The process of going from a mess of bones

The process of going from a mess of bones in field jackets to a completed skeleton that is generally seen in museums is a tedious one. Rarely do paleontologists find a full, completed skeleton during a dig. Much of the time it takes years of funding, research, and good old sweat to produce a completed dinosaur. Furthermore, the bones that arrive at Fossilogic are in various states of completion.

"Sometimes the bone is incomplete so we have to be able to look at a two-dimensional drawing and sculpt a 3D replica of the missing piece," Warner said.
Warner said he has to draw on his artistic training to do the work.

"Being able to see color variations and having the ability to see what an object should look like in a three dimensional way helps tremendously."
His talent as an artist started early. "I'm really not sure when it happened. The earliest memory I have is drawing a chipmunk when I was in kindergarten, and I've been doing it ever since," Warner said.

Over the years he has worked hard to develop his ability and, as is the case with most families, he is not the only one with a natural talent toward art.
"My mother and one of my sisters, Ann, do have the artistic ability, but they have never really developed it," Warner said.

While many artists pride themselves on their gifts Warner brings an air of humility to his work.
"I have always been able to draw but I haven't ever thought of myself as talented," Warner said. "I have a lot of people that want my art and tell me that I have a 'natural talent,' but I don't feel that talented, especially when I see other artists' work."

Any artist can tell you that inspiration comes from many different areas. Places and things we see, dreams, and experiences all play a role in what artists do. For Warner, nature is a huge inspiration though he considers it the most challenging to recreate.