Students will learn basic traditional and digital techniques in scientific illustration. This is a course for anyone wishing to improve their drawing skills, from quick sketches of moving critters to richly detailed botanical illustrations. This course is also for scientists interested in creating visuals to interpret their work. With access to Evergreen’s natural history collections, farm, and gardens, students have unique reference material to work from. They may also choose to illustrate local research topics or special objects from their personal collections. Discussions in the history of the practice provide students with context for their work.

Media covered include pencil, ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache; we will also cover basic digital illustration and design using the Adobe Suite. Students will learn to properly scan, save, edit, and reproduce their work in print and on the web. Class time consists of demonstrations, practicing techniques, discussions about illustration history and applications, guest lectures on special topics, field journaling, and critiquing finished originals and printed reproductions. Students will develop a portfolio of illustrations made for a variety of applications including field guides, posters, scientific publications, magazines, and interpretive signs. Selected works by each student will be displayed in an exhibit at the end of the course.