Robert Nicholls
Also recorded as Bob Nicholls · R. Nicholls
Robert Nicholls
Fraser Reid · Growing dinosaur #Bristol Uploaded by FunkMonk · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Robert Nicholls
- Born
- 5 August 1975
- Birthplace
- Gloucestershire, England
- Occupation
- Paleoartist
- Awards
- Marsh Palaeoart Award, by Palaeontographical Society (2024, inaugural winner)
- Fields
- illustration · work of art · paleontology · natural history collection
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Robert Nicholls • Born — 5 August 1975 • Birthplace — Gloucestershire, England • Occupation — Paleoartist • Awards — Marsh Palaeoart Award, by Palaeontographical Society (2024, inaugural winner) • Website — https: paleocreations.com/ Robert (Bob) Nicholls is a British paleoartist.
Biography
Biography
Nicholls grew up in Gloucestershire, England, and now lives in Bristol 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 paleoart. His passion for wildlife, paleontology and art inspired him throughout university at which he gained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Visual Communication at the University of Central England in 1997 (Thesis title: Image of a Dinosaur). He stayed on at UCE to gain a Post Graduate Diploma in Visual Communication in 1997 followed by a Master of Arts in the same subject in 1999 (Thesis title: Dinosaurs from the Inside Out).
Paleocreations
Paleocreations
In 1999 Nicholls founded his own company Paleocreations, currently based in Bristol 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 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, GeoCenter Møns Klint, National Museum Wales, University of Cambridge, Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery and MuSe, Museo delle Scienze, in Trento, Italy. He has been commissioned to create artwork for over 40 books on natural history. He has also produced work for several broadcasting companies including the BBC, Icon Films, and National Geographic. 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. • Illustration — Psittacosaurus model by paleoartist Robert Nicholls, based on the fossil specimens SMF R 4970. Left lateral view (A), posterior view (B), right lateral view (C), and anterior view (D). • Illustration — Restoration of Sinosauropteryx preying on Dalinghosaurus, by Bob Nicholls His artwork has been used by the Royal Mint for coins: in 2021, celebrating Mary Anning; in 2023 with 3 dinosaurs, one each for the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods; and in 2025 with 3 Ice Age mammals (Steppe Mammoth, Giant Deer, and Woolly Rhinoceros).
Articles
Articles
*
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1975
Robert Nicholls was born on 5 August 1975.
Books
Bob's artwork has been featured within the following books: • Dinosaur Art: the World's Greatest Paleoart by Steve White (Titan Books, 2012) • The Complete Dinosaur by James Farlow (Indiana University Press, 2012) • Evolution: the Human Story by Professor Alice Roberts (Dorling Kindersley, 2011) • Spot 50 Dinosaurs by Steve Parker (Miles Kelly Publishing, 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 by Paul Bahn and Paul Pettitt (English Heritage, 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 (Miles Kelly Publishing, 2006) • Planet Dinosaur by Steve Parker (Miles Kelly Publishing, 2005) • English Adventure Book 5 (Pearson, 2004) • Fossil Frogs and Toads of North America by Alan Holman (Indiana University Press, 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, 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)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Robert Nicholls. palaeosam.wordpress.com.
- 2.Darren, Naish. Scientific American. Great Dinosaur Art Event of 2012. 2012.
- 3.Mike, Taylor. SVPCA 2013 Abstracts. SVPCA. 2013.
- 4.Interview with Bob Nicholls. Dave Hone's Archosaur Musings. 9 September 2010.
- 5.Putting the skin on Stegosaurus Natural History Museum. www.nhm.ac.uk.
- 6.Bob Nicholls Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week. svpow.com.
- 7.Bristol, University of. Bristol Dinosaur unveiled. www.bristol.ac.uk.
- 8.New dinosaur discovered in Wales.
- 9.Hecht, Jeff. Could these giant dinosaurs have lifted up their pictured prey?. New Scientist.
- 10.Henderson, Doug. Balance and strength – Estimating the maximum prey-lifting potential of the large predatory dinosaur Carcharodontosaurus saharicus. The Anatomical Record. 298. 8. 1367–1375. 2015. 10.1002/ar.23164.
- 11.Giant cousin of T. rex identified. BBC. 2011-03-31.
- 12.The Annual Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy. svpca.org.
- 13.Brown, Mark. Royal Mint to commemorate fossil hunter Mary Anning. The Guardian.
- 14.White, Steve. Dinosaur Art: the World's Greatest Paleoart. Titan Books. 2012. 9780857685841.
- 15.Farlow, James. The Complete Dinosaur. Indiana University Press. 2012. 9780253357014.
- 16.Roberts, Alice. Evolution: the Human Story. Dorling Kindersley. 2011. 9781405361651.
- 17.Parker, Steve. Spot 50 Dinosaurs. Miles Kelly Publishing. 2011. 9781848104440.
- 18.Volke, Gordon. Elephants' Call. Quest. 2010. 978-1849560795.
- 19.Volke, Gordon. Wolves' Gambit. Quest. 2010. 978-1849560788.
- 20.Volke, Gordon. The Tigers' Secret. Quest. 2010. 978-1846668517.
- 21.Volke, Gordon. The Orcas' Song. Quest. 2010. 978-1846668500.
- 22.Volke, Gordon. Condors' Quest. Quest. 2010. 9781849563611.
- 23.Volke, Gordon. Penguins' Petition. Quest. 2010.
- 24.Volke, Gordon. Dolphins Cry. Quest. 2010.
- 25.Dixon, Dougal. Dinosaurs. Quarto Children's Books. 2009. 978-1592234042.
- 26.Bahn, Paul. Britain's Oldest Art: the Ice Age Cave Art of Creswell Crags. English Heritage. 2009. 978-1848020252.
- 27.Stansbie, Stephanie. Dinosaur. Roar Publishing. 2008. 978-0316035835.
- 28.Volke, Gordon. A Time Traveller's Field Notes and Observations of Dinosaurs. Quest. 2008. 978-1846666216.
- 29.Volkes, Gordon. A Time Traveller's Field Notes and Observations of Ancient Egypt. Quest. 2008. 978-1846666995.
- 30.Gale, Sarah. Dinosaur Hunter. Hachette Partworks Ltd. 2008.
- 31.Bowden, Alistair. History in the Landscape. The Weardale Society. 2008. 978-0955737312.
- 32.Green, Jen. Dinosaur Hunters. Quarto Children's Books. 2007.
- 33.Dixon, Dougal. The World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures. Lorenz Books. 2007. 978-1846812095.
- 34.Wedel, Matthew. Aligerando a los gigantes. Paleonturologia. 2007.
- 35.Bevan, Bill. Sheffield's Golden Frame. Sigma Press. 2007. 978-1850588467.
- 36.Nicholls, Robert. The Book of Prehistoric Pop-up Board Games. Tango Books. 2006. 9781857076097.
- 37.Gallagher, Belinda. Dinosaur Detectives Handbook. Miles Kelly Publishing. 2006. 9780760792940.
- 38.Parker, Steve. Planet Dinosaur. Miles Kelly Publishing. 2005. 978-1842365632.
- 39.Pearson. English Adventure Book 5. 2004. 978-0131110670.
- 40.Holman, Alan. Fossil Frogs and Toads of North America. Indiana University Press. 2003. 978-0253342805.
- 41.Eberhardt, Peter. Leedsichthyes. Illustreret Videnskab.
- 42.Herbert, Frank. The Great Dune Trilogy. Gollancz. 2003. 978-0575070707.
- 43.Herbert, Frank. Children of Dune. Gollancz. 2003. 978-0575074903.
- 44.Herbert, Frank. God Emperor of Dune. Gollancz. 2003. 978-0575075061.
- 45.Herbert, Frank. Heretics of Dune. Gollancz. 2003. 978-0575074897.
- 46.Herbert, Frank. Chapter House of Dune. Gollancz. 2003. 978-0575075184.
- 47.Debus, Allen. Paleoimagery: the Evolution of Dinosaur Art. McFarland and Company. 2002. 978-0786464203.
- 48.Warrenger, Grant. The Lost World. Wildlife Art Publishing. 2002.
- 49.Osborne, Roger. The Dinosaur Coast. York Moors Press. 2001. 978-0907480884.
- 50.Dixon, Dougal. Dinosaurs in the Sea. Ticktock Publishing. 2001. 978-0836833294.
References
Citations
References
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Illustration
5,224 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Robert ReinickIllustrator
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