BE ADVISED: On Thursday, October 17 our museums will participate in a brief earthquake drill. Guests will hear an overhead announcement, but are not required to participate, nor will the building be evacuated. Please plan your visit accordingly or contact us at info@nhm.org or 213.763.DINO if you have any questions or would like to reschedule your visit.

L.A. Underwater & Paleoart

Envision prehistoric marine life through paleontology and art.

A paleoart rendition of Eupachydiscus sp. by Cullen Townsend.

What is Paleoart?

Have you ever wondered how our vision of prehistoric life came to be? You may be surprised to learn how connected science and art are in terms of shaping our understanding of prehistoric life—so much so that there is an entire genre of art dedicated to creating a prehistoric world from fragments of fossil clues.

Paleoart is not just guesswork. Sometimes it involves complex 3-D modeling and ideas from many scientists. However, anyone can learn the basics and express their creativity through fossil-inspired art!

In this workbook, we will take a look at two fossils featured in the exhibition L.A. Underwater and explore the process of bringing these extinct animals “to life” through paleoart.