Human and Animal Anatomy Illustration
As a medical and scientific artist the interest lies in both studying and illustrating the bodily structures and conveying them accurately into a 2d format. Gross anatomy illustrations involve the organs, the organ systems, as well as histology which is the study of microscopic structures such as cells, microbes and organelles. As an artist I enjoy illustrating both human and animal anatomy and I get my inspiration from cased specimens visiting museums, the anatomy department at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, and reading books. To see some animal anatomy examples you can view my gallery of illustrations.
To work as an anatomical artist requires relevant training in anatomy as it is vital to understand what it is you are drawing. By learning what the human body looks like under the skin, to be able to understand how ligaments attach to bone, to understand the physiology, to the way fibres forms bands of muscle and the subtleties of human anatomy, is the only way to produce accurate anatomy illustrations, especially as these are intended for educational settings. To see some of my human anatomy artwork you can view my gallery of illustrations here.
The training I have received has been to study scientific and medical illustration to degree level. I also completed a post graduate course in 2004 with the Medical Artists’ Education Trust (MAET) studying medical art that involved anatomy tuition with cadavers located at The Royal College of Surgeons’, London.
During my working experiences has also meant I have had the privilege of attending live surgery when I have been commissioned to illustrate surgery. This has involved watching key hole surgery for abdominal issues such as hernias, total knee replacement surgery, hammer toe surgery as well as abdominal surgery of the small bowel. I have worked with medics and health professionals for the past 12 years which in turn has given me an in depth knowledge that can only be gained through years of hands on experience.
