Drawing a pterosaur
We don't really know how pterosaur bodies and crests were colored in life, but illustrations can be made based on their reptilian heritage and bird-like lifestyles.
For example, many seagoing birds have dark upper sides and light lower sides, and many birds of the forest are camouflaged. It's not far-fetched to suggest that pterosaurs with similar lifestyles may have been similarly colored.
Crests were probably brightly colored like many display structures in birds, but, like birds, bright colors may have been restricted to males. Like most birds and reptiles, pterosaurs probably had round pupils.
In the natural world, light comes from the sun above. A lighter belly balances the harsh shadow an animal casts with its own body, helping it hide from both predator and prey. This method of camouflage is called countershading.
Tapejara
Rhinoplax (Hornbill)
A bright pterosaur crest (Tapejara) alongside the vivid casque of a living hornbill.
