Anatomy of an image: Meet the scientific illustration students bridging the gap between education and art

Seraphina Edwards, Katie Wang, Olivia Lee, and Lily Toll, along with several other scientific illustration majors at the University of Georgia, presented a gallery of their work in partnership with Augusta University to highlight their technical skill and scientific knowledge. The gallery displayed illustrations of insects, medical infographics, 3D models, sketches, and more. The opening display of the exhibit showed the plans for the artists’ [dimensions] Interactive Big Exhibit mural, funded by Kelly Caruthers, the Etymology Department Head and Ph.D student Malcolm Peavy.  

The mural plans to depict illustrations of insects and QR codes that when scanned, show 3D models of the insects with supplemental information. The mural accompanies a permanent live insect zoo installation which will feature over 30 insect species and is open to the general public. Some insects included on the mural are spiders, the malaysian leaf bug, a cockroach, and Hercules beetle—but these bugs are just a small look into the critters in the insect zoo.

What drew you to scientific illustration? How do you feel like it benefits education as a whole?

Lee: I thought scientific illustration was a good mix of being able to learn new things and geek out. Scientific illustration also leads you into a career that helps science and general information become more accessible to the people. I like to say I’m a facilitator, or a bridge between the scientist and the learner.

Wang: I originally was thinking about going into something like nursing. But then I realized I’d be kind of sad if I could never draw ever again. So I learned about this, and I thought it was literally perfect to combine it. I feel like it’s such a niche thing.

Edwards:  I’ve always been a visual learner, so the best way I’ve learned is through diagrams or  general infographics. And I’ve always been an artist, and I love to draw, so I tend to lean towards realism. I thought, “This is the best way to bridge my talents, as well as teach people how to do basic scientific practices or to just learn more about the world around them.” And I enjoy rendering everything accurately for that purpose.

Where do each of you feel like you stand out in your art?

Lee: I have more of an illustrative background. I originally studied illustration at Syracuse University, so I tend to gear my illustrations, even my scientific, realistic illustrations, more towards flow, rhythm, and overall design. I also like experimenting with colors.

Wang: I always get really into the details. I spend hours on one tiny thing, which I think works really well for this. I also love color and like composition. So when I did the June beetle poster, I tried to focus on how it would look from far away. [I leaned toward] having brighter colors than opposed to kind of more muted, professional ones.

Edwards: I tend to lean a little bit more towards the like 3D sculptural aspect of it. There’s a big market for 3D modelers in the scientific illustration community as well as the medical illustration community. And I really enjoy sculpting a scene and using form and movement in my works and pieces.

If a freshman came up to you and said “I want to do scientific illustration,” what would you say?

Wang: Accuracy is important, but equally as important is conveying the correct information, which is very vital in scientific infographics and diagrams.

Edwards: You’re going to spend a lot of your time rendering things accurately. You’re forced to recognize certain aspects of objects of the world around you that you wouldn’t have really thought about before. If you’re going to render wood, you have to think about how each grain of it interacts with the other. It really makes you sit and pause. [You’ll] spend a lot of time with the work you’re doing, but there’s a good payoff.

Looking into your own future, what are some jobs that stick out to you? 

Edwards: I want to go into forensic field work where you hear descriptions of people or [situations] and render that accurately for suspect knowledge. And you can also get into med legal, which is basically recreating scenes to help investigators.

Wang: I would like to get into medical illustration for grad school, but I think my bigger passion would be nature, like animal infographics. I love drawing natural things, and I think my dream job would be like working for National Geographic.

Lee: I have so many things I want to do. I have very big dreams. Obviously, medical illustration. I probably want to work in research institutions and help out with diagrams, or in public administration and making medical information more accessible. Essentially, I also want to do freelance work on the side for just plain illustration, like children’s books. 

The students were especially thankful to Amanda Minowski, professor of scientific illustration at the University of Georgia.

“[Professor Minowski] has made a real effort to ensure we are all doing the best that we can and what we do and gives us advice on what to look forward to in the future with scientific illustration or medical illustration,” Edwards said. “She’s an amazing professor that’s dedicated to us improving and there would not be a [scientific illustration] department without her.” 

Lee added that the department continues to grow in their collaboration efforts with Augusta’s medical illustration program and the Georgia government. The students in scientific illustration reflect a deep passion for accessible education, experiential learning, and have explored new ways of transforming public spaces into immersive experiences.