Since early graduate school, I have been fascinated by using images to communicate about science. My illustrations have appeared on journal covers, in textbooks, in biotechnology curricula, and on scientific knowledge resource websites. Additionally, I have designed a number of study and department logos.

I work in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate to create vector illustrations in modern, simplistic icon styles for health applications and logo design. Further, I use these programs to create vector and pixel-based two dimensional cartoon-realism style illustrations for educational purposes; these take on various degrees of "realism" depending on the application. I also work in traditional media to create realistic illustrations, though as of yet I have not applied these media to scientific concepts. I currently am learning to work in Blender, Nomad Sculpt, and Cheetah3D along with traditional protein modeling software to create three-dimensional illustrations. 

Watch my talk1 in the Vanderbilt University Dean's Lecture Series Lab-to-Table Event on Scientists-Artists: Embracing Duality.

1 . Kathleen F. Mittendorf. Scientist-Artists: Embracing Duality. Moderated Panel Presentation and Discussion. Lab-to-Table Conversations. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences. Dean’s Lecture. July 27, 2022. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dA0f3Wc9jQ&feature=youtu.be. Accessed July 2024.