Caxela

@caxela.bsky.social

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Artist with an interest in the wonderful variety of creatures that have lived on this planet 🌿🦕

A set of digital sketches of some reptilian creature designs.
Digital Drawing. A portrait of the polar tyrannosaurid Nanuqsaurus hoglundi. Most of it is in shadow; only about the front third of the face is illuminated.
Digital Drawing. A life reconstruction of the dinosaur Psittacosaurus is partially overlayed on top of a depiction of the famous and well-preserved fossil specimen SMF R 4970 (both show an underside view). The life reconstruction has looser brushwork.
Digital Drawing. A very young reptile (Hyphalosaurus, from the Early Cretaceous) is curled around a small point of light, appearing against a dark background with faint warm hues. This Hyphalosaurus is two-headed, a depiction that is based on a fossil specimen of this genus that appears to display such condition.
Out in the ancient Panthalassic Ocean, two Triassic ichthyosaurs have risen above dark and foaming waves, one having leapt completely out of the water. The horizon and sky are obscured. These ichthyosaurs aren't meant to be any particular genus; they're sort of just unnamed early ichthyosaurs, though they were largely based on mixosaurids.
Digital Drawing. An early whale (Pakicetus) stands at the water's edge, bending down for a drink. Behind it is a wall of tall grasses/reeds. The entire scene is shown within the shape of a blue whale. Despite the vast gulf in form and time between the two animals, they are of the same group: Cetacea.
Digital Drawing. The bright, ghost-like figure of a giant moa walks through the dim forest interior, framed by trees to the left and right. The ground is covered in ferns, and a layer of moss has grown on the trees. A few branches hang at the top of the frame.
Digital Drawing. A vaquita (Phocoena sinus) swims against a dark background, partially crossing over a red line that runs horizontally. Red brushstrokes rise from below. Several bubbles have emerged from the vaquita's blowhole.
Digital Drawing. A group of three small dinosaurs (Morrosaurus) have stopped to drink from a river. Across from them stands the edge of a lush, dense forest.
Digital Drawing. In the centre, a thylacine/tasmanian tiger is depicted mid-run. Behind it are the silhouettes of thylacine bodies lined up in rows against a red background.
Digital Drawing. A depiction of all 9 species of moa. They look as if they are floating in the air, moving towards a glowing point in the bottom left corner. In the background are some twisty-ish trees, all leaning to the left. There is a dark border around the whole piece. At the bottom are the skulls of all 9 species (they're probably not exactly to scale with one another). On the left and right of the skulls are pairs of kōwhai leaves. The rest of the border is filled with simple lines. All 9 species of moa are (left to right): Mantell's moa Bush moa Eastern moa (bald one with blue head) Heavy-footed moa (behind eastern moa) South Island giant moa (has blue on the neck) Stout-legged moa North island giant moa Crested moa Upland moa
Digital Drawing. A stylized depiction of a female aurochs (Bos primigenius) lying in the grass, its head facing towards us. A few scattered trees are visible against the golden background. In the top left corner, there are the faint images of a few aurochs running leftward overlaying the background. They are drawn in a style similar to cave paintings. The individual drawn here is meant to depict the last recorded aurochs, a lone cow that lived in the Jaktorów forest in Poland. A herd had once been present there, but had dwindled in number until only one member was left. In 1627, the last recorded aurochs died.
Digital Drawing. A fish (Aspidorhynchus) has pierced the wing membrane of a pterosaur (Rhamphorhynchus) with its rostrum. Both have become stuck and are unable to free themselves as they descend together. The movement creates a trail of bubbles. The scene is based on the multiple fossils that preserve the two animals entangled with one another.
Digital Drawing. A depiction of an upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) based on the type specimen. The head and right foot are represented as mummified remains while the rest of the body is drawn more like a life appearance, in the style of a monochromatic sketch.
Digital Drawing. A large dicynodont (Ischigualastia) is knelt on the ground, struggling to lift itself up with its forelimbs. A gash is visible on its thigh. Three small dinosaurs (Eodromaeus) observe from nearby. The sky is a pale blue - the sun has already moved below the horizon.
A gathering of marine reptiles (Helveticosaurus zollingeri) lie on exposed rocks within a sea cave. Foamy sea water rushes in from the left, swirling beneath their perch.
A digital high-contrast portrait of the abelisaurid Majungasaurus
A digital lineart drawing of a Yutyrannus, a large feathered tyrannosauroid.
A Thylacoleo carnifex rests with her young joey in a cave, the joey lying with its head on its mother's arm. Some light shines on the cave floor through an opening somewhere. Thylacoleo was a carnivorous marsupial (sometimes known as the marsupial lion) that once lived in Australia.
Two juvenile giant moa (Dinornis robustus) run energetically along a beach, creating some splashes as they go. Small waves roll in behind them.
A trio of extinct reptiles wearing 19th century European style clothing stand next to one another in a line. From left to right the animals are Pterodactylus antiquus, Iguanodon bernissartensis, and Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus. These Mesozoic reptiles were discovered in the early years of paleontology.
The sauropodomorph Glacialisaurus (known from very fragmentary remains) strolls through a dense assemblage of flora at the edge of a forest. The plants are meant to represent Otozamites and Clathropteris. The scene takes place in Early Jurassic Antarctica.
A pod of Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus swims near the surface of the ocean. A young individual can be seen nestled within the group.
An upland moa (Megalapteryx didinus) walks across a mixture of rocks and tussocks in a high-altitude setting. Towering mountains are seen in the background, their snowy caps fading into the sky. A small rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) sits on a rock near the moa.
The same image as before, but in black and white and with labels. The labels read: Guanlong, Cryolophosaurus, Spinosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Allosaurus, Corythoraptor, Monolophosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Majungasaurus, and Carnotaurus.
A collection of stylized theropod dinosaur portraits. Each one has some form of crest or horn.
A very speculative depiction of a Koreaceratops hwaseongensis laying under some shade. Koreaceratops is an early ceratopsian dinosaur known from the partial remains of its tail, hip, and hindlimbs. The front half of the animal is unknown.
A heavy footed moa (Pachyornis elephantopus) father sits with a recently-hatched chick, the two of them looking at one another. The ground is covered with plant matter and bits of eggshell fragments.
Digital illustration of an emperor penguin and Cryolophosaurus ellioti facing each other. Little bits of terrain are shown beneath each animal: the penguin stands on snow while the Cryolophosaurus is surrounded by some ferns (indicating the much warmer climate of Antarctica during the Early Jurassic).
A Lystrosaurus peeks out of its burrow in the middle of a barren landscape. The silhouettes of a few trees can be seen in the far distance, in front of the glow of ongoing wildfires. The sun can be seen shining through the dark, smoky sky. The foreground is illuminated by the sun. The scene takes place during the Permian-Triassic extinction event.
A variety of extinct snakes are arranged on a plain background. The snakes depicted are 1. Pterosphenus 2. Archaeophis 3. Eupodophis 4. Sanajeh 5. Wonambi 6. Najash 7. Titanoboa
A pterosaur (Ferrodraco) lands atop of the extinct tree fern Tempskya with its wings still momentarily outstretched. The background is dim and cloudy while the two main subjects are illuminated by sunlight. The scene takes place in Cretaceous Australia, where fossils of both of these taxa have been found.
A Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis walks along a beach in search of food. A small wave comes in from the top of the scene. The Tyrannosaurus casts a large shadow on the sand. Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis is a new species of Tyrannosaurus that was described earlier this year.
A herd of Gonkoken walks by our view. In the middle of the herd, one individual sticks their head up above the crowd. The lighting of the scene is very harsh and bright. Gonkoken is a recently described hadrosauroid that was discovered in Chile. It would've lived during the Late Cretaceous.
A Deinonychus prowls through a swamp. The scene is dim and gloomy. Little bits of sunlight peek through the trees in the background. Deinonychus is a dromaeosaurid (raptor) that lived in the Early Cretaceous of what is now North America.
A pair of Mononykus survey their surroundings. Both individuals are partially obscured by some rocks in the foreground. The one on the right is mostly in view, while the one on the left is only visible from the neck up. A rock face fills the background. Mononykus is an alvarezsaurid, a group of bird-like dinosaurs known for having short arms and a large claw on each hand.
Two Haliskia stand on a rocky ledge overlooking the ocean while another individual flies off. Bits of sea foam can be seen in the water below. Haliskia is a pterosaur (which are closely related to dinosaurs but not dinosaurs themselves) that was discovered in Australia.
An Avisaurus is perched on a branch and is consuming a small rodent-like mammal. The mammal's body is being pinned down by the foot of the Avisaurus, similar to how some modern birds of prey hold their food. Some smaller branches and the moon can be seen in the background.
A Navaornis stands on the back of a ginormous titanosaurian sauropod. Another individual (top right) is seen getting ready to perch. The sauropod has large osteoderms on its back. Navaornis is an enantiornithean that lived in the Late Cretaceous of Brazil. These animals closely resembled modern birds.
A male Yuanyanglong (left) attempts to court a female (right). The male has bright and striking plumage while the female is much more plain. The scene takes place on a forest floor. Yuanyanglong is an oviraptorosaurian that lived in the Early Cretaceous of China.
A Coahuilasaurus looks at something out of frame. It was in the middle of drinking at a river. Some water droplets can be seen falling from its mouth and its reflection can be seen below it in the water. Coahuilasaurus is a hadrosaurid that was discovered in Mexico.
A resting Asiatyrannus yawns. It's in a sitting posture and its mouth is open. Asiatyrannus is a small tyrannosaurid that lived in what is now China during the Late Cretaceous.
A Megapterygius approaches the ocean's surface for air. Megapterygius isn't a dinosaur but a mosasaur, which are closely related to lizards and snakes.
A pair of Lokiceratops walk through some shallow water. The individual on the right is mostly out of frame. A blurred forest can be seen in the background.
The metriacanthosaurid Alpkarakush scratches an itch on its face with its foot (kind of like how birds do). This genus was described earlier this year.
Various dromaeosaurid (raptor) dinosaurs drawn in a simplified style are arranged together on a plain background.
A variety of animals from across the Carboniferous period are shown in an isometric-ish view. They are drawn in a simple style. The arrangement is split into two sections: the top half has primarily terrestrial animals, and the bottom half has primarily aquatic animals. They are not drawn to scale.
A pod of Ichthyotitan swims just beneath the ocean's surface. A fish (Birgeria) accompanies the pod.
A herd of Telmatosaurus walks across a beach. Two of the individuals in the herd are moving out of frame, while a mother and her calf are seen in full. The giant pterosaur Hatzegopteryx is flying overhead, though its body is completely out of our view. What can be seen is the shadow it casts over the beach and the herd.
Four digital sketches of some dragons together on a plain background.
A portrait of the allokotosaur Shringasaurus indicus.
A mass of dinosaurs drawn in a simplified style fills the canvas. The dinosaurs are very roughly organized by how long ago they lived; the oldest dinosaurs sit towards the bottom of the piece, and the most recent towards the top. Eventually, the non-avian dinosaurs are cut off and the upper third of the piece is filled with avian dinosaurs/birds.
The megaraptoran Australovenator strolls under a starry night sky. Amongst the stars is the Milky Way, which can be seen stretching vertically through the sky. The silhouettes of some flora can be seen on the left and right edges.
A circle is divided into 8 slices, each showing a distinct phase of the moon and fauna of a certain geological period. The phases and corresponding animals are the following: waxing crescent & Anomalocaris, first-quarter & Dunkleosteus (hunting a Cladoselache), waxing gibbous & Meganeura, full moon & Anteosaurus, waning gibbous & Giraffatitan, third-quarter & Jeholornis, waning crescent & Rodhocetus, new moon & Megaloceros. The borders of the piece show a starry night sky.
A herd of wild horses gallops across a grassland. Towards the top of the scene, the horses' appearance becomes more reminiscent of the cave paintings from the Lascaux cave and the grass begins to fade away.
A pair of bush moas (Anomalopteryx didiformis) walk through a dense forest. Ferns and moss cover the ground.