“This contributes to putting Brazilian science on the world map, since most paleontologists see an illustration of Brazilian animals, made by a Brazilian and also the result of a Brazilian research. I am very proud to be Brazilian and Uberaba,” The old artist from Uberaba, Rodolfo Nogueira, said, After winning for the third time the Lanzendorf International Prize – National Geographic Paleoart Prize.
The award is organized by the largest paleontological association in the world, the Vertebrate Paleontology Society, A contribution from National Geographic A global non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the planet.
uberabense work entitled “Dawn of a New Era”, in this category 2D illustration It depicts the first types of dinosaurs that appeared in southern Brazil 233 million years ago. See the picture above.
“We can see in the center of the image Pampadromaeus barberenai and a group of Saturnalia tupiniquim on the right, as well as a small synodon called Prozostrodon, the ancestor of mammals,” Nogueira explained.
For the illustration to be ready, there were about 6 weeks of work, which included Research, diagram, 3D drawing, 3D modeling of each element and finally the final composition.
“First, I collect all the biometric and skeletal anatomy data of the species that needs to be reconstructed. Then I recreate the skeleton and then the volume, through the musculature. Finally, a 3D skin model, applying colors, details of folds and textures,” explained the old artist .
Rodolfo also said that in order to finalize the picture, animals of similar size and habits of life are used as a reference. Sometimes this information is passed on by paleontologists, consultants, or research authors.
In the case of the award winning illustration, Scientific information was collected by paleontologist Professor Doutro Luiz Eduardo Anelli. Illustrations make up the book, made in partnership between the professor and paleontologist, who won an award Jabuti Award for Best Book for Children and Youth 2018And Dinosaur Brazil.. For Nogueira, the award represents an opportunity for the paleontologist of Uberaba.
“Mentioning my name along with my origins elevates my value, and perhaps contributes a little bit to drawing my countrymen’s attention to the wonderful fact that we have here one of the largest excavation sites in the country,” he explained.
He also confirmed that receiving the award is a possibility Improving regional and national scientific publishing, as well as science education. “The feeling is that I am on the right track and doing what I plan to do well.”
Paleo painter from Uberaba receives international award for illustration
Discover the story of Rodolfo Nogueira
Rodolfo has already received 3 more times in the same award. It was the first time in the class scientific illustrationwith workParty at Cajual’, The second in the category science animation, with animationSaturnalia tupiniquin’. In total, he has already received 17 awards, 13 of which are international.
Rodolgo’s history with paleontology is ancient and it began when he was only 6 years old, on the day he was taken to Dinosaur Museum in Pyropolis, a rural area in Uberaba.
“It was a school trip. Seeing those giant crystal bones caused me to have a ‘wonder’, which was a kind of connection to wanting others to feel it,” recalls the old artist.
At the age of eleven, his mother put him on a drawing course, and at the age of twelve, he watched a dinosaur movie. It was then that he understood that he wanted to draw historical animals.
Rodolfo recalls that at the age of thirteen he noticed that there weren’t many living representations of fossils on display at the Dinosaur Museum. I came up with the idea of making a drawing and donating it to the museum. This was my first illustration on the topic and it was a composition of scenes from the movie Jurassic Park,” he said.
The guy from Uberaba decided to become a professional and entered a degree in Industrial Design at the University of Paulista (Unesp) in Bauru (SP).
At the time, I did a scientific initiative that combined paleontology with design. So I developed a methodology called Paleodesign, to reconstruct environments and extinct animals in the most natural and scientifically accurate way,” he explained.
Even before graduation, Nogueira was invited to design a dinosaur skeleton Uberabatitan ribeiroi – The largest animal ever to walk on Brazilian soil, with a length of more than 26 meters – which will appear in Dinosaur Museum.
“This was my first job as an old artist, about 12 years ago. Since then, I haven’t stopped anymore,” Uberabense confirmed.
Rodolgo mentioned that paleoart represents a chance to reach paradise lost in the time of practically mythical great beings. “It connects me with my inner child’s imagination and brings a sense of wonder,” he said.
In addition to the personal aspect, Nogueira highlighted this ancient art as a tool for teaching the future. He described it as a translator of scientific data, making it easier for children and the general public to understand the information. In addition to being a gateway to knowledge about biology, evolution and earth sciences.
“I continue to see it as a fantastic provider of business models that may one day help reduce the financial dependence that research institutions have on public money,” he concluded.
Rodolfo Nogueira, old artist from Uberaba – Photo: Reproduction / EPTV
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