SOMETHING DIFFERENT – CAVE BEAR FROM THE ICE AGE
Since I was 5 and got a book on dinosaurs which also mentioned the La Brea Tarpits in LA, CA. Since then Megafauna of the Ice Age have fascinated me. This is a resin 1/10 scale Cave Bear produced by Paleocraft and stands about 17 inches tall. It was painted with various shades of acrylic browns with many washes and drybrushing. Hope you guys like it as it was a fun project and a beast I wanted to have a model of for many years. The only Aurora kit just does not measure up to this kit, but is certainly less expensive.
The Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a prehistoric bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.
Both the word cave and the scientific name spelaeus are used because fossils of this it were mostly found in caves. Experts believe cave bears spent more time in caves than the brown bear, which uses caves only for hibernation. It is thought to have been largely herbivorous.
Cave Bears were comparable in size to, or larger than, the largest modern-day bears, measuring up to 6.6 ft. in length. The average males weighed 770 lb. to 1,320 lb. But some specimens weighed as much as 2,200 lb. while females weighed 495 lb. to 550 lb.
Great work painting this model. I can barely tell it’s not a real bear in the photos
Thanks Jay and your compliment means more to me than winning an award at a show!
Beautiful paint work. You truly did and outstanding job. It's amazing how little bears have changed in 24,000 years. Mega fauna is definitely an interesting subject, I've always had an interest in it myself, along with dinosaurs. Great subject!
Thanks Clint as I really appreciate the kind comment. I did some other animals and I post pics of them soon.
As already stated, your paint work is excellent. The bear and the base are outstanding! Running into one of those critters would have made for a very bad day!
Fantastic job, Kevin!
Definitely something different, Kevin @chenango55
Great paintwork.
Very realistic finish, Kevin, must be quite a heavy beast in resin.
Thanks George and it was hollow cast and not that heavy. However, I wanted to reinforce it and decided to use Durham's Water Putty. So I drilled a hole in the foot and took bits of styrofoam peanuts and stuffed them inside. Then I poured in the Durham's and it worked, but it made it much heavier and difficult to handle when I was building it. I kept breaking off the claws and it must now weigh at least 6 pounds. I could have used the automotive fiberglass resin, but it would have been more expensive and smelled bad. Also, it would have pooled at the lowest level and heavier as well.
Now that cave bear model is something different, for sure, You did an excellent job building this model. It reminds me of author Jane Auel's excellent book "Clan of the Cave Bear"; I read the entire series, but the first book is especially good (and contains the explanation for the title.
Congratulations on your rxcellent work.
Thanks Marvin and read all of the books in "Clan of the Cave Bear" and enjoyed them. The first 3 were good, but the others I felt were not. Paleocraft should make a Daryl Hannah figure to go with the bear!
Excellent job on that mean-looking dude!
Herbiverous! With those teeth? I ain't no paleotolologist but...
Show 'em your Sabre-tooth.
Hi Willy, The bear will be attending Noreastcom and I am looking forward to the show. How about telling your webmaster to add the vendors as I have emailed several times and got no reply. Thanks Kevin
The molars are rather "flat" like that of modern Brown Bear (and us humans). The wear of the teeth hits to a mostly herbivorous diet. "Real" carnivores have molars like scissors for cutting flesh or crushing bones like hyaenas.
Not the kind of teddy bear picnic I'd want to attend because it seems I'd be the main course!