New House.

Moved house a few weeks ago and had no internet, that modern gateway to the world of the secluded and technologically dependant western people. Anyway Ive got it back now. Our latest project at uni is to re-design our campus as a campaign or multiplayer map for a game, Ive decided to go with a modernised building similar to the style of Mass Effect but I also want to incorporate areas of the map that have been taken over by shanty sort of slums. I like maps with contrasting scenery, the possibilities of ambush and changing enviroment tend to keep me on my guard as opposed to a map like 'Valhalla' in the halo 3 multiplayer.

Anyway heres another beast from the lush and tropical world of belkin. Like Hipasuchus, Loricatus Nutritor feeds on an exclusive flora based diet, more specifically nectar which has a higher energy content.

Tyranous Undatus

Used a Wacom Cintiq tablet for the first time today and I have to say Im really impressed, took bout half hour getting used to it (kept trying to use a non existent tablet on the desk) but its a great peice of hardware, unfortunately they dont come cheap so its going to be a case of using the tablets at uni for the moment.

This design is for the Tyranous Undatus that i referenced in the post called Belkins Scorfus. Its a well built liquivore predator thats built for long distance pursuits, not the fastest animal but it can keep up the chase for a good ten minuites.

On a river bed in Belkin.

I feel like things are alot easier to paint in scrotoshop when I'm at uni, is it possible that one graphic tablet can be better than another? Has any one noticed a differnce of quality between differnt models?

Anyway these are the 'speed' paintings i tried to do, although the first one took about 45 mins, the rest took about 20 mins which is good timeing for me.

Their all based on life on the river bed or even staionary water beds, some burrow whereas others are adept at filtering detritus from the substrate for nourishment. (The middle one is an almost complete rip-off of the Surinam toad Pipa Pipa)

Liquivore

Did a bit of scanning from my sketch book today, aiming to do some quick speed paintings instead of the usual thing I do where it takes hours.

Generic creature that feeds like a liquivore, impales prey and then drains the carcass of fluids for nourishment. I imagine this creature would take a place in the food chain at a similar level to a large predatory cat.

Direction

These 'pods' of Zooflora as they have been temporarily named, seem to move (or travel depending on their flora/fauna classification) in erratic yet syncronised group movement with no particular leading organism. The pod does however seek out light, which seems to energise the organisms as after sustained exsposure to UV the colouration of the organisms change dramatically, depending on the species these colours range from dull russets and browns such as the example below, to more spectacular shades of electric blue or green for reasons which as of yet are unknown.

Their place within the food chain can definitely be compared to that of vegetation in that they are bottom place holders forming the staple diet of a wide variety of other organisms that also feed on flora, and do not prey on any other organism them selves. Although they have been observed obtaining nutrition from carcasses in the very later stages of decomposition, this how ever is not an uncommon habit amongst many Terran plants and so can not be regarded as a hostile or predatory instinct.

Fauna or Flora

Neither flora nor fauna, these strange life forms form a similar role to the recycling of vitamins and minerals in Belkins upper planetary crust like earths plants. How ever these life forms are able to move, albeit at a very slow rate. Average speeds of up to a meter per day have been observed, how ever increased speed seems to be linked to warmer temperatures, indicating that they may perhaps be more closley considered fauna that flora.

Hipasuchus

Belkins enormouse flora lended an opportunity for some early herbivores to branch down a more specialised yet ultimately more stable evolutionary route. Hipasuchus is a modern species of florivore, a family of diverse specialist herbivores that exists within the tropical belt of belkins continents and island chains.