Book contents
- Understanding Visuals in the Life Sciences
- Understanding Life
- Understanding Visuals in the Life Sciences
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Photographs
- 3 Micrographs
- 4 Illustrations
- 5 Graphs
- 6 Interactive Visuals
- 7 Infographics
- Conclusion
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- Figure Credits
- References
- Index
4 - Illustrations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2024
- Understanding Visuals in the Life Sciences
- Understanding Life
- Understanding Visuals in the Life Sciences
- Copyright page
- Reviews
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Photographs
- 3 Micrographs
- 4 Illustrations
- 5 Graphs
- 6 Interactive Visuals
- 7 Infographics
- Conclusion
- Summary of Common Misunderstandings
- Figure Credits
- References
- Index
Summary
Illustrations are a visual staple in life science communication. Despite being commonplace, they are in many ways a blackbox. They mask the creative – and scientific – decisions that go into making them. They present an end product that says, as it were, “this is how you look through life to its essence.” The use of precise lines and explicit shapes helps to convey this scientific authority. In contemporary illustrations, pseudo-details such as colors and dimensions further prove that “this is what life looks like.”
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- Understanding Visuals in the Life Sciences , pp. 68 - 93Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024