Muscles of male figure, hanging from a rope

What is a Medical Illustrator? About the Career of Medical Illustration

Medical illustration, or biomedical visualization, is the practice of biomedical communication, specializing in visual representations of aspects of medicine and science. Common forms of expression include digital art, physical modeling, 2d animation, 3d animation and app development, among others. Biomedical illustrators are able to utilize their strong drawing skills together with their background biology, botany, zoology and other sciences. Medical illustrators draw a wide range of subjects from surgery to human and veterinary anatomy; animal life and plant life; chemical, molecular, and atomic structuress, and geologic and planetary formations.

Medical Slide - Ovarian Transposition Medical Illustration. Copyrighted Material Illustrated by Laura Maaske Medical Illustrator, Medical Animator, Biomedical Communicator, & biological artist. For permission information contact the artist

An Illustrated Ovarian Transposition: Oophoropexy

I created this surgical illustration series on the oophoropexy, or ovarian transposition. This is a surgery in which a woman’s ovary is moved to a different part of her abdomen so that radiation can be safely performed. Later in her life, the surgeon may move the ovary back to its proper position, giving the woman a better chance to become pregnant.

Atherosclerosiis. Atherosclerotic plaque occluding a coronary vessel Medical Illustration. Copyrighted  © 2013 Laura Maaske - Medimagery LLC. Illustrated by Laura Maaske Medical Illustrator, Medical Animator, Biomedical Communicator, & biological artist. Do not reuse without permission. www.medimagery.com

A Line to my Heart: My Career and Life as a Medical Illustrator

As a student medical illustrator, I knew what I wanted to learn. I wanted to wrap my mind around the science and the drawing skills I would require in the future. I already had an undergraduate degree in zoology, and our courses in the Division of Biomedical Communications were to be shared with the medical students at the University of Toronto, so science was heavily on my mind.