What Do Insect Illustrators Do?
Art is an important method of concisely conveying information which could otherwise consume many pages of words. The old adage "A picture conveys a thousand words" is never truer than in scientific illustration. Science and art have always been closely associated, and many scientists are also accomplished artists. Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Durer studied science and art to produce some magnificent pictures of their natural surroundings. Ever since, there has been a close relationship between science and art. Australia's fauna and flora has been documented by talented men and women illustrators who have extended knowledge of our environment. The Scott sisters, Harriet (1830–1907) and Helena (1832–1910) were two such illustrators whose published work is held in the Queensland Museum library. Insects were often included in the work of Ellis Rowan (1848–1922) who was a wild flower painter in Queensland. Original works by Ellis Rowan are part of the collection of the Queensland Museum.
Insect illustrations can
- show detailed features;
- communicate scientific information;
- distinguish between closely related species;
- underpin taxonomic descriptions and keys.
Geoff Thompson is an illustrator in the Entomology Department at Queensland Museum who produces images of insects using many different techniques. The illustrations on these pages have been done by him.