Gretchen Halpert's Scientific Illustration Distance Program - Session I

What is Natural Science Illustration?

Put simply, natural science illustration is “art in service of science”.  The artist “uses scientifically informed observational, technical, and aesthetic skills to portray a subject accurately.” (The Guild Handbook of Scientific Illustration, by the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators). Illustrator, Diana Marques, refers to herself as a “Visual Science Communicator”.  This title aptly describes the key role of a scientific illustrator -- communication!  Shapes, anatomy, details, and concepts that cannot be conveyed with words alone, and are often ambiguous in photographs, are visually described by the artist with clarity.​

​Gretchen Halpert's Scientific Illustration Distance Program

​Scientific Illustration Distance Program, or SIDP, is an online distance course offered by Gretchen Halpert in four 10-week sessions.  The course is designed not only to teach students the art and conventions of scientific illustration, but also the skills for professional business practice.

“I have loved and combined art, science,
​and teaching throughout my professional life.”  - Gretchen Halpert

To discover more about Gretchen, as a botanist, biological researcher, scientific illustrator, artist, and teacher, follow www.gretchenhalpert.com.

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SIDP  Session 1

This introductory course builds drawing skills with the use of graphite.

​Recently I completed SIDP Session 1.  I would like to offer you my thoughts.  SIDP 1 has excellent progression, moving through material logically, from what is introductory to that which is more advanced.  Gretchen communicates the subject matter with clarity and offers evaluations that are sensitive to individual development.  She makes the most of every opportunity to prepare students for professional work.  Classes, delivered via Skype, allow for students to practice presentation and to learn from one another's work through assignment evaluations.  The course length is ideal - long enough to see growth, yet short enough to fit into the rest of life.  And for Gretchen, . . .

Thank you for filling the need for instruction
​in scientific illustration through distance education! ​

My visual description of Session 1, a ten week progression

Tone, Form & Proportion

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​Conventional Lighting

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Foreshortening / Perspective

Tools include:  0.2 mm Pentel HB mechanical pencil, Canson transparent transfer paper, divider, clear 6” ruler, large box, thread, plexi-grid with 1 cm squares, 01 Pigma Micron

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Bringing These All Together

Cone of Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine) © Suzanne M Matheson, 2018

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Symphyotrichum novae-angliae  New England Aster

Research into Anatomical Structure

Bombus impatiens  Common Eastern Bumble Bee

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Texture

Bombus impatiens (Common Eastern Bumble Bee), graphite on bristol © Suzanne M Matheson, 2018

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compositional ideas via thumbnails

various compositional tools/techniques

Composition

establish balance with Notan technique

final line drawing ready for transfer

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Final Assignment - Fully Rendered Tonal Composition

"Late Autumn Forage", Bombus impatiens (Common Eastern Bumble Bee) feeding on Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster), graphite on bristol © Suzanne M Matheson, 2018

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Next SIDP Session 1 course runs Tuesdays, from January 8 - March 12, 2019. 
​For information about all of Gretchen’s SIDP sessions, follow 
Gretchen Halpert Distance Program

Crow quill techniques, introduced in Session 1, taught in Session 2.

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