Neuroanatomy Illustration.
Medium: Adobe photoshop and illustrator
Client: University of Toronto
Purpose: To orient the brain correctly within the skull, exterior features of the head and face; an illustration of the brain in situ.
Textbook References
Textbook references of parasagittal brain sections were first collected from various anatomy atlases and studied for their anatomical accuracy and the placement of cerebral structures relative to each other, the skull, and the cerebellum.
Process Work
Ideation
The inspiration for my illustration came from the nineteenth-century anatomical atlas Traité complet de l’anatomie de l’homme, which was illustrated by Nicolas Henri Jacob. I decided to make my illustration appear in vivo-as if you could pull back the flaps of skin and see the living brain within, rather than simply ghosting the brain over the profile portrait.
Work in Progress
Screenshots of my work in progress began with line art of my brother’s profile portrait and a sketch of the cerebrum, cerebellum, midbrain, brainstem, and a cross section of the skull. The brain and face were then rendered, with details referenced from the illustrations above.
Colourizing
A grayscale version was created first, as I wanted to focus on ensuring the realism of all the components before adding colour. The illustration was colourised using various blending modes and clipping masks, and the colours (as well as the final formatting) were chosen to emulate the style of the anatomy atlas that inspired me.