In-person and online workshops and lectures on scientific illustration techniques and practices.
Workshops
Upcoming Events
Advanced Sketching
Join us on Saturday, April 5 at 11am US ET / 8am US PT for our next Education Series virtual workshop! Rick Simonson will take us through advanced sketching techniques for the scientific illustrator. We will delve into brainstorming strategies and rapid sketching exercises to help you quickly capture and develop important ideas and information. We will use a method of assessing and refining our work to create high-quality, accurate sketches. By going beyond the basics, you'll learn to create effective sketches that can serve as a strong foundation for your finished illustrations.
Register today! $100 GNSI members / $130 non-members, includes access to a recording after the event.
Scientific Sketching
This will be a comprehensive workshop focusing on the process of sketching in scientific illustration. We will discuss the importance of sketching and learn how to use it to improve the quality and speed of illustrating. Participants will learn to use a step-by-step process to go from a blank page to a refined sketch that contains all the important details needed to ultimately create a finished illustration. Some of the concepts to be covered include sketching workflow, sketching specific scientific subjects, fast sketching, moving subjects, sketching with color, using reference material, and sketching for client work.
Full-day, In-person workshop
Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Part of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Visual SciComm Conference 2025
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 8 am - 5 pm EST
Sketching for Clients
Information coming soon!
Past Events
Sketching Techniques for the Scientific Illustrator
Sketches are an important part of the creative process—learn to refine yours! Instructor Rick Simonson will guide participants through a step-by-step approach to get ideas on paper quickly and accurately, then refine them into a finished illustration. The workshop will use standard sketching materials and subject matter common to scientific illustration.
Saturday, August 31st, 2024
11am - 1pm US ET / 8am - 10am US PT / 3pm - 5pm UTC
$100 GNSI members / $130 non-members
All registration includes access to a recording for 1 month after the event.
Sketching Techniques and Methods
Please join us for a one-day workshop on effective sketching techniques. Using a step-by-step method, you will learn how to render the shapes and proportions of a subject quickly and accurately. This process will allow you to go from a blank page to a refined sketch that contains all the important details you will need to ultimately create a finished illustration.
Full-day, In-person workshop
Pioneers Park Nature Center, Lincoln, Nebraska
Saturday, September 16, 2023, 9 am - 4 pm CST