Robert (Bob) Nicholls is a British

paleoart Paleoart (also spelled palaeoart, paleo-art, or paleo art) is any original artistic work that attempts to depict prehistoric life according to scientific evidence. Ansón, Fernández & Ramos (2015) pp. 28–34. Works of paleoart may be represen ...

ist.

Biography

Nicholls grew up in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England, and now lives in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

with his wife and daughters. Bob began drawing prehistoric animals before he was old enough to attend school and at a very young age decided to pursue a career in

. His passion for

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

paleontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...

and art inspired him throughout university at which he gained a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(Hons) in

Visual Communication Visual communication is the use of visual elements to convey ideas and information which include (but are not limited to) signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, and electronic resourc ...

at the University of Central England in 1997 (Thesis title: Image of a

Dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

). He stayed on at UCE to gain a Post Graduate Diploma in

in 1997 followed by a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in the same subject in 1999 (Thesis title: Dinosaurs from the Inside Out).

Paleocreations

In 1999 Nicholls founded his own company Paleocreations, currently based in

in the UK. Paleocreations specialises in creating anatomically accurate 2D and 3D reconstructions of prehistoric animals, plants, and environments. Animals are reconstructed from the inside out, from

skeletal A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal fram ...

structures, soft part anatomy, and external skin, fur and feathers, for both temporary and permanent display. Bob's works are currently displayed in nearly 50 museums, institutions and aquariums across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, including the London

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

, GeoCenter Møns Klint,

National Museum Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery The Hunterian is a complex of museums located in and operated by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest museum in Scotland. It covers the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery, the Mackintosh House, the Zoology M ...

and MuSe,

Museo delle Scienze The Museo delle Scienze (MUSE) is a science museum in Trento, Italy. The museum was designed by architect Renzo Piano and opened in 2013. References

Science museums in Italy {{Italy-museum-stub ...

, in Trento, Italy. He has been commissioned to create

artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

for over 40 books on natural history. He has also produced work for several broadcasting companies including the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Icon Films Icon Films is a British independent television production company that produces factual programmes for broadcast by networks both in the UK and US. The company was founded in 1990 by Harry Marshall and Laura Marshall, and is based in Bristol ...

, and

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

. As an active member of the palaeontological world Bob is often interviewed and written about online. He has also contributed to a number of scientific papers. Psittacosaurus model

His artwork has been used by the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's official maker of British coins. It is currently located in Llantrisant, Wales, where it moved in 1968. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly ow ...

for coins: in 2021, celebrating

Mary Anning Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) was an English fossil collector, fossil trade, dealer, and palaeontologist. She became known internationally for her discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Cha ...

; in 2023 with 3 dinosaurs, one each for the

Triassic The Triassic ( ; sometimes symbolized 🝈) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.5 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.4 Mya. The Triassic is t ...

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

and

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

Periods; and in 2025 with 3

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

mammals (

Steppe Mammoth ''Mammuthus trogontherii'', sometimes called the steppe mammoth, is an extinct species of mammoth that ranged over most of northern Eurasia during the Early and Middle Pleistocene, approximately 1.7 million to 200,000 years ago. The evolution o ...

Giant Deer The Irish elk (''Megaloceros giganteus''), also called the giant deer or Irish deer, is an extinct species of deer in the genus ''Megaloceros'' and is one of the largest deer that ever lived. Its range extended across northern Eurasia during the ...

, and

Woolly Rhinoceros The woolly rhinoceros (''Coelodonta antiquitatis'') is an extinct species of rhinoceros that inhabited northern Eurasia during the Pleistocene epoch. The woolly rhinoceros was a member of the Pleistocene megafauna. The woolly rhinoceros was larg ...

Bibliography

Books

Bob's artwork has been featured within the following books: * Dinosaur Art: the World's Greatest Paleoart by Steve White (

Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...

, 2012) * The Complete Dinosaur by James Farlow (

Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes ...

, 2012) * Evolution: the Human Story by Professor Alice Roberts (

Dorling Kindersley Dorling Kindersley Limited (branded as DK) is a British multinational publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 63 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a subsidiary of German media cong ...

, 2011) * Spot 50 Dinosaurs by Steve Parker (

Miles Kelly Publishing Miles Kelly Publishing is an independent children's publishing company founded by Jim Miles and Gerard Kelly in 1996. It is based in the village of Bardfield End Green near Thaxted in Essex, UK, after moving from its base of 13 years in G ...

, 2011) * Elephants' Call by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * Wolves' Gambit by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * The Tigers' Secret by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * The Orcas' Song by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * Condors' Quest by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * Penguins' Petition by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * Dolphins Cry by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2010) * Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon (Quarto Children's Books, 2009) * Britain's Oldest Art: the Ice Age Cave Art of

Creswell Crags Creswell Crags is an enclosed limestone gorge on the border between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, England, near the villages of Creswell and Whitwell. The cliffs in the ravine contain several caves that were occupied during the last ice age ...

by Paul Bahn and Paul Pettitt (

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

, 2009) * Dinosaur by Stephanie Stansbie, (Roar Publishing, 2008) (Translated into 7 different languages) * A Time Traveller's Field Notes and Observations of Dinosaurs by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2008) * A Time Traveller's Field Notes and Observations of Ancient Egypt by Gordon Volke (Quest; an imprint of Top That! Publishing, 2008) * Dinosaur Hunter, edited by Sarah Gale (Hachette Partworks Ltd, 2008) * History in the Landscape by Alistair Bowden (The Weardale Society, 2008) * Dinosaur Hunters by Jen Green (Quarto Children's Books, 2007) * The World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures by Dougal Dixon (Lorenz Books, an Imprint of Anness Publishing Ltd, 2007) * Aligerando a los gigantes by Dr Mathew Wedel (Paleonturologia, 2007) * Sheffield's Golden Frame by Bill Bevan (Sigma Press, 2007) * The Book of Prehistoric Pop-up Board Games by Robert Nicholls (Tango Books, 2006) * Dinosaur Detectives Handbook by Belinda Gallagher (

, 2006) * Planet Dinosaur by Steve Parker (

, 2005) * English Adventure Book 5 (Pearson, 2004) * Fossil Frogs and Toads of North America by Alan Holman (

, 2003) * ''Leedsichthys'' by Peter Eberhardt ( Illustreret Videnskab, 2003) * The Great Dune Trilogy by Frank Herbert (Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, 2003) * Children of Dune by Frank Herbert (Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, 2003) * God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert (Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, 2003) * Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert (Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, 2003) * Chapter House of Dune by Frank Herbert (Gollancz, an imprint of Orion Publishing, 2003) * Paleoimagery: the Evolution of Dinosaur Art by Allen Debus (

McFarland & Company McFarland & Company, Inc., is an American independent book publisher based in Jefferson, North Carolina, that specializes in academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tert ...

, 2002) * The Lost World by Grant Warrenger (Wildlife Art Publishing, 2002) * The Dinosaur Coast by Roger Osborne (York Moors Press, 2001) * Dinosaurs in the Sea by Dougal Dixon (Ticktock Publishing Ltd, 2001)

Articles

References

External links

Paleocreations
official website
Paleocreations
on

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Paleocreations
on

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Paleocreations
on

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Natural History Museum – How to reconstruct a dinosaur
– video about Robert Nicholls reconstructing ''Stegosaurus'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholls, Robert 1975 births English artists Paleoartists Artists from Gloucestershire Living people Artists from Bristol