At-home STEM Activities: Unexpected Science Careers: Science Illustrator
Puffin illustration from John James AuDubon’s Birds of America. Image via Audubon.org
What do you think a scientist looks like?
Maybe you’re imagining a person in a white coat mixing chemicals in a lab, or someone out in the forest studying the plants and animals that live there. But there are so many careers in science that don’t look anything like that! Let’s explore some unexpected jobs in STEM—today, we’ll talk about being a science illustrator.
Science and art are often thought of as opposites—objective versus subjective, analytical versus feeling. But if you flip through any science textbook or visit a museum, you’ll probably see the combination of the two in the form of a science illustration.
Science illustrators are incredibly important to science communication. A well-drawn diagram or chart can simplify complicated ideas and elaborate systems to concepts that can be easily understood by anyone, not just experts.
