This book is designed to help biologists who must create their own
illustrations and artists who are confronted with unfamiliar biological
subjects. The author, an experienced biological illustrator, gives
practical instructions and advice on the consideration of size and of
printing processes, choice of materials, methods for saving time and
labor, drawing techniques, lettering methods, and mounting and packing
the finished illustrations. She explains how to produce clear and
attractive charts, graphs, and maps, so essential to science
publications. Though this primer does not cover photographic techniques,
it does include advice on retouching, cropping, and mounting photographs
and on using photographs of biological subjects as aids in drawing. This
second edition is updated to reflect the many technological changes in
art materials and printing processes that have occurred since the book's
first publication, and it includes an entirely new chapter on planning,
designing, and mounting the poster presentations that have become an
essential part of conferences held by scientific societies. Also
included are the requirements and conventions peculiar to biological
illustration and a bibliography of useful reference works.
Every biology student who intends to write a thesis deserves to own this
book, as does the biologist who intends to publish or work up some
visual aids for his own use. There is no reason to limit the concepts of
this handbook to the field of biology; it should be useful to other
specific areas of science.--Evan Lindquist, American Biology Teacher
(from a review of the first edition)
