Scientific Illustration Workshop/Looking Through Drawing

Drawing and illustration, in any academic field, can become powerful tools for research. In many cases, they allow us to approach the object of study —whether a plant, an animal, or an inanimate object— in a more intimate way, since the act of drawing demands a detailed analysis and careful observation of what we want to represent. First, we must understand that —from the point of view of Fernando Vásquez Rodríguez— “seeing” must become “looking,” and that it is not only about using our eyes, but about learning that “to look” can also mean “to touch.” How could we recognize the softness of a feather or the roughness of a rock without having touched them? Scientific illustration invites us to explore, through various exercises, some basic notions for approaching observation and representation —through drawing— of animals, plants, etc. Furthermore, it proposes understanding how “seeing” can extend to the sense of touch.