prehistoric life could still work, even when depicting completely up-to-date science about these animals and the ecosystems in which they lived.
After all, there are so many strange, wondrous and mysterious things even in our modern world, along with breathtaking and arguably "otherworldly" landscapes (for example Mt. Roraima, the unique mountain flora of East Africa, the bizarre aquascapes of Lake Baikal, the fluffy moss-coated lava formations of southwest Iceland, the redwoods of California, or the deserts of the American southwest).
Imagine, if you will, how hauntingly beautiful it would be to see a herd of (scientifically accurate) Diplodocus crossing a river as they carve a new migration path through a foggy Araucaria forest at the first light of dawn, appearing like majestic and imposing dark silhouettes cutting the rays of morning sunlight...
Back when I was a kid our TVs didn't have a lot of science shows to go around, so I pretty gobbled up all the archaeological contents there were. Dinosaurs and Egypt were my absolute favorite subjects to the point that I wanted to become an archaeologist (until I found out in the sixth grade that I was terrible with remembering dates). I still have images and a voice (I think it was quite possibly Sir Attenborough's) in my head about this one particular story about a brachiosaurus who was attacked by a T-Rex but survived, only to slowly succumbed to blood loss and infection. It died on the bank of a river, and as the water rose, the mud covered its body, eventually fossilizing the remains, and our scientists found it. The show ended with the saying "Her life may have ended millions of years ago, but her story continues to this day." Even as a kid I found it hauntingly beautiful.
I don't know if I remember correctly, or it's just my mind trying to piece together memories of different things to make sense, but it's good to air out nonetheless.
I also loved Dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt as a kid. Still do
We have to remember that scientists worked with the artists at Disney to create the look of the dinosaurs in the Rite of Spring segment. They wanted to shy away from a cute cartoony look to something that was hyper realistic. The dinosaurs that appeared on screen had the stamp of approval by the scientific community of 1940. At the time, the designs were seen as accurate based on the fossil evidence of the era. This means the entire sequence is a time capsule of how these creatures were viewed by scientific researchers in the 30's and 40's.
Am only one person that almost cry when hoops summarized the last dinosaur?
For all its flaws, I love old art like no other. Outdated, sure, but mythical and majestic.
And adding to that was before the idea of a meteor was proposed, the dinosaurs “just disappeared”, is simply existentially haunting. Sure there were ideas of volcanism and mammals and diseases, but it added up to “What happened to the dinosaurs? Nobody knows.”, left an impression like nothing else on me as a kid. Childhood cosmic horror.
Anyway, love this video, man.
I can confirm that your fascination and allure of outdated dinos are not just nostalgia. I'm also fascinated by the old dino designs . I just think they're interesting and plain epok
I really admire your appreciation for the old depictions of Dinosaurs and the art of them. Sure, it is outdated, but just cause something is outdated doesn’t mean it needs to be shunned like a supervillain. You are one of the few Dino enthusiasts RUclipsrs who actually appreciates this from a nostalgia point of view and sees some merit to it, unlike most who shun these types of art and laugh at anyone who actually likes them. Don’t get me wrong, I do prefer modern depictions of dinosaurs (even the feathered therapods though mostly for the creative and varied interpretations), but the old art is something to also look back fondly, just like looking back on the old cars or old video games.
I sing the praises of modern dinosaur art, but classic dino art is what got me into the concept of ancient life in the first place when I was a kid in the 90s. I like them both for different reasons.
I relate deeply to this feeling and what you point out about the color tones in this kind of art is something that's been bugging me for a while because I haven't been able to put my finger on it.
Old dinosaur art definitely has this hazy, slightly delirious feeling to it, and it really gives off a strong impression of the sweltering HEAT and hostility of the environment itself. You look at the pictures and you can imagine being stranded there on an alien Earth where the environment is as much a threat to you as the beasts inhabiting it are. The fact that the dinosaurs and even creatures like the Dimetrodon (a popular non-dinosaur subject of paleoart) are innacurrate adds to the alien, somewhat nightmarish quality of some of the art, being as it's harder to visually connect them to living lineages of creatures like avians when they are not reconstructed from a perspective that includes that knowledge. They seem like strange monsters from the unspoken before-time rather than the once living animals that they really were. You almost see them moving like stop-motion figures in your mind's eye.
In this vein, I find some of Charles R. Knight's work to be genuinely unsettling.
I'll always have a nostalgic soft spot for the upright T-Rex. Probably also part of why I became a Godzilla fan so early on in my life.
Same
I know so well what you mean. The old stuff was drawn by amazingly skilled artists and the images felt so warm.
There’s something I really adore about the old types of dinosaur art and depictions, there’s something so savagely beautiful about them, it’s far more strangely alien.
The red and orange light always creeped me as a kid, you describe the feel of these images very well 👏👏👏
IMO Mark Witton does a really good job of preserving this sort of style while also making his depictions more up to date. A lot of paleoart nowadays is done with a sort of metaphorical rejection of the idea that the image is a painting, they strive to be very realistic in both tone and visuals and it can lead to the art being kinda sterile and looking similar between artists (Henry Sharpe, Gabriel N. U. Julio Lacerda etc.). Mark Witton is on the opposite end of the spectrum all of his works have such bold color pallets and brush strokes he really seems to embrace the medium. Aside from making him stand out since all of his work is instantly recognizable his paintings feel like they have a lot more texture and mood to them, there's a real richness I get looking at the paintings. Don't get me wrong the works of Henry Sharpe, Gabriel etc. are all amazing and much better than anything I could ever do but if I had to choose paleoart to hang on my walls it would be Mark Witton. Idk maybe I'm crazy but this is just the way I feel and I just wanted to gush about his work lol.
The great thing about the vintage work is that it created love and passion for the subject
Not to mention, it was created WITH love and passion.
And the modern ones don't?
@athos9293
Lets just say that if dinosaurs were always portrayed as they are in the modern artworks presented in this video, they would not be nearly as popular a subject as they are.
There is a real charm to these old retro dinosaurs, I've been thinking a lot about it. Is there maybe a community out there that appreciates these retrosauria?
As someone that is no longer super interested in dinosaurs (at least not to the agree I loved them as a kid), I really love this video and how it really hits home not just to the allure of the art but also just of dinosaurs in general and how this older art really captured this nearly fantasy-esque wonder of dinosaurs and these nearly alien, creatures that lived before we ever did and yet eventually declined. It really does capture this weird sense of wonder and like genuinely I feel like a part of my brain got reactivated that I haven't used since I was a kid
Though I’m no longer into dinosaurs, I’ve been reflecting lately that I miss the old artwork, so this was perfect to see
basically: Old dinosaur artwork just has a nostalgic Vibe. even the dinosaur designs have a sense of nostalgia. gone are the upright tails and the general energy most dinosaurs have. in their place are slow lumbering animals with droopy, tired eyes and just a general air of sleepiness to them, evoking memories of watching old movies and reading old books. idk, That's probably just me. While I personally love the modern day dinosaur designs, far more then any old paleo art pieces, I can’t help but like these old pieces of art.
> Legless elephant-seal Spinosaurus
> Up-to-date and realistic
Jokes aside, these are some interesting thoughts... I personally prefer newer dinosaur artwork (speaking in a general way), but I find it interesting to analise old stuff from an artistic perspective, like Victorian illustrations or Soviet paleoart.
Me too
It's a completely different type of fantastical dinosaur nostalgia but I think the atmosphere those original Dinotopia illustrated children's books generated fits in with all this somehow and always had a lot of resonance for me as a kid.
**The Land Before Time Original score Intensifies**
Edit: 9:33 MAH BOIS ITS THE ELEPHANT SEAL SPINO
The Last Dinosaur was one of my favourite books as a kid. So brutal. As much as I love the accuracy of modern dinosaur art, nothing will ever surpass the mythic quality of old school dinosaur art.
I totally agree. Whilst I do love modern accurate artwork. I have a soft spot for old-school dinosaur art. I especially love the art of Wayne Barlowe.
Me too. Wayne Barlowe's dinosaur paintings always have such unique situations instead of just the typical image of a dinosaur standing around doing nothing with a generic background.
Being born in the 60's the books I had when I was a kid came out in that period and earlier. The depictions of dinosaurs were inaccurate but the images of them became iconic in my mind.
this whole video: i just think they're neat
I got to agree I'm remember seeing a picture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in a book one time it was really breath taking not like the ones we see illustrated or in films theses days but like the old animated ones . It had all the more impact with the scenic back ground and the break weather. It was really well illustrated fir it's time . I think this was in the eighties sometime .
Another fantastic video. While clearly outdated there's a reason "retrosaurs" have their own little following. Actually you might find it interesting that there's an oldish video game that purposely uses more outdated styles for their dinosaurs. "Carnivores" largely bases its creature designs off of Zdeněk Burian's artwork and it really stands out, especially since the game came out after Jurassic Park hit theatres and most people were ripping off that movie for their designs.
what game is it?
@@ruthiecorbyhenry Carnivores is the name of the game. But there is a sequel called Carnivores 2 and it also have a mobile port called Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunters. The comunity around have made fantastic mods too respeting the old school style of the original games, I particularly enjoy Carnivores +, mostly because I never got to play the original Carnivores and it is kind of too buggy for today standarts.
@@ruthiecorbyhenry Carnivores
@@ruthiecorbyhenry Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter
I think the strength of the old dinosaur representations is the narrative sense that permeated everything. Artists took a mysterious and almost Biblical sensibility to their Prehistoric vision. While the more naturalistic style prevalent today has its strengths, i have to say i prefer the epic set pieces and dramatic aesthetic of past dinosaur art.
I’m at my grandparents house and I found some dinosaur books with art from the 50’s and 60’s and I felt so nostalgic I nearly died. My point is it’s crazy to imagine these animals as well...animals!
The film Excalibur (1981) opens to a similar effect, with knights riding out of the primordial darkness into a smoky, torch-lit hillside battle.
honestly, i like crazy violent dinosaurs, but not just because its cool as hell.
It reminds me that before us, there was a different, more violent world, where fighting was key to survival. groups and families will bond and protect each other in this harsh world. It really appreciate the sheer power and what dinosaurs probaly may had gone through. Of course, dinosaurs mostly did non violent things, but when they got violent, which was more often than todays animals, things got really ugly
Art doesn’t have to be scientifically accurate to be great. It’s art.
What's kind of funny is even today we have no clue what any of them actually looked like. Some fossils were litteraly just 2 bones.
I know this is an older video, but I really appreciate what was talked about here. No one really takes much time to discuss vintage paleoart, unless its simply check boxing scientific inaccuracies. While modern paleoart is more scientifically accurate and treats dinosaurs as ordinary creatures, vintage paleoart tends to paint them more as fantastical beasts inhabiting an unforgiving world. That in itself enraptures the human imagination in the way it does, drawn by the mystery spoken of in this video, but there's also a horror aspect as well. Vintage paleoart depicts the Mesozoic landscape as antithetical to the comforts of the modern world, where danger lurks around every tree shrouded in that thick fog.
Besides this, the work of artists like Mark Hallett, Douglas Henderson, John Sibbick, Eleanor Kish, and so many others deserves to be seen and respected. They worked with what was available at the time, and created some truly astounding art pieces I remember seeing in paleoart books of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Scientifically inaccurate though it might be, it'd be a crying shame for so much of that artwork to be forgotten or mocked.
The best website to check out vintage dinosaur art is probably Love in the time of Chasmosaurs
I do love new dinosaur illustrations, but old depictions of they and the prehistoric earth always makes me imagine of being there and see how things were. It is a strange feeling of fascination and wonder, maybe cause the inaccurate old depictions that makes them look like some kind of reptile/alien creatures hahaha.
That "old, hand-painted dinosaur illustration books from the library of your elementary school" feeling.
i thought i was the only one! lol
This is probably one of the best recommendations RUclips has ever made for me
You captured my feelings on vintage dinosaurs exactly. I never had a word for it before but you got it: alien and mysterious. I didn't really grow up with these kinds of dinosaurs, being born a good while after Jurassic park became big, so I don't have the same nostalgic filter. Yet there was always something that drew me in about these portrayals. And I think it was the mysterious feeling they gave. These worlds, these times, swarmed in unknown to me and to the readers then. And even then, they also scared me. As you stated, dinosaurs were portrayed so alien like, so cold and different to our world, our civilizations and animals. Our communities, where we had safety and warmth and familiarity, there is none of that in these old-school dinosaur art. Looking at these grainy images, bizarre stop-motion animation and ugly yet charming toys of the time, it really is something else. Intrigued and amazed yet disturbed all the same by these terrible lizards.
Thoose old pieces really have an alien or unworldly feel. Even the outdated tail dragging dinosaurs i think have an eerie feel to them since we today know that they looked way different. And with those old stop motion movies with the dragging and lumbering movements and the weird screeches. Also with the music as mentioned. I almost prefer these older dinos over the jp/jw version. I just find the older more unsettling.
James Horner really was good at his score for the Land Before Time. Come to think of it, so was John Williams for Jurassic Park. I guess dinosaurs brought out some of the best from those legendary composers.
It’s almost like the old Roman art with Uber-muscular hero’s and lions with weird alien faces
Those have so much more atmosphere and style
Very well done, I agree very much!
Joschua Knuppe! (BTW I’m sorry on the phone that I couldn’t spell your name exactly right☹️.) But you’re amazing!
I think something else about vintage dinosaur art is the scale (no pun intended). I think of Charles R. Knight's murals depicting vast landscapes, creating stages for the giant behemoths to perform on. There was also a flair for extreme conflict, like you state in the video - volcanic eruptions, life-and-death battles, etc - because those create a larger sense of tension, thus reinforcing the grandiosity of the depictions. I think that enormous feeling is what I love about old dinosaur art.
I’m glad someone finally put this into words! Modern dinosaur art has always felt sterile to me, never evoking the same sense of wonder that the old stuff did. The old dinosaur art was romantic, and mysterious, fantastical, and epic in scope, being much more similar to fantasy illustrations than anything to do with science. (I also miss old fantasy art for the same reason actually, although there were several issues with that as well.) I appreciate the increased accuracy of modern Dino art, but I definitely still think there’s a place for the old stuff.
I like modern scientifically accurate artwork but you cant beat that old style aesthetic
I love the fact that I'm not the only one who has appreciation for these classic pieces of the olden days of paleoartistry.
These are great reminders of how far we've come and must be preserved as history of what we've learned and discovered and how much our image of prehistoric animals has changed.
If you know of any old dinosaur books/movies with this kind of style, I'd be happy to hear some recommendations!
if you want an old dino book check this book out, The Great Dinosaur ATLAS illustrated by Giuliano Fornari A Pictorial guide to the Prehistoric world.
The Valley of Gwangi is great
HoopsAndDinoMan my favorite one was called Dinosaurs to Dodos. It’s not as old, but over ten years aged. Great atmosphere to the art, and depicts life from the Cambrian to the last ice age. From what I can remember, most of it is still accurate to some degree, but I always loved the artwork, which there was plenty of
I have the whole series of books that last of the dinosaurs is part of.
As for favorite old school movie I would have to say the first King Kong
When we manage to build working time machines, I think we will go back to dinosaurs so we know how they lived and did in the days that I would do
That explains why Ark is so much fun to play. The dinos are colorful and the environment kind of feels like something on earth. But dosn't mean these guys are puppies as they are wild animals that will eat you if your not careful. (Unless tamed)
I think it ovocs a interesting atmosphere it reminds me of an alian world often enough especially with the lighting encoding the environment from the forests to the swamps to the rocky deserts it all feels so provoking
Evokes is the word, also alien.
I will never forget my first dinosaur book. The cover was ripped off and lost, before I was born. Some pages were also missing. But everyone who tried to talk me into giving this book away got a clear "no" from me. The mix of hyper detailed, hand drawn dinosaurs mixed with blury, stylized photos of the bones. The dusty quality of the dig site photos, enhanced by the yellowish paper ... I love it.
Consider the following. Nostalgia is more than a memory of simplicity. When we were younger, our minds were more open, allowing us to think about things more deeply. These first memories of curiosity are the building blocks of our determination. When we have something that reminds us of that clarity, we treasure it.
A lot of those vintage artworks were scientifically accurate at the time and some of the works today look more fantasy than science. Art can be weird like that.
i find that is it relad to birds it will look wack cuz birds see colores mamels cant
Even though I didn't grow up during the time of vintage dinosaur artwork,I was very aware of it and found it very cool,even though I do prefer more modern paleoart.
I like the emotions on the dinosaus in the new ones its like they are robots
Thank,you.Finally, someone is talking about this.
My first exposure to dinosaur art was that of Charles Knight -- the famous Tyrannosaurus confronting a Triceratops. I also remember another Knight painting -- that of a small leaping theropod attacking another small theropod lying on its back, claws extended and ready to repel the attack. Thanks.
late reply but the second charles r knight piece you're thinking of is "leaping laelaps"
Maybe that's the reason of why people says that science ""ruind"" dinosaurs. They want something never seen, not a bird... ironic
Even if it’s not scientifically accurate there’s still something about older dinosaur work that fascinated me. The mystery, the otherworldly stuff, and much more. Heck stuff like Universe of Energy or at least the dinosaur part fascinates me in terms of how they looked even if I know for example Tyrannosaurus never stood up like in say Valley of Guanji abd was more like the Jurassic park one and later depictions.
Guanji is an allosaurus not a t rex
I have a lot of appreciation for the dinosaur works of old too, since many of them left a big impact on my childhood.
I suggest you to read "Love in the time of chasmosaurus", a blog that talks about paleo-art and it's quite respectful about vintage artwork and artists.
Also, I noticed you put the music of Walking With Dinosaurs of the asteroid crash scene. Very fitting for "the last dinosaur", uh?
Man I will sing fantasia' s praise forever. So many images from that movie stuck with me through the years. The dinosaurs stuck in the tar pits, the way they all look to the sky utterly hopeless. Plus it introduced me to classical music! I feel like the dinosaur sequence and night on bald mountain really set something off in me artistically. I love it.
Charles R Knight is in my opinion the greatest paleo artist of all time if he was around today making accurate art it would be undisputed for best art
his art of prehistoric mammals still holds up scientifically for the most part and i feel they’re the best depictions of these animals you can find to this day
I really appreciate your nuanced take on this, and I feel the exact same way. Both old and new can have value!
FINALLY SOMEONE MADE A VIDEO ON THIS!!!
Yes! This is EXACTLY how I feel about old dinosaur artwork and you just put it into words! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who gets this visceral feeling from these images
the other day i find in youtube a 10 minute narration of an old vintage dinosaur book with images, you knoe , the type that everyome had at least 1 when anyone was a child,it was about a normal day in the life of an alpha pachisephalosaurus watching over his pack , it didnt end with everyone dead , or with the extincion (and i was expecting that, is was normal) , but ended with the pack going to sleep when the night comes again , i dont have another worth to express the nostalgy and good feeling of that little history than wholesome.
I like the new art because it has more creative designs
And
I like the old art because it is nostolgic to me
Same.I agree with you
I feel the same way my man whenever I come across one of those older books. I was born in 1980 and I grew up mesmerized by them.
I used to love the Little Golden Book of Dinosaurs
James Gurney has such wonderful depictions of vintage dinos. He draws from his childhood love & fascination with dinos & I think for many of us vintage dinos take us back to that.
And I think we can allow our inner children to get all giddy at vintage dinos and then rediscover our fascination with science through modern dinos.
The title for this video is arguably the greatest thing I have ever read.
when I was a kid I was really into warhammer, and what drew me in was the painted illustrations on the boxes. I also had this dinosaur book that I loved, and I found out recently the same artist that did that book also did a lot of those warhammer paintings back in the day.
my bf is super in to warhammer right now, that's a pretty cool fact i can't wait to tell him!
Parasite Museum helps that Warhammer has an army of dinosaur men
I made a little dinosaur picture book when I was a kid. I was so proud of it. My teacher saw it and got me to show it to the older kids. I think that was my peak.
At a local art store they sell this huge tome of vintage paleo art that is just titled "Paleo Art" i take a look at it every time im there, unfortunately cant afford it right now, but i would buy it if i could. I do enjoy these old depictions a lot. They just have such a unique atmosphere to them
The atmosphere in your videos are amazing, your editing is great and I think everyone can appreciate these videos. The music, your wording and your use of pictures and clips really helps make this video a masterpiece I and many others will come back to and enjoy fondly.
Thanks HoopsAndDinoman you made peoples childhood and you still affect many now.
Its a romanticization of a Dinosaur archetype. The dinosaur is not only a different creature, but something that is also alien, mysterious, and primordial in nature.
Indeed. 100 million years ago. The thought is very exciting.
Nothing alien about it
wow. Someone finally put it into words
You reminded me of a quote by Walter Benjamin: “The grey film of dust covering things has become their best part.”
There's a book I vividly remember having taken out from the library when I was a kid in the 80's, full of wonderful illustrations of flabby reptilian dinosaurs in green swamps against orange skies. I wish I could find it again, to add to my collection of retro dinosaur books. One of the challenges of palaeo-art is that it can so often be dismissed as merely scientific, even if it has a high quality of stylistic proficiency. When we look at older palaeo-art, it is easier to appreciate it as art. When I watch Fantasia (which is my favourite movie), I first appreciate Rite of Spring as magnificent animation.
Great job with the video. I remember growing up with books on dinosaurs that, while outdated today, still left a deep impression on me.
Hooboy, The Land Before Time. Nostalgia and nightmares in one and so, so sad. Sharptooth was a real monster, too. I used to be pretty afraid of t-rexes and such as a kid.
Scared of T-Rex... let’s be honest, that’s a fair feeling to have about something with teeth that big, you’ve got to respect it and fear it equally.
I've always liked the old art of dinosaur. I know they're totally inacurate. But they have a certain charm and dark tone to it that the new ones lack. I can't really explain it. But there's just something romantic about those old pic that has a romance to them that always appealed to me.
I agree totally.I am a child of the 50s.I also had that Little Gold Book.
There were so many of these books I grew up with, I think despite their inaccuracies they inspired generations to study dinosaurs themselves and led to these more accurate depictions. I would always recommend Dougal Dixon's work, particularly his depictions of evolved dinosaurs which are incredibly inaccurate now but have a certain strange charm to them.
I really appreciate your focus on color sense as part of appeal here (as well as including Johan Egerkrans' stuff in the new paleoart, I think his stuff rocks!).
I'd wonder if a small part of old dinosaur artwork is the old style of backbone reconstruction - and a fondness for "shrink wrapped" reconstructions - accidentally solves towards dramatic S curves and shape contrasts. Like both Land Before Time and Fantasia will really use those S curves as part of animating.