Site moved!
I’ve officially moved my blog and website to: www.michellereinke.com
I’ll continue to post new work, techniques, in-progress shots, articles of interest, etc at the new site, but no more updates here.
Inner Ear Earrings arrived!
Very exciting today: I received the most recent order from Shapeways of the inner ear pendant/earrings. After 2 other manufacture tests, I believe I’ve finally gotten both the size and other imperfections worked out. The pendant (to be posted later) is actual size. The earrings (below) are smaller, only for aesthetic reasons, but are still anatomically accurate representations of this fantastic piece of anatomy inside our heads. The inner ear, with its semi-circular canals and cochlea allows us our sense of hearing and balance.
The material is stainless steel. I have yet to bend or break them.
To be posted soon on etsy (tell your science – musician friends!):
Both the right and left vetibulocochlear (that's a mouthful!) apparatuses, in earring form
The backs of the vestibulocochlear earrings
Fimbriae painting
I finished a fallopian tube fimbriae painting. This one began as a typical anatomical study, but I let composition and such get the better of me, so that it became more abstract and less purely anatomical than others. In the medical illustration world, it would be more of an editorial piece than anything. Far too much fun to do!
3D Printed Inner Ear!
I was thrilled today to receive the 3D printed forms of the inner ear model I worked on last semester! Several months ago I had a vision of a lovely inner ear pendant, anatomically accurate and actual size. And now I have at least the prototype, beta version –the size may need to be adjusted. Right now the length is 1.5 cm, and I’ve had a heck of a time getting good data on average human inner ear lengths/dimensions. If nothing else, it’s got to be accurate for a newborn’s inner ear.
Here’s a picture!
Surgery Illustration Process
I thought I’d show my working process in photoshop, starting with drawing and going toward finished illustration!
This portrays the pulling/dissecting up of the gallbaldder from the liver bed. It’s actually kind of a bloody mess; it’s not like the gallbladder just sits and hangs out by the liver, it becomes tightly invested in it via connective tissue and small vessels.
The checked background is the default background in photoshop, letting you know what’s transparent and what’s not. I’d probably leave that out next time.
The original drawing, scanned and masked
Initial masking and tonal development
More finessing of tonal base and vignetting
even more tonal finessing
Rough color study - see the blood?
Refined color choices and flat masking
The final - more vignetting, adjustment of tone, and more color variation, and highlights.
It needed to be clear that it’s not the prettiest thing to happen in the body, but didn’t want to get gory. The final looks rather watercolorish in some respects.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Illustration
Otherwise known as removing the gallbladder, this surgery is often performed in a particular demographic remembered by the 4 F’s: fat, fertile, fair, female. Often there are stones that have complicated the health of the patient, and this cute little organ has to go! Fortunately, like a lot of surgeries, this one can be done laparoscopically, with the patient in and out of the hospital (although not fully recovered) in a single day.
Page 1:
Page 2:
Ear sketch
Male left ear, graphite. Well, to be precise it’s just the auricle. The middle and inner ear can’t be seen.
Thanks, Chris Davis.
Portfolio update: Sarcomere Poster
Finished Sarcomere/Myofibril/Muscle poster added to the portfolio! Click on the image to see it in context:
Merry Christmas! and Animation
Merry Christmas!
Here’s a short animation to inspire some holiday cheer, made in cinema 4D.
Merry Christmas, 2009 from Michelle Reinke on Vimeo.