Journal of Nature Science Illustrators Vol. 51, No. 3: Abstracts

Member Spotlight: Ikumi Kayama 

Ikumi has been a member of the GNSI since 2005 and works as a medical and scientific illustrator. She served on the GNSI Board for several years and volunteered with the Conference Committee on and off since 2009. “Somewhere along the way, I figured that drawings are a way to connect people no matter the language, education level, or background. I love scientific illustration because it tells a story and is used as a communication and teaching tool. I'm always grateful for working with all kinds of amazing researchers and educators from around the world.”

2019 Conference Review: Brisbane

— Sara Taliaferro, GNSI President

“Every moment in Australia this summer was a dream come true. For Guild members who did not make the long journey, it is difficult to do justice and honor to the experience or to adequately thank everyone who played a role in envisioning and realizing this international conference. Therefore, ultimately, we will not leave it to my voice alone but continue to share the stories of science and nature and creativity and place as told by many voices.”

A Short History: Dissection Manual Collaboration

— Dino Pulerà

This is a personal account of how a scientist (comparative anatomist and paleontologist) and artist (scientific and medical illustrator) have worked together for over two decades to create The Dissection of Vertebrates: A Laboratory Manual, which has had the good fortune of being in print for the last 12 years and is currently in its third edition. The path to achieving any measure of success has been anything but smooth and easy.

Stripped Bare: The Art of Animal Anatomy

— Book Review by Gail Guth

Stripped Bare is a visual treat—in the author’s words, “the intertwined intellectual and artistic journeys of animal anatomy from antiquity to the present day.” The book is chock-full of animal anatomy illustrations (260 over the book’s 256 pages) that are a rich delight, from ancient stone models of lamb livers used in augury to modern-day plastination and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

RRRRIPPED from the List: Pricing Illustrations

— Britt Griswold, RRRRipped Guest Editor

A conversation on pricing your first job is taken from the GNSI Sciart-Listserv. It is lightly edited for readability and clarity. Enjoy!

Sketchbook: Sugar Glider Fieldwork

—  Madison Erin Mayfield

Ph.D. candidate Ana Gracanin has been live-trapping sugar gliders in an attempt to understand their population numbers and distribution in the Berry Wildlife Corridor, NSW, Australia. Author Madison assisted in the fieldwork for several weeks, and created these sketches as a quick description of what was done with the gliders. “Fieldwork is always such a special experience and I think more active science should be communicated via art!”

The Business of Illustration: Working Through a Career Slump

— Gail Guth

Who hasn’t been there? You are sitting at your drawing table or computer desk and staring at whatever is there. Perhaps there is nothing there: no work, no projects, no prospects for projects. Perhaps there is a project there but you don’t want to do it (not enough pay, not your style, not really anything you are interested in creating). Perhaps you are just burned out and need a change. What now? With this topic in mind, we formed a panel discussion at the Santa Cruz Conference in 2016 to brainstorm ideas, solutions, and creative ways to work out of whatever slump you may find yourself in.