Scientific Illustration: A Complete Guide for Researchers 

Introduction

Writing reports and articles is a big part of a researcher’s job. While most of your time is spent on research and writing, it’s important not to forget about scientific illustrations. They are often overlooked but very important.

In this article, we’ll provide information about scientific illustrations and the tools you can use to create detailed and useful illustrations for your research.

What are scientific illustrations

Scientific illustrations visually explain scientific ideas and data, making complex information easier to understand.  These illustrations can be created by hand or using digital tools.

Types of scientific illustrations

• Anatomical drawings and diagrams: Focus on the structure and function of organisms (Example: human anatomy, animal anatomy)
• Botanical illustrations: showcase the beauty and details of plants (Example: flowers, leaves, fruits)
• Zoological illustrations: Bring animals and their features to life (Example: birds, mammals, insects)
• Geological and paleontological illustrations: Showcase rock formations, landscapes, fossils, and prehistoric life (Example: dinosaurs, ancient fish, etc)
• Molecular and cellular visualisations: Illustrate the tiny worlds of cells and molecules at the microscopic level (Example: DNA, proteins, cell organelles)

When to use scientific illustrations

We often see scientific illustrations in research papers, journal publications, and presentations to display findings and concepts. 

• During Research
  • Scientific illustrations are used for conceptualisation and planning during the early stages of research. Then as research progresses, detailed illustrations are used to document experimental procedures and field observations.
• For Publication
  • Scientific illustrations are essential when preparing research papers for journal publication and conferences.
• For Presentations and exhibits
  • Scientific illustrations are used in slides to summarise key points in presentations. 
  • You will also see scientific illustrations such as botanical drawings in natural history museums. 

Where to begin?

1. Understand your subject

Before making an illustration, make sure you fully understand the subject. To do so, you need to:

1. Research thoroughly to gain a deep understanding of the subject you are illustrating. Use reliable sources like scientific journals, books and reputable websites.
2. Break down complicated ideas or structures into smaller pieces to find the best way to show them clearly.
3. Gather reference materials. You can collect images and other reference materials which can help you visualise the details.
4. Make a preliminary sketch

Sketch rough drafts on paper so you can picture what the final illustration will look like and make necessary adjustments early on.

3. Know your audience

Effective scientific illustrations consider the target audience. Understanding your audience helps you decide how much detail and complexity to include. Is your illustration intended for academics, fellow scientists, or the general public? 

• Academics: These are people with deep knowledge about the subject. When creating an illustration, you can use detailed and complex pictures with technical terms.
• Fellow scientists: These are your peers who understand science but not necessarily your specific field. For your illustrations, use moderately detailed pictures. You can use some technical terms but you need to include brief explanations.
• General public: These are individuals without specialised knowledge in the field so you need to avoid jargon. You need to use simpler visuals with easy-to-understand labels and explanations.

4. Use digital tools

Once you have the preliminary sketches and you know your audience, you can start using digital tools such as those mentioned below. 

These tools offer various features to help you create professional illustrations.

1. Software for Creating Illustrations

• Paid scientific illustration software

• General illustration software

In our opinion, it is better to use specialised software for scientific illustrations because it’s made for that purpose. For example, BioRender is a great tool for creating scientific images, however, it can be expensive. So if you’re on a tight budget but still want top-notch scientific illustrations, you can use Mind Graph as an alternative. Mind Graph is cheaper than Biorender and other general design software mentioned above.

• Free software

2. Online Resources and Databases

If you’re looking for free high-quality scientific illustrations and templates to use as guides, you can explore some of the resources and databases below:

• Science Figures
• Servier Medical Art (SMArt)
• Freepik
• SciDraw
• Pixabay

5. Seek feedback

Constructive feedback helps improve your scientific illustrations. To receive helpful insights, you can do the following:

• Identify an expert in the field and ask if they would be willing to review your draft.
• Collaborate with fellow illustrators. Exchange drafts and provide constructive comments.
• Be open to critique. Feedback is a gift, so use it to refine your skills and create better scientific illustrations.

6. Final touches

Make necessary adjustments based on the feedback you received. Sometimes, small changes can significantly improve the final outcome.

You also need to consider the following:

• File format: Choose an appropriate file format for your purpose.
  • PNG (Portable Network Graphics)– It is a smaller file size fit for web use. This is also a great choice if you need transparent backgrounds. It also maintains image quality without degradation.
  • TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)– It is a high-resolution fit for print publications. This is recommended for scientific journals because it preserves the original quality without any loss of information.
  • SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)– It is a vector format perfect for diagrams, graphs and line art that needs resizing without losing quality. If you need to provide figures in an editable format, this is a good option.
• Resolution: Ensure high resolution for printing or digital use. At least 300 PPI/DPI (pixels per inch/dots per inch) for printing, and at least 72 DPI for digital use.

Tips for Creating Eye-Catching Scientific Illustrations

A great scientific illustration should be clear and eye-catching. It should help viewers understand, not confuse them. So here are the tips:

1. Use colour effectively 

Colours can have different meanings and impact on how we perceive things. Consider a traffic light as an example–red means stop, green means go, and yellow signals caution. Colours speak a language of their own, so you need to use it effectively in illustrating an idea. But how?

• Stick to a simple colour palette. Avoid bright hues that can strain viewer’s eyes (example: hot pink, neon green, neon yellow). Also, skip the tricky combinations like red and green, or blue and purple for colour-blind accessibility.
• Create contrast. Avoid using similar middle-tone colours on top of each other. Instead, go for a bold colour over a light one. For instance, when illustrating organelles inside a cell, think of pairing a medium blue with a pale yellow.
• Know the meaning of the colours, follow colour conventions. Colours matter, especially when you’re representing specific elements. Take a tumour cell, for example. We often see it in red, which means “danger.”  It would be weird to see it in blue, wouldn’t it? So, stick to the expected colours to avoid misrepresentations.

2. Incorporate text thoughtfully

Scientific illustrations can also use text to help viewers understand what they are seeing. So consider adding labels or captions to your illustration. However, you need to be mindful when adding one.

• Use clean and clear fonts. Stick to simple and readable fonts without the curls like the Sans Serif fonts (example: Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica). Skip fonts with those small decorative lines known as serif fonts (like Times New Roman and Serif). They’re more appropriate for printed documents with lots of text.  Also, stick to one or two fonts only throughout your illustration.
• Ensure readable font size. The text should not be smaller than 8 points and should be consistent throughout the document.
• Keep minimal text. Trim unnecessary words. Remember, you’re presenting your ideas visually. 

3. Invest in learning scientific illustration

To create an effective illustration, you need to invest time in learning the tools and explore different styles. Here is a guide to help you:

1. Consider attending workshops or courses specifically focused on scientific illustration. (Example: Sci-Illustrate Masterclass)
2. Explore online tutorials, YouTube videos, and blogs related to scientific illustration. (Example: Simplified Science Publishing)
3. Connect with other scientific illustrators and learn from them. You can do this by joining forums, and social media platforms (like Reddit, Instagram and Twitter). You can also participate in art-related events. 
4. Practice regularly. Many scientists start from scratch but improve over time through hands-on experience. The more you draw, the better you will become.

Conclusion

Creating scientific illustrations takes time, effort, and the right tools, but it’s worth it because they can make your content more engaging and clear. While there are a lot of factors to consider when making them, there are also plenty of helpful tools and online resources to make the process easier. If you’re interested in learning, you can do it for personal use or even turn it into a profitable side hustle later on. The need for scientific illustration skills is steadily increasing, so freelancing in scientific illustration can be a great way to earn extra money too. According to Glassdoor, scientific illustrators in the United Kingdom earn between £33,000 and £56,000 per year ($44,190 and $74,990).