Max Brödel is an incredibly important person for an individual going into medical art field. Actually, he is so important that he is known as that father of medical illustration. Max came to the US from Germany in 1894 with no formal medical education and initially illustrated for a gynecologist, Howard Kelly, at Johns Hopkins University. There, he started the first medical art department in the nation. His illustrations are detailed, intricate, precise and informative through his use of pen and ink or carbon dusting; two of his most well-known techniques. It only makes sense that a budding artist learns through copying the pros which is exactly what we were asked to do with an update.
Instead of working like Brödel did with carbon dusting (aka "painting" with tiny graphite shavings in layers, we were asked to copy his art using Photoshop. The first illustration is my rendition of Parovarian Cyst Between the Ampulla of the Tube and the Outer End of the Ovary (what a mouthful!) and the second is the original piece (not a very good scan; in the book the illustration is darker). Though I feel like I have done well, I don't think I am able to compete with the master... at least not yet. Ha ha :D I learned a lot about painting in Photoshop to create the best continuous tone and texture and I am even more impressed with this man's talent. This assignment solidified the reason I am studying biomedical visualization as well as opening my eye to detail to create beautiful, yet informative medical art.
After looking for some interesting photographs for ovarian cysts, I found this blog called Tumors Galore! Quite an interesting name and subject for a blog. Caution: if you are the type of person to get queasy with this stuff, do not venture, but if you are interested it is quite a find!
Parovarian Cyst Between the Ampulla of the Tube and the Outer End of the Ovary, Lindsey Pionek after Max Brödel, Adobe Photoshop*
*Image used as reference is from the book Operative Gynecology, 2nd Edition by Howard Kelly © 1906.
