Medical Illustrations: A lost art
Even though I never pursued illustration as a full-time endeavor, I’ve always enjoyed taking on small side projects to help keep my skills up. I recently found these old medical illustrations I created when I first opened Fall-Line Productions.
Images: Medium | Prisma Colored Pencils on Card Stock
Back in 2004, I was living in New Jersey. I had just completed my time at Curious Pictures / Cartoon Network. I started a new job as a marketing designer and video production artist for the largest Granite Company in the U.S.
To help make a little extra money, I began moonlighting as an illustrator and animator. One of my first commissioned assignments was to create over 40 medical illustrations. The illustrations were used for hospital brochures and other forms of educational content.
Working side-by-side with doctors and PAs, I completed the work over the course of a month.
These images are the last remaining files still in existence. The others have been lost through the ages along with most of my portfolio.
Medical illustration has become somewhat of a lost art. Now that 3D imagery has become the norm, the practice of hand drawing the procedures for use in books and pamphlets has become another victim of the digital age.
20 years into my product management and product design career, I continue to moonlight as an illustrator. This was the only project where I created medical illustrations. Most of my work these days has been for kids’ books, technical illustrations for instructional diagrams, and technical product design.
Have a project that requires illustrations?
If you are in need of an illustrator, please connect with me on LinkedIn and I’ll respond within 24 hours unless I’m floating down a river somewhere.
