Medical illustration

Today, medical illustrators are either directly or indirectly employed across several medical fields, from laboratories, hospitals, and pharmaceutical facilities to publishing houses, law firms, and law enforcement agencies.

Specialists providing such illustrations have usually received in-depth training comprised of a foundation in science and medicine, supplemented by training in an art medium to visually translate their knowledge through various techniques. This makes the visuals they produce not only crucial medical assets but also universally valuable reference materials for clearer biocommunication across industries.

Professional medical illustrators employ a range of both digital and traditional visualization techniques, usually collected from literature (textbooks, magazines, essays, etc.) and numerous available physical and/or digital sources (special courses, presentations and exhibits, online digests, films, and media).

Additionally, when it comes to medical illustration and visualization, there are numerous sources of reference, knowledge, and inspiration beyond the print format. We are referring to three-dimensional models and various simulators useful for honing specific, in-depth, and well-structured illustration skills. These may include patient simulators, anatomical models, facial or other prosthetics, and gamified solutions.

// Trying out tools

Through research and sketching, an illustrator selects the most appropriate media tools and approaches to implement an illustration (traditional pen and paper or digital art, 3D tools or freehand sketching, etc.), which must be practiced beforehand to understand how to produce the desired result.

// Composition & transfer

The general composition of the illustration is prepared based on the tools and chosen media. It may differ substantially based on these choices. If a primarily traditional approach is employed, the illustrator transfers a pre-prepared element(s) or an entire composition onto the required final medium.

// Working up an illustration

This is when the illustrator draws a complete medical illustration. It is the most time- and effort-intensive stage of the illustration process because many details are edited, reworked, and rendered numerous times until the most satisfactory result is obtained.

// Finalizing the illustration

Finalizing a piece of art, be it medical or otherwise, takes nerve and skill. Good artists are rarely satisfied with their work, which can be a double-edged sword. While the project may be scaled and improved for years, with enough experience and a well-staged workflow, all necessary edits can be done in time to complete the illustration.