VISA2306 Scientific Illustration

Students will learn how to produce accurate drawings of scientific specimens, especially relating to vertebrate anatomy. This intensive topic emphasises the refinement of observational skills and the translation of their essence to two dimensions. This will be achieved through a range of illustration techniques using different drawing tools, lighting and media. The topic culminates with the production of an illustrative piece of publication quality.

This topic aims to provide students with the basic skills necessary to accurately draw an object in order to create an illustration suitable for scientific publication.

The topic provides an opportunity to:

• Explore drawing systems
• Gain experience in a range of media appropriate to scientific illustration including pencil and ink
• Gain observational drawing skills that enable the accurate recording of scientific specimens and associated morphological features
• Gain experience in a range of drawing mechanics for observation and rendering objects including drawing free hand and using lighting, shapes and contour lines to create form
• Gain skills utilising a range of illustrative methods including shading with pencil, stippling and cross-hatching with ink
• Create illustration in the service of scientific inquiry
• Digitally process hand-drawn images for publication using programs such as Adobe Photoshop

1. Apply principles of visual communication to the development of scientific specimen illustration
2. Demonstrate the capacity to interpret illustration briefs
3. Generate publication-quality illustrations of scientific specimens
4. Discuss traditional and contemporary methods of scientific illustration in relation to vertebrate morphology
5. Research and apply techniques for illustrative work