I’m currently on a steeeeep learning curve for producing artwork for the book – I’d like to include some symbolic drawings for every ammonite, so it was time for a graphics program, in this case Adobe Illustrator, to get drawing.
I would call my computer skills “advanced” without having to blush, but this is a hugely powerful and complex program and it took me the better part of a weekend to get into how this thing works in principle (and I’m sure I barely scratched the surface…) and to produce some simple graphics. I prefer learning a new program this way, I just need a meaningful, yet simple enough project to get started.
I would call my computer skills “advanced” without having to blush, but this is a hugely powerful and complex program and it took me the better part of a weekend to get into how this thing works in principle (and I’m sure I barely scratched the surface…) and to produce some simple graphics. I prefer learning a new program this way, I just need a meaningful, yet simple enough project to get started.
Every ammonite species in the book will have a symbol showing which type of ribbing the ammonite shows and what a whorl section to expect.
These are important diagnostic features that will be shown (apart from on the actual picture of the fossil) in a simplified graphic :
Whorl section and rib diagrams for the book
If you noticed the little stylized ammonite in the lower right corner – in the book you’ll see a lot more of it – have a guess what for !
Abundance (or rarity…) indicators for the book
Every species page will show a set of these, indicating the abundance (or rarity) of the species.
This of course can only be an estimation from experience – even after 24 years there can be beds I have not found yet where a seemingly rare ammonite
occurs in abundance…
To keep your withdrawal symptoms at bay, I will shortly post more about “real” ammonites from my spring collecting trip.
AndyS
Yorkshire Ammonites (and other fossils ) revisited 