I’ve always been inquisitive and fascinated by nature. I would spend many hours drawing as a child but, despite my interest in nature, I never thought to draw it. Instead, I spent my time reading and drawing Marvel Comics superheroes. Being the son of immigrant parents, I was encouraged to pursue a career that was stable and with a steady income; they didn’t want their son to become a struggling artist. So I set my sights on science with the hopes of going to medical school.

In my senior year in high school, my biology teacher noticed that I used drawings to record my observations in labs and mentioned that some people made a living from illustrating scientific concepts. Looking back now I’m shocked that I didn’t even consider a career in scientific illustration. I guess I thought since this vocation involved art, it would be a hard sell to my parents. So I put it out of my mind. 

The first time I met Diane, she was interviewing me for a job. I remember thinking that Diane was really nice. I ended up getting that job, and over the years working with and being mentored by Diane, I found out I was wrong — Diane was not nice.

Diane was passionate, talented and thoughtful. She cared deeply for students. Caring about politics, art, animals, justice, and education, she was well-read and curious, proudly a life-long learner. She cared about her friends and family and lived her words with action, whether it meant standing up for someone, raising her own awareness, advocating for those being marginalized, or volunteering time and expertise to make a difference in her community. Diane was quiet about herself, and a cheerleader for others.

With the holidays fast approaching many of us will be shopping online for the perfect gifts for family and friends.  Did you know you can support the mission of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators when you shop using Amazon Smile?

If you have never used Amazon Smile, when you go to https://smile.amazon.com, you will be directed to select a charity. Search for "Guild of Natural Science Illustrators". If you have used Smile before, you can choose a new organization to support (see the image below).

The Pollinator Partnership is seeking an artist to render the 2018 Pollinator Poster, this year focusing on “Pollinators and Seeds: Supporting healthy ecosystems and food security.” To apply to illustrate the poster, please send a one-page narrative concept idea with a draft sketch to Kelly Rourke at [email protected] by Monday, December 11, 2017. Final illustration will be due by Friday, February 9, 2018.

Background

The Pollinator Partnership (P2) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization-- the largest organization in the world dedicated solely to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Unfortunately, they are in trouble. Some species have seen a 90% decline in their populations over the last decade.  Without the actions of pollinators, agricultural economies, our food supply, and surrounding landscapes would suffer.

Our colleagues from the Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine have asked the GNSI to spread a short survey they have put together to find out what their readership thinks and to make more people aware of the journal.

For those not already familiar with the journal, you can find out more here: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ijau20/current

Visit the Database of Science Illustrators 1450-1950, active since 2011, to find information about over 10400 illustrators active in natural history, medicine, and technology, in more than 100 countries, between 1450 and 1950.

Are you willing to share your expertise and experience with your peers?  The 2018 GNSI Annual Conference is July 15-21, in Washington, DC. Planning is well underway. If you are interested in giving a talk, present at the Technique Showcase or teach a workshop - please fill out the form!

We may not be able to accommodate all speakers but will try.

Questions?

• For technical problems with the form contact Ikumi Kayama ([email protected])
• For presentation content or format questions, contact Taina Litwak ([email protected]) or Peter Green ([email protected])
• For Technique Showcase questions contact Catherine Miller ([email protected])
• For questions about workshops in traditional media contact Trudy Nicholson ([email protected])
• For questions about workshops in digital media contact Quinn Burrell  ([email protected])

I studied art in the 70s and 80s. We learned art history, participated in exhibits and group critiques, experimented with materials, and worked to develop a “style” or point of view for expression. Computers and the “world wide web” were barely in the mainstream. Classes about the business end of making art and being a professional were nonexistent, at least for me it seemed so. Most artists I knew that were successful moved to a large urban area and made cold calls and knocked on doors while waiting tables and other “day” jobs, or already knew professionals in the business. 

When I joined GNSI in 1991, summer conferences gave me the inspiration and networking I desired. I learn best by doing, and helping run a national conference appealed to me. But I did not have a GNSI chapter or local members to team with, and taking on conference planning seemed daunting without local help to rely on. As internet communication and business practices advanced, so did the possibilities of working with teams in various locations across the country. Online project management applications, in this case, Basecamp, appeared as a way for GNSI members to work collaboratively. I was skeptical at first, but as I participated in this tool, I began to appreciate the organic and fluid ways that I could contribute with a large team of GNSI members located across the country to do something phenomenal such as run a professional international organization and annual conference.

A video recording of Jeff Day's lecture for the GNSI-DC Chapter is now available on GNSI's YouTube Channel and below.

From Comics to Medical Art

Celebrate California native plants, especially the plants of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Region! Join professional botanical illustrator Marjorie Leggitt for a three-day workshop that will increase your observational skills, your drawing techniques, and your ability to develop and complete an illustrated “field guide” composition in a medium of choice.

Begin the workshop with a guided field trip introducing native plant communities. After Marjorie demonstrates her field sketching technique for recording botanical data, spend time observing and sketching before collecting a favorite specimen. In the classroom learn step-by-step techniques for developing your sketches into more accurate renderings. Discover the magic of turning these drawings into an artistic and well-designed composition. Introduction to a few simple tools offers you the option to add scales and labels to your illustration.

Ever tried to teach an old dog a new trick? How about teaching two-dimensional traditional artists how to create a three-dimensional sculpture digitally? But everyone who attended the 2016 GNSI Education Series Workshop, Leveling Up In ZBrush®, was up for the challenge. The class was taught by David Killpack, Principal & Creative Director at Illumination Studios who uses ZBrush for science and medical illustration. We gathered at Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) University in the Walb Union Building on October 29 and 30, 2016, for an immersion experience. The workshop was an intense, challenging, and inspiring two days of solid work, and under Killpack’s tutelage, it did not disappoint.

ZBrush, the brainchild of parent company Pixologic™, is a computer program that allows the user to build 3D and 2D models. Unlike many other programs, ZBrush gives the user the ability to manipulate the form with a mouse or stylus much like a sculptor would work in clay. The high-resolution models created in ZBrush are used by artists primarily in the gaming, movie and animation industry. “ZBrush is even compatible with 3D printers, so you can print your models and bring them to life,” explains a Top Ten Reviews staff writer (12-9-16).

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”  
~Frank Lloyd Wright

Like so many artists and so many more scientific illustrators, I have spent my lifetime wondrously inspired by the natural world. The path to my current career in illustration has been somewhat roundabout, and due to a lack of formal training in the sciences, I will likely always suffer from a little impostor syndrome when labeled a scientific illustrator. Nonetheless, nature has been a consistent guide throughout my life and work, and I have found a remarkably broad audience for my particular style. I am grateful daily for my role as an image maker and storyteller of natural histories.

The Nominating Committee is honored to present the nomination of Sara Taliaferro for President-elect of GNSI. The Committee is also pleased and grateful to report that Scott Rawlins has agreed to become interim Education Director in the event of Sara becoming President-elect. (Scott preceded Sara as Education Director.)

All GNSI members are invited to learn more about Sara and vote online. Online voting will close on June 9, 2017, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.  Paper balloting will continue at the Annual Conference in Asheville, NC.

I was educated to be an illustrator in the old school tradition, and even though the professors did not come to class wearing academic robes and require us to rise to attention when they entered the room, I am certain they all entertained such fantasies. It was rigorous training, long before computers, but even though digital and electronic advances have greatly impacted the printing process and added new dimensions to illustration, much of what was taught remains relevant. For example, the development of a preliminary drawing is still the first step in creating a scientifically accurate illustration. They may be called working drawings, sketches, final sketches, or preliminary drawings but throughout the literature, they are always identified as the start of the illustration.

In addition to working as a professional illustrator, I also teach drawing classes but the students are not, as we were back at the university, a captive audience agreeing to be there for a lengthy period of time, pay a lot of money, and eventually work in the field. My classes are part of educational outreach programs and the participants do not have either the time for rigorous training or the inclination to become professional illustrators. They are there to learn about nature drawing as a means of enjoyment. 

Congratulations to ALL the GNSI members* who claimed a spot in the Focus On Nature XIV exhibit. And congratulation to those who received a Jury award!
http://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/fon/exhibitions/index.html

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering during a GNSI conference offers the chance to meet new people, help the conference run smoothly, and deepen your connection to the organization. The first twenty people to commit to at least five hours of volunteer work at the conference will be eligible to receive a $100 refund on their registration (refunds will be processed after the conference). In many cases, several volunteer tasks will need to be combined to meet the five-hour minimum.

Presentation Troubleshooting (AV/IT)

Description: Assist presenters with computer connections, presentation loading, and any other technical issues that arise. Each person will be responsible for two classrooms during their two-hour shift.