This class will allow students to learn basic art techniques. However, this is not a fine arts class, as students will only deal with subjects that are scientific in nature and will focus on rendering objects accurately and appropriately for their target audience (the scientific community, museum audience, etc.). Through the course of learning basic skills and techniques the students will learn the industry standards for rendering scientific objects including object orientation, lighting standards, scalability and reproducibility. The goal of this course is for students to learn how to convey scientific information through illustrations. They will learn to identify the key components of their subject matter, to identify the appropriate technique for rendering the subject and to create a final product that is appropriate for the target audience.

View artwork created by students in past classes.

This course is offered through the Museum and Field Studies Program every other year.

Instructor: Dr. Dena M. Smith, Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology and Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences.

Email: dena.smith@colorado.edu