While researching sauropods, I was drawn to a specific form of the long necked dinosaurs: a 45 degree upright position that fully displayed the elegance of an outstretched neck. The Cedarosaurus met this condition, as well as some of the titanosaurs.
My design switched back and forth between the shorter tailed Cedarosaurus and the longer tailed sauropods. Eventually I had to settle with the Cedarosaurus form based on how the paper was distributed. During this time, I tried to create a different version with a longer tail, but I could not figure out a satisfying design at the time. There was one image of a patagotitan online that I really liked and saved. Several times throughout the year, I kept going back to that image and doing several attempts.
In 2023, I attempted the design again and finally created a 22.5 degree configuration that captured the form that I was inspired to make. It had a long upright neck that was balanced by a long tail.
Some of the most important features in this design are the subtle angle changes from the neck to the back to the tail, the super minimal front legs, and the lack of folds or crimps in the neck. This enables the design to look clean and elegant. The 22.5 shapes are enough to capture the look I was aiming for. Compared to the Cedarosaurus, the model retains a more minimalistic style. There are less visible layers. The back legs are similar, but shaped slightly thicker.
The completed model is 20 inches long and 10 inches high. There are inner wires reinforcing the model. The folding took longer than I expected, particularly the shaping. It is more complex than it looks.