BIOMEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS*
I am an artist.
I am a scientist.
I am a visual problem solver.
I am a collaborator in two seemingly seperate worlds.
Who am I?
I am a medical illustrator.
Or so I hope to be.
For over 2000 years, artists have illustrated the intricate structure of the body, creating images to elucidate medical procedures and record the pathologies of the body. From illustrations made on papyrus paper in Hellenic Alexandria, to Leonardo Da Vinci's renaissance drawings, to Dr. Frank H. Netter's Atlas of the Human Anatomy, medical illustration has, unbeknowsnt to most, been inextricably intertwined with the world of medicine throughout most of recorded history. Today, the work of medical illustrators promotes education, research, patient care, public relations, and marketing efforts.
In 2013, after seriously considering a career in medicine, I decided to give fine art (my earliest and most neglected passion) a go. After two weeks in a college foundation art program, I knew I could never go back to a purely scientific career path; art made me far too happy to be excluded any longer. Needless to say, I was ecstatic upon finding the world of medical illustration. Finally, I had found a career path designed for individuals such as myself: those who are entirely unsatisfied with the prospect of making a professional choice between being scientific and being artistic.
Alas, I applied to the only medical illustration program in Canada: University of Toronto's Biomedical Communications Program, and after months of hard work and many late nights, my application portfolio is complete. Enjoy.
I am a scientist.
I am a visual problem solver.
I am a collaborator in two seemingly seperate worlds.
Who am I?
I am a medical illustrator.
Or so I hope to be.
For over 2000 years, artists have illustrated the intricate structure of the body, creating images to elucidate medical procedures and record the pathologies of the body. From illustrations made on papyrus paper in Hellenic Alexandria, to Leonardo Da Vinci's renaissance drawings, to Dr. Frank H. Netter's Atlas of the Human Anatomy, medical illustration has, unbeknowsnt to most, been inextricably intertwined with the world of medicine throughout most of recorded history. Today, the work of medical illustrators promotes education, research, patient care, public relations, and marketing efforts.
In 2013, after seriously considering a career in medicine, I decided to give fine art (my earliest and most neglected passion) a go. After two weeks in a college foundation art program, I knew I could never go back to a purely scientific career path; art made me far too happy to be excluded any longer. Needless to say, I was ecstatic upon finding the world of medical illustration. Finally, I had found a career path designed for individuals such as myself: those who are entirely unsatisfied with the prospect of making a professional choice between being scientific and being artistic.
Alas, I applied to the only medical illustration program in Canada: University of Toronto's Biomedical Communications Program, and after months of hard work and many late nights, my application portfolio is complete. Enjoy.
1. a 30-minute exercise in a life drawing class. Pencil on bright white paper. 14" x 17".
2. Fish skeleton. BIC ballpoint pen on paper. 11" x 14".
3. Three-object organic still life. Prisma colour pencil crayons on Canson Mi Teintes paper. 12" x 14".
4. "Hublot". Prisma Colour pencil crayons and Pigma Micron felt tip pen on illustration paper. 11" x 14".
5. A trompe l'oeil of a knitted piece of fabric. Gouache and Pigma Micron felt tip pen on cold press illustration board. 5" x 5".
6. A two-hour in-class exercise on shading a leather jacket using line. Pigma Micron felt tip pen on bond paper. 14" x 17".
7. "Let's Make a Caesar". A storyboard outlining the process of making a caesar. Sketched using pencil, scanned, then rendered in Adobe Illustrator CC. 11" x 14".
8. A line and value study exploring the use of detail and economy.
9. "Luke". Portrait; Pigma Micron felt tip pen on paper. 14" x 17".
10. A digital painting of a red onion cross section. Rendered using a Wacom Intuous tablet and Adobe Photoshop CC. 8" x 10".
11. A still life of three reflective objects. Prisma Colour pencil crayons on Canson Mi Teintes paper. This piece was done in response to an assignment that challenged me to capture reflective light in everyday objects.12" x 14".
12. "Riesling". Pigma Micron felt tip pen on illustration paper. 11" x 14".
13. A still life in front of a window. Prisma Colour pencil crayons on Canson Mi Teintes paper. 11" x 14".
14. "Self-Portrait". Portrait; stippling of Pigma Micron felt tip pen on hot press illustration board. 15" x 20".
15. "Sulfunghi". A formalist piece; gouache on cold press illustration board. 14" x 14".
The goal of this piece was to both captivate the viewer while simultaneously making them feel uncomfortable. The various tints of yellow combined with the random, erratic line use creates movement, capturing the viewer's attention. However, the same qualities also repulse the viewer: the yellow colour seems to indicate danger, volatility, and noxious fumes, while the texture created by the line use conveys rough irregularity. Ultimately, this piece comments on the idea that humans are often captivated by that which, by all accounts, should be repulsive. It asks the viewer the question, "Why do I so desperately want to look at this?"
16. "Upper Cut Meats". A line drawing of a meat counter at Toronto's St. Lawrence Market. Pigma Micron felt tip pen on bond paper. 14" x 17".
This piece was created in response to an assignment for drawing course at George Brown College in which the goal was to create a contour drawing of a market scene in Toronto, Canada. I chose this particular scene based on the fact that it offered plenty of small, intricate details, as well as a wide variety of textures and shapes.
This piece was created in response to an assignment for drawing course at George Brown College in which the goal was to create a contour drawing of a market scene in Toronto, Canada. I chose this particular scene based on the fact that it offered plenty of small, intricate details, as well as a wide variety of textures and shapes.
17. A two-hour in-class exercise on highlight shading. White Prisma Colour pencil crayon on black Canson Mi Teintes paper.
Preliminary drawings for "Union". Left: 90-minute observational pencil drawing. Right: After completing observational drawing, I completed a second drawing with corrected perspective to serve as my template for the final product.
Three light studies for "Union". Before beginning my final drawing, I sampled three different colours of Canson Mi Teintes paper to determine which colour would create the most appealing result. In the end, I selected black paper because I felt it offered the most dramatic effect of the three.
18. "Union". An architectural illustration of the great hall in Toronto's Union Station. Prisma Colour pencil crayons on Canson Mi Teintes paper. 11" x 14".
