Medical Illustration drawings

Natt C. Jacobs was the first medical illustrator in Rochester and founded the area's only Medical Illustration program. Born in 1895 in Rochester, he graduated from the Rochester Athenaeum & Mechanics Institute (RAMI) in 1913. He later studied medical illustration with Max Brodel at the John Hopkins Medical School. In 1925, he was hired by the Department of Anatomy at the newly opened University of Rochester School of Medicine. He spent his entire 34 year career at UR. In 1948, he established his own school of Medical Illustration at UR. Jacobs died suddenly in 1959. The program folded shortly afterwards. It was revived several years later, eventually moving to RIT.

Like Jacobs, Robert Wabnitz began his art training at RAMI, then served in WWII. Upon return hettended Natt Jacobs' Medical Illustration program at UR. After working in New Orleans and New York City, he returned to UR in 1960 to replace the late Natt Jacobs as head of the Medical Illustration Unit, as the teaching program was closed. He directed the Unit for over 25 years. In 1975, UR introduced a Master's degree program in Health Sciences Education with a track in medical illustration. In 1977, Wabnitz created an undergraduate program in Medical Illustration at RIT. In 1978 UR's Master's program was phased out and in 1981 relocated to RIT. Bob "Wabby" Wabnitz retired from RIT in 1998.

By combining drawing and science, the Medical Illustration major teaches how to translate anatomical and surgical sketches into instructional illustrations to visually support the allied health and medical educational fields. The major spans the full range of artistic media to produce a wide variety of images. Through collaboration with area hospitals, students obtain first-hand experience in real-life medical situations.

Although traditional media such as pencil, pen & ink, carbon dust, and watercolor are still employed, the program' current emphasis is on computer graphics and other digital technology. 2D and 3D computer illustrations are integrated into the studio environment to facilitate the creation of sophisticated images along with well-designed, interactive educational media displays. This major is one of a very few undergraduate medical illustration majors offered in the country that prepare students to join the medical team as an allied health professional.

Source: http://cias.rit.edu/schools/art/undergraduate-medical-illustration