It is often thought that we know very little about any particular species of Dinosaur and that anything goes when it comes to creating reconstructive images. However, this is not so in a great many cases; often the whole skeleton is known and occasionally soft tissues are fossilised, and there are many examples of skin impressions. While we know that some species had various superficial adornments, including the now well documented feathered varieties, it is often taken too far. Likewise, we do not know the colour of many of the Dinosaurs or their contemporaries but by studying modern faunas we can guess that few, if any, were very garish, as just about all would find it necessary to hide from their predators or their prey. So the general rules in James’ paintings are; the known skeleton should fit inside the skin; adornments are to be kept in check; colours and patterns should fit the landscape and lifestyle, and just the occasional bit of flamboyance for artistic drama.