Sunday, May 15, 2011

Ode to Medical Illustration

I've been working now full time on the fetal development series that I am producing for CMSP. I know it would be a challenge, being my first professional medically oriented illustrations, but that challenge has proved to be even more enjoyable than I thought. I am truly excited by the process so far, and am continually surprising myself with the images I am creating. That is always my best work, the ones where you step back and say "Did I do this?"

The original sketches look almost nothing like my final product (which I hope to be able to post soon). Here they are: 


The final product is much more painterly, with rich color and heavy texture defining every cell and structure. I am using various references, but always trying to get the most complete image by combining elements from all- and thus really creating a image that may be unique from others already out there. I can't wait to share those, and I hope they open the door to other opportunities in the field. 

When it boils down to it, I love medical work because it poses the greatest challenge to me and allows me to do what I love best: learning and exploring, understanding my world. It forces you to try news things in order to solve constantly evolving problems, and I mean that. If I could be honest about one thing, it is that my greatest weakness can also be my greatest strength: curiosity. I love tackling new projects, no matter how complex, because it keeps me interested. Thus, my ideal job would expect a variety of tasks from me, versus just one on a constant basis. Hopefully there's a place out there that needs someone like me.