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¡Bienvenidos a mi blog nuevo! Kevin, Phillip and I started our How to Draw Squawk jam sessions yesterday. We will be working on one intelligent species from the Squawk role-playing game at a time, and this week we are doing Basilisks. I also scanned in a big stack of old drawings, including the image of Cynognathus stalking Lystrosaurus in my logo.


Basilisks are scaly carnivorous dinosaurs with short tails which stand about 7 or 8 feet tall. They have three-toed feet and four-fingered hands adapted for tool using (with opposable thumbs, reduced claws and more flexibility than most dinosaurs.) A single row of simple hollow quills runs from the top of the Basilisk's head down the back to the end of the tail, similar to the elongated quills on the back of an iguana or Psittacosaurus. Basilisks sport a unique pair of short downward-pointing, backward-curved horns (perhaps technically teeth) near the tip of the jaw, giving them a sort of "chin". The general appearance suggests that Basilisks split early on the dinosaur family tree, and may be closely related to primitive dinosaurs such as Herrerasaurus or even a dinosauromorph like Lagosuchus.

Basilisks should be drawn leaning forward and a bit hunched over compared to human posture, but more vertical than a dinosaur. The tail - although not long - helps counterbalance the body, and the Basilisk is a fast runner who should look ready to take off even when standing still. The quills look like thick stiff hairs or very thin spikes. The Basilisk torso is longer and relatively thinner than more derived, bird-like carnivorous dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus or Velociraptor, so it is okay to give them a somewhat human-like body. Don't forget the long, deep hips to support powerful thigh muscles. Basilisks are carnivores with sharp triangular, slightly recurved teeth. Basilisks should be drawn 9 or 10 heads tall (so the whole character is 9 or 10 times as tall as the height of the character's head if they stand straight up.)