Thousands of animal species were wiped from the face of the Earth over the centuries, but have you ever wondered what they’d look like if they were still around? The artist who goes by Paleorex is trying to answer that question by creating illustrations inspired by long-extinct animals.
Paleorex is a graphic designer and illustrator, whose love for nature and paleontology was born during his childhood years. BBC’s series Walking with Dinosaurs ignited his fascination with long-extinct prehistoric creatures and eventually led to his obsession with paleoart.
“[Paleoart allowed] him to depict the fascinating creatures that once roamed our world. And through his extremely realistic illustrations, he aims to offer people a powerful and immediate way to connect with the deep history of life on our planet,” the artist explains on his Etsy page.
Paleoart is the art of representing prehistoric creatures, and it’s not easy to practice it. A good understanding of anatomy, biology, and paleontology is required to capture long-extinct creatures in a scientifically accurate and believable way.
Paleorex is one of the rare artists who mastered the art of depicting extinct animals, and his illustrations are highly educational. Each of his Instagram posts is followed by a name and description of long-gone creatures that no longer walk amongst us.
