Sarah A Chen Medical Illustration

VATS Segmentectomy

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:40:24 +0000

VATS Segmentectomy

This surgical illustration depicting a Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) for lung segmentectomy was done in Adobe Photoshop. I had the privilege of working with a couple of expert thoracic surgeons to create this piece. As we learned during our surgical illustration course, it is crucial for medical illustrators to have a good relationship with surgeons, in order to create accurate images that faithfully recreate key surgical moments that cannot be captured with a camera.

Coarctation Repair

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:39:48 +0000

Coarctation Repair

The final rendering of this plate depicting an Extended Resection and End-to-End Anastomosis for Repair of Coarctation of the Aorta was done in digital tone. The sketches show the entire procedure from the initial incision to the completion of the anastomosis. These images were part of my presentation during our Surgical Illustration Critique.

MANAbodies

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:30:20 +0000

MANAbodies

This imagined immunological landscape was created using Cinema 4D, a 3D rendering application. The molecular models are derived directly from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive. The first image shows the initial concept sketch, followed by a color sketch, some rough model renders, and then finally the finished piece.

Mock Cell Cover

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:25:44 +0000

Mock Cell Cover

This mock Cell cover image was done using Adobe Photoshop. I was considering a pen and ink rendering at one point for this editorial piece, which is why the initial transfer image was started in ink. The idea behind this editorial piece was based on new developments in the field of epigenetic research, which suggest that perhaps Lamarckian theories of evolution weren’t entirely wrong after all…

Inguinal Canal

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:13:47 +0000

Inguinal Canal

This dissected view of the inguinal canal and anterior abdominal wall was created using a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Figuring out how to show the layers was one of the most challenging parts of creating this piece, but I was fortunate to have really outstanding anatomy experts help me distill the layers. Instructional color was used to call attention to each layer, so that it would be straightforward to see how the aponeuroses in the anterior abdominal wall contribute to the structures making up the inguinal canal. Understanding these structural relationships was difficult for me at first, so I felt compelled to try to tackle this project to benefit future students learning this anatomy.

Xenopus Feeding Adaptations

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:10:01 +0000

Xenopus Feeding Adaptations

The base art for this hungry frog was created using graphite pencils. It takes several layers to work up sufficient levels of tone. I was lucky to have a friend in the PhD program at Johns Hopkins who provided me with specimens that I could carefully observe in real life, which makes a big difference over illustrating from a photo.

Brain Tissue Painting

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 06:01:43 +0000

Brain Tissue Painting

This brain tissue painting was created using Adobe Photoshop. The assignment was to essentially recreate a photograph of an anatomical specimen from scratch, using digital paintbrush tools in Adobe Photoshop (hence the numbers and letters in the margins used as landmarks). This exercise helped us create realistic looking tissue reactions in later assignments.

Knife Disarm Poster

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 05:51:49 +0000

Knife Disarm Poster

This comic book inspired piece was done entirely in Adobe Illustrator. I grew up reading comic books and graphic novels of all sorts, and always wanted to incorporate the style into one of my illustrations. I’ve done a bit of self-defense with weapons as part of my martial arts training, and this comic shows how to do my favorite knife disarm. It’s uncanny how the protagonist with her red hair extensions appears to resemble me, while the “bad guy” looks suspiciously similar to one of my dear classmates, whom I may have convinced into posing for me.

Dragon Fruit

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 05:50:05 +0000

Dragon Fruit

This dragon fruit piece was done in watercolor. The first step after the sketch was to create an underpainting to establish the overall value (as shown in the first three images), before applying the local color. My dragon fruit specimen started to wilt before I could finish the painting, so it became a refreshing afternoon snack.

Hip Bone

Sarah — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 05:49:33 +0000

Hip Bone

This illustration of a hip bone was done in carbon dust, the very technique invented by Max Brödel himself. The Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins University celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2011, and it has been a longstanding tradition for incoming students to complete a carbon dust drawing of a hip bone. There are several unique hipbones in the department for each of the new matriculating students. This was my first time working in carbon dust, and despite the mess I made during the process, I had fun creating this piece. This was completed over the course of two weeks. Often times, illustration is a labor of love and a lot of patience.

Inguinal Canal

Sarah — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 09:56:37 +0000

Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Award of Excellence – Orville Parkes Best of Show, AMI Salon 2016

VATS Segmentectomy, Mock ACS Cover

Sarah — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 08:51:25 +0000

Adobe Photoshop

First Rib Resection for TOS 1

Sarah — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 08:50:09 +0000

Adobe Photoshop