GNSI 2006 Conference Workshops

Presentations

Monday, July 31 Keynote Speaker - Richard Slaughter, Director of the Geology Museum at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will kick off our conference. Rich studies Midwestern caves and the prehistoric bones such places often contain. Using the fossil deposits found in caves, Rich is working to reconstruct how the Upper Midwest has changed over the past 25,000 years. He is especially interested in tracking how threatened and endangered animals have reacted to climate change since the retreat of glaciers from the area. Rich earned his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Iowa where he studied Ice Age mammals from mammoths to pygmy shrews. He helped finance his doctoral studies by mounting bird skeletons for the Iowa Museum of Natural History. After completing his degree, Rich and his family moved to Madison where he has worked at the Geology Museum for the past five years.

Tuesday, August 1
Exploring Vector Graphics with Adobe Illustrator - Rick Simonson Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator! This presentation will focus on the basic features of this powerful vector graphics program. Rick Simonson will demonstrate how this program works and how you can use it in your creative projects. Topics will include: tool and palette functions, creating your own workspace, working with reference material, useful filters and effects, working with type, etc. Illustrator is a tool that is commonly used along with other software such as Photoshop, but it can also be used independently to create entire finished works. This lecture is designed for the Adobe Illustrator beginner.	Adobe Illustrator screenshot by Rick Simonson, 2005
Snakes Alive! - Tom Kessenich Experience reptiles, up-close and personal! Learn about Wisconsin’s native rattlesnakes and other, not necessarily native, reptiles. Tom is a very enthusiastic speaker who will impart his love and admiration of reptiles. After the presentation Tom will hang around with his reptilian friends to allow people to draw and photograph them. No flashes, please!
Historical Highlights of Insect Illustration *- Joel Floyd* The presentation will begin with early depictions of insects in cultural artifacts and early texts, European painting, to the first scientific visual treatments of insects in print. Included will be examples of illustrated advances in insect anatomy made possible by the microscope, highlighted historical insect illustrator/explorer/scientists, and ending with illustration examples used to popularize entomology for the public.
Lightwave Art Aid - Mural - John Megahan John will review his experiences creating a mural using a combination of 3D graphics (Lightwave 3D), USGS digital elevation maps, Photoshop and traditional painting techniques. "3D visualization can be most useful to a 2D illustrator like me especially when the subject of the illustration cannot be visualized any other way. A company that wanted to produce a mural for the Redwood National Park interpretive center in Orick, California contacted me. The mural was to depict the entire Redwood Creek Watershed. Unfortunately there were no photos of the watershed. They asked me if I'd like to take on the project and I was dumb enough to say yes. I will describe my experiences and the process I went through to create the mural."	Redwood National Park, California by John Megahan, 2005.
The Restoration of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment - John Cody Michelangelo’s mural fresco, “The Last Judgment” had, by 1998, accumulated on its surface 457 years worth of dust, mold, bacterial colonies, “animal glue”, cracks and candle smoke, plus more deliberate accretions, thanks to the bungling efforts of earlier “restorers” who tried to clean it with destructive acid solvents and tempera over-painting. How all these ravages by time and humans were undone by a team of scientist craftsmen is the subject of this slide-illustrated presentation.
Integrating Drawing Into The Biology Curriculum: A Two-Pronged Approach *- William Gellman* During the course of the normal school year, science teachers are always pressed for time, never able to do all that needs to get done. One subject I have always wanted to develop into the biology curriculum is my love of art and drawing. Over the past several years, I have developed several laboratories that require close observation and quantitative measurement, as well as pencil drawings to provide qualitative imagery (where specific criteria are used to gauge accuracy of student drawing). These activities involve both macroscopic and microscopic objects. In addition, our school offers an "interim term" which runs for three weeks between semesters. This time has proved ideal for a short course in biological illustration. This presentation will share both the curricular goals and methods of the aforementioned activities, as well as some of the images generated by students that participated in the courses.
The Natural History of Southeast Wisconsin - Rick Bott Sauk County is located less than an hour’s drive west of Madison. The county is home to many unique natural and cultural features. In the central part of the county is the Baraboo Range, a remnant of a 1.6 billion year old mountain range. It’s the largest contiguous block of forest in the upper Midwest and is home to many rare species, including many migratory birds. The Range is dissected by many glens and canyons, most of which have been protected, and support many rare habitats. Devil’s Lake State Park, 10,000 + acres, is the jewel of the range. The lake is set in a gorge five hundred feet deep and is the most visited park in the Midwest. Nearby are many more intimate canyons, Parfrey’s Glen, Pewit’s Nest, Baxter Hollow, Pine Hollow, and Hemlock Draw, each with its unique character. Geologically the area is unique. The Baraboo Range is where structural geography was reasoned out in the late 1800s. Many ecological zones in Wisconsin come together in Sauk County and the western two thirds of the county were unglaciated. This gives rise to more biological biodiversity than probably any other county in the Midwest. The rugged nature of the Baraboo Range has helped preserve many of these habitats.
Compositional Tips and Tricks for Illustrators - Keeping an Eye on the "Big Picture." *- Louise Bodenheimer* This presentation is to offer some practical suggestions about composition in illustrations. Sometimes we become so involved in details and the accuracy of our subjects that the overall presentation of that subject to our audience is often overlooked. Items to be covered are application of Gestalt principles and how they serve us, the rule of "thirds" or the Golden Section, some general "rules of thumb" about design and other tips and tricks. Procedures about the transition from small thumbnail plans to final execution will be covered. The placement of letterforms and its impact on the illustration will also be discussed as well as ways to gain accurate proportions of subjects. This presentation is for all levels, and can apply to both traditional and digital illustrators. Lecture and Powerpoint slide show.
Science-Art.com: Be Prepared to Say YES! - Britt Griswold What does it take to be prepared to respond to your clients once you open an on-line portfolio? Science-Art.com makes the process of having an on-line presence easy and affordable, with class. Now be ready to respond when customers come-a-calling. Britt discuss responding to web inquires; and will demonstrate the portfolio customizations/optimization available at Science-Art.com.	Science-art.com, a searchable image site aimed at potential clients by Britt Griswold, 2006.

Paleo Sessions Mary Parrish and Marlene Hill Donnelly have brought together this outstanding group for an afternoon of paleo immersion.
A Newly Discovered Transitional Fossil Sheds Light on the Origin of Our Limbs - Kalliopi Monoyois The 2004 discovery of several exquisitely preserved fish in the Devonian sediments of the high Arctic is finally made public! These specimens form a new genus and shed light on the transition from water-based life to life on land. They are remarkable not only because they look like they died yesterday (well, ok, perhaps that’s a bit generous) but because of their unique combination of fish and land animal characteristics. Think that fish adapted to drier conditions in the late Devonian by evolving limbs so they could “walk” from puddle to puddle? This discovery tells us otherwise!
Fleshing-out a new Devonian fish- Tyler Keillor I will be presenting the research, development, and techniques used to create a display for the unveiling of a new Devonian fish. Several maquettes were sculpted to realize the vision of the scientific team. Life sized mockups were also used to learn how the fish's head would create ripples in a body of water, for example. Diverse extant taxa were observed for comparative reference, assuring greater accuracy in reconstructed soft tissues. The final model was sculpted, including a stream-bottom base that holds the fossil next to the flesh-model. A Powerpoint slide show will be used, and the presentation is suitable for all levels.	1/12 scale prototype model for a new Devonian fish announcement. Clay, epoxy putty; 5 in. diameter by Tyler Keillor, 2005.
Creating a Children's Book about the Silurian and Devonian - Hannah Bonner Have you ever wondered what is involved in illustrating and writing a paleontology book for children? I will go over the various phases of the job, including research, contact with scientists and with the publisher, deciding how to tell the story, finding the right visual reference materials, and creating the sketches and the finals.	A Rainy Day in the Paleozoic by Hannah Bonner, 2004.
A Greenland Triassic Landscape Reconstruction, Part II: An Ecological Approach - Marlene Hill Donnelly Reconstructing a rich, complex forest ecosystem from fossils and sediment is a more accurate and rewarding process when analogous living forests are used as models. Moving between botanical evidence of both past and present as well as drawing on current landforms provides a solid foundation, both scientific and visual. This Powerpoint lecture is intended for a general audience.	Ginkgoites. Acrylic; 19 x 19.5 cm, Marlene Hill Donnelly, 2005.
Paleogene Postcards: the Art and Science of Reconstructing the White River Paleoenvironment - Russell J. Hawley This presentation will demonstrate how scientists and artists can work together to bring an ancient ecosystem to life, and how art can communicate ideas about how extinct animals interacted in a format easily understood by the general public. My examples come from the White River Formation of Wyoming, which has provided some of the most abundant and best preserved fossils of Tertiary animals in the world. Fossils range from tiny lizard skulls only the size of sunflower seeds to the skeletons of titanotheres the size of elephants. This has allowed us to reconstruct the ecology of western North America during the Eocene/Oligocene transition in unprecedented detail.	Mesohippus colt. Ancient Three-toed Horse (Mesohippus bairdii); Pen and Ink, 18 x 27 cm, by Russell J. Hawley, 2003.
Reconstructing Llanocetus: an Oligocene Whale from Antarctica - Mary Parrish This year, one of Mary's assignments was to prepare a color life reconstruction of the new fossil whale, Llanocetus, under the scientific direction of Dr. Ewan Fordyce. The project was assigned by NMNH paleobiologist, Brian Huber, for use in the upcoming new Ocean Hall exhibit at NMNH, opening in 2008. Mary's Powerpoint presentation, intended for a general audience, will discuss the reconstruction process for this particular illustration and will discuss the scientific and artistic aspects of the project. The illustration will be used for scientific publications, lectures and museum exhibitions. Computer and traditional media will be discussed.	Pliocene Whale (Odobenocetops peruvianus); Acrylic paint on gessoed masonite; 11 x 8.5 inches. By Mary Parrish, prepared under the direction of Christian de Muizon, MNHN; Courtesy and Smithsonian Institution, 1993.
Using CT Data to Restore and Reconstruct Cretaceous Pleurodires - Frank Ippolito Museum illustrator Frank Ippolito will discuss the challenges and the opportunities of using the latest in digital imaging technologies to facilitate the restored rendering of a fossil turtle skull, as well as the fleshed-out reconstruction of the animal in life.	Life restoration of a fossil turtle by Frank Ippolito
Wrap-up Discussion/ Q&A

Basic Typography - Larry Lavendel What is typography? How to make sense of type, how to choose and use a typeface, what are the basic, established rules and techniques for good typography? Larry will provide a grounding for anyone lost in the vast catalogs of fonts available today; or is trapped within the small set of default fonts that come with a standard computer installation.
From Illustrator to Communicator: Enlarging Your Vision - Robert Golder The days are quickly passing when a professional natural science illustrator can make a living by pursuing just one activity, such as rendering detailed images that are primarily of interest to taxonomists. Illustrators serve as translators of information, so we must be able to communicate science to various audiences (from Nobel laureates to little children) in their own “languages.” Increasingly, science communicators may also assist in data collection or other scientific work, as well as communicating to ever-widening audiences the results of the research effort. In this PowerPoint presentation I share some of the lessons I’ve learned during three decades of art and science experience at the drawing board and out in the field. The primary art focus: designing signage and creating exhibits for a new urban zoo The primary science focus: assisting fisheries research in wilderness tundra rivers on the North Slope of Alaska.	Upper panel: Robert records data from a subcutaneous electronic tag embedded in an Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus), Kuparuk River, North Slope, Alaska (just outside western border of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). Lower panel: Arctic grayling (thymallus arcticus), detail from 22" x 30" acrylic on canvas.
Assembly Line Illustration: Art and Life in Corporate America - Larry Lavendel The process was quite illuminating— Especially the illustrating. Life at the standardized testing branch of McGraw Hill. Really put you through the mill. It really was not totally bad It did not drive me completely mad And the ending was really not that sad.
Extraordinary Walls - Holly G. Butlett Walls don't just have to be white, flat surfaces. Through the use of colorful paint, imagination and creative spirit, walls can become wonderful teaching tools for children. When you walk in to a room with a mural you walk in to another world, another dimension. Walk into the depths of a wetland, and see the many life forms below and never get wet! Go underground to explore the creatures large and small who dwell in the earth - but never get dirty. A room will become a magical place with a mural, a memory that is never forgotten.
Masters of Mineral Illustration - Bruce Paul Gaber & Catherine J. Gaber Of the classic "Twenty Questions" categories, “animal” and “vegetable” garner by far the most attention from contemporary natural science illustrators. Yet the illustration of the third, “mineral” holds a distinguished place in our discipline. Paint, lithograph, and pen & ink have been used to depict minerals from the early 18th Century catalogs of amateur naturalists’ “cabinets” to recent 21st century renderings of microscopic crystals. We will survey this rich illustration heritage with a look at its context and history, and provide a detailed view of its remarkably beautiful work.	Dioptase; Christmas Mine Area, Banner Dist., Dripping Springs Mountain, Gila County, Arizona (2005); watercolor; 13 x 17 inches; painted from the microscope at 75x. Image courtesy of the artist, David Babulski, 2005.
‘Our Living Bay’: Mural for Save the Bay, Narragansett Bay - Amy Bartlett Wright From May to December of 2005, I painted a 31 foot wide by 10.5-foot high mural for Save the Bay, Narragansett Bay. It is a color cross-section of the bay including 50 native plant and animal species. Using a Power Point slide show, I will present the process by which I painted this commission from initial rough conceptual designs, multiple pencil and color preliminary drawings to hanging the canvas and beginning the painting to final rendering and installation. The official unveiling is in February of 2006. One of the major challenges of this commission is that the image is conceptual, made up. I could not observe this scene easily because it features an underwater landscape representing a broad combination of varying habitats. The mechanics for hanging a large canvas and preparing it are quite simple and not unlike small format stretching. I will show how I painted the work in my studio, and then removed the canvas for installation in the client’s building. I have a method for installation as well, but it often presents complications. For this mural, my studio wall was curved, while the client’s wall is flat. Directing a team of installers requires planning, coordination, razor sharp canvas cutting tools and at least one steady hand.	Our Living Bay by Amy Bartlett Wright 2005

Wednesday, August 2
A Career in Commercial Illustration - Jean Probert A veteran commercial illustrator of 25 years experience will review the changes and challenges of going from a traditional to digital workflow. Jean will use her own extensive portfolio as timeline for this evolution that all working illustrators must be aware of, if not embrace.	Digital 3D Illustration of Surgical Implant by Jean Probert 2000
Falling Prey to the Lure of Carnivorous Plants *- Christine Elder* To many, carnivorous plants conjure up images of horror movies and dark, dank swamps. But their ecology and natural history is a fascinating subject for biologists and artists alike. In this Powerpoint slide presentation, Christine Elder will recount some of her adventures in the field studying and sketching wild carnivorous plants. You’ll also get a quick course in carnivorous plant anatomy, including the various means by which these species lure, trap and digest their prey. Through vivid photos and illustrations, we’ll explore the diversity of the world’s species including the pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts and bladderworts.
Karen Ketarkus: Opening & Operating a Gallery
Business Roundtable Elizabeth Morales, Amy Bartlett-Wright, Jean Probert, Marjorie Leggitt, and John Norton Hear how experienced illustrators conduct business, manage time, and acquire clients. Ask questions and learn along with us!
Ghost in the Machine: the developing relationship between the artist and computer - Frank Ippolito There has always been a strong relationship betwen the artist and their tools. Recent advances in digital imaging has changed not only the way pictures are created but also the way the artist interacts with their medium of choice. What is the psychology behind our obsession with all things digital? How has the new face of picture-making changed how we approach our projects and weigh our options? What are some of the positive and negative impacts this revolution has fostered on our industry's work habits? Join Frank as he traces the history of this complex relationship between the artist and the machines of art.
Nature Images in Illuminated Manuscripts - Carol Jean Rogalski Prior to the invention of the printing press, all written materials were created by hand. Early documents -- which included business transactions, histories of a people, and even Pliny’s Natural History -- had no images. This presentation will trace the use of nature images in scientific, religious and secular works to the first document completed on a printing press, The Gutenberg Bible (c. 1451). These images which range over nine hundred years have been gathered from visits to museums, as well as from the enormous wealth of international collections available in digital format.
A book: insects, drawings and letters - Diana Marques Have you heard of Jean-Henri Fabre? A 19th century French naturalist with no scientific training, Fabre combined his acute observations of insect behavior with a humanistic writing style to produce a collection of books that made an invaluable contribution to the popularization of insect natural history. Learn about the project of a book with the translation of some of Fabre’s stories and about the making of illustrations that bring his words and insects together by incorporating writing in the images to construct a more comprehensive and appealing visual message.
Drawing on Our Senses - Kristine Kirkeby I write this description, eyes on the monitor, hand around a strong, hot cup of coffee, listening to the Oregon winter rain. How are sensory stimuli triggered in the brain? Kris will discuss how our unconscious or conscious uses of the touch, hearing, smell, sometimes taste, and obviously visual senses affect the drawing process. We sit down to lay pencil tip to paper - what drives us to record that image? Visual recognition involves much more than seeing an object. Perhaps the trained scientific illustrator develops more acute sensory powers because our work requires us to produce highly detailed artwork. How do our senses impact or drive us to render art in certain ways or even, in the case of sketchbooks, pick a particular subject to sketch? Our senses operate at their highest level when we start a drawing. We can enhance an experience by purposely using our senses more frequently and intensely. Additionally, this will also help us cross-train our brain as we produce our sketches and artwork.	Sketch at Mt. St. Helens by Kris Kirkeby, 2005
Seeing with our hands - Clara L. Richardson Certainly we draw what we see. But we also see what we draw. Too often we realize we haven't seen something until we draw it. Some of that is simply closer observation, but a great deal more is involved. There are even times we discover the illusion we are touching what we draw. It often feels to me like I see with my hands (well only with one hand, the other one has to be told what to draw). Join me on this exploration of what the act of drawing brings to our understanding and how the engagement of our hands is central to the process. When we get lost in a process, having a roadmap can help. Some of this exploration may give you a few signposts.
Perspective of Reflections and Shadows - Nancy Halliday The perspective of reflections and shadows has long confounded artists. This lack of understanding can be seen in the work of many professional artists in galleries and in print (including works by the lecturer!). “Winging it” doesn’t work; gritty determination to learn the principles is the only way to resolve these problems; even then, application can still be frustrating. This lecture will attempt to soften the grit and interpret perspective principles as taught by Rex Vicat Cole and Ernest Watson through analysis of examples and illustrations. As the lecturer is no expert in this field, audience participation is welcome and encouraged. Attendees may wish to bring examples of problems we could solve as a group.
Lawyers for the Creative Arts William E. Rattner, Executive Director for the Lawyers for the Creative Arts will present legal aid for the artist. From copyright infringement to collecting that unpaid invoice, learn how to protect your artwork.
The National Wildlife Health Center A representative from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center will discuss the government’s efforts to identify, model and curb lethal wildlife diseases including Lymes Disease, Chronic Wasting Syndrome, and others.
Siennas to Quinachridones: A Brief History of Pigments *- Patricia Savage* Humans began painting by smearing organic earth pigments on cave walls. A few of the pigments on the modern artist’s palette have been barely altered since then. They are joined by newer pigments that contain a modern synthesis of new chemicals. In the past and today, tree bark, flowers, cow urine, sea shells, insects, precious and not-so-precious stones and metals, mud, rocks, and lead have been mixed, burned, boiled, or ground. This lecture provides an overview of the history of individual colors, the different pigments used on an artist’s palette, and how the morality and symbolism assigned to colors has changed. For those who would like to stay for an additional 20-30 minutes, please bring a tube of paint. We will learn about the different names on a tube of paint, what all the numbers mean, look at the ingredients on a tube, and learn the different ways manufacturers code lightfastness.
Chocolate in Art - Scott Rawlins Chocolate is a big deal to many people. Throughout its 3000 year association with humans, Theobroma cacao has played an important role in religion, commerce, and medicine -- as well as cuisine. Not surprisingly, a substance this important has been depicted numerous times, from symbols on Mayan pots to billboards along super highways. This illustrated lecture will present a number of ways in which chocolate can be found in the art world -- including Olmec statuary and "French interiors" paintings, Diego Rivera mosaics and Dieter Roth's abstract canvases.	Chocolate from Beginning to End, Photo by Scott Rawlins, 2006