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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Dig Deeper at Home: Dinosaurs of Hell Creek

Watch the Webinar

In the webinar video above, you’ll hear from Paleontologist Advait Jukar about dinosaurs from the Hell Creek Formation. Even though dinosaurs are among the most recognized and celebrated groups of animals from this time period and place, scientists are learning new things about them all the time. And as they learn, the way artists depict them can change — sometimes quite a lot!  Watch this video to see this transformation for two of the most famous dinosaurs: T. rex and Triceratops. Then learn from paleoartists Bob Walters and Tess Kissinger how to draw T. rex.

(This page is Part 4 of 5 in the activity, "Paleo Art – Edge of Extinction: Make Your Own Dinosaur Ecosystem Mural.")

Draw

  • Practice your drawing of T. rex on separate pieces of paper. 
  • Add it to your mural once you’re ready!
Black and white sketch of a landscape in rough shapes, with palm trees, ferns, a turtle, and a T. rex drawn in more detail.
Paleontologist Karma Nanglu has added a T. rex to his mural.

Tips from Bob and Tess:

  1. Start with simple shapes.
  2. Don’t be afraid to change something or start over.
  3. When you add details, remember you want more detail in the foreground and less in the background.
  4. Keep drawing! You may want to draw the same thing over and over to build muscle memory before adding it to your mural.

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