So, I did get out to one of my local sites for a weekend with my collecting comrade Malcolm. Sadly, the site is pretty much tapped out now, but there are other irons in the fire, not including the annual Penn Dixie and Deep Springs Road group dig at the end of the month. My only real trip-maker: a fair sized placoderm plate (Protitanichthys sp.), pictured in situ and assembling it at home. By far, the biggest plate I've found. Not much else worth mentioning was found, but it was great to feel the swing of the hammer, the sound of rock splitting, and the smell of fresh shale. I'd been waiting five months to get back out there. I've also not been idle at home, fossil-wise. Although I don't have anything worth preparting at the moment, I've gone on a bit of a trilobite drawing tear. I also decided to try my hand at drawing one in colour. Keep in mind that I haven't done any coloured pencil work in over two decades. After colour-matching, this is the palette of pencils I've decided on. I first outline the drawing using a faint pencil (7H), and then go about the work. I can't seem to get the same precise detail using coloured pencils as I do regular graphite ones, so this is almost looking realistic. Here are the stages leading to the final result: So, not terrible for my first colour drawing in an eon.
In related fossil news, I bit the bullet to upgrade my preparation tools. By the coming Monday, I'll be welcoming a ME-9100 and a Paleo Aro scribe, both with 2" styluses. The ME-9100 is the workhorse for bulk matrix removal, and it will really cut down on time as I used an Aro clone to do that, which was like trying to file down a mountain with a bread knife. Also, the Aro clone was giving me a bit of grief during my last prep as the tip is too wide and blunt for the precision work I need it to do on more calcitic matrix that fuses to the shell (and hence the Paleo Aro). It will also mean increasing my compressor capacity by retiring the 3 gallon in favour of a 20 gallon unit. Let's just say that preparation is not a cheap hobby, and these tools are pricey. But, if one is going to do quality work, it pays to have quality tools. Until next time... Comments are closed.
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Kane Faucher
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February 2024
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