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The studio and classroom sections will soon be finished, and will cover a variety of information as well as a handful of technical tips for Photoshop and Illustrator users. If nothing seems to work, you may have scripts turned off in your browser preferences. You'll need to turn them back on, or visit our legacy site when it becomes available.

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Biography

John Foerster received his Masters of Fine Art degree from the University of Michigan's Program in Medical and Biological Illustration in 1988. He received his BFA from U of M as well, along with a Michigan Teacher Certification.

In addition to 15 years as a professional illustrator, he has taught at the graduate level for a combined 9 years at Colorado State University and the Medical College of Georgia. He is now teaching undergraduate computer graphics part-time in Atlanta, GA, as he returns to a full-time illustration role.

He founded Foerster Illustration, Inc. in 1990, with a specialty in computer illustration for the sciences. Foerster Studios was created in 1998 to better reflect the broad variety of media that was being created.

He has won 11 awards from the Association of Medical Illustrators, and has presented 14 seminars and workshops nationally. His latest accomplishment is the co-authorship of the text Modern Colposcopy: Textbook and Atlas, published by Kendall-Hunt.

Resumé available upon request.

Q&A with John Foerster

How are medical illustrators different than commercial illustrators?

Do you go to surgery to draw? What do you use as reference?

Are you certified by the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)?

What services do you offer?

In what content areas do you work?

Do you work in other artistic styles?

Do you specialize in any specific areas of medicine?

Our procedure or product has never been illustrated. Will you travel to see the surgery or meet with us to discuss the product?

What software do you use?

What computer platform do you use?

What is your pricing structure?

How long does a typical project take?

... have a question? E-mail me and I'll include it here if it's relevant to a general audience.

How are medical illustrators different than commercial illustrators?

There really is quite a difference, and it has mostly to do with medical training. Medical Illustrators take several medical school courses right along with medical students, and are graded the same. We have all dissected cadavers, identified tissues and pathologies under a microscope, and examined radiographs as well as other medical school disciplines. On top of that, we are highly trained in the arts, as are most commercial illustrators.

Medical drawings that are created by non-medical illustrators are usually easy to spot, and although they might be pretty, they frequently contain serious anatomical or physiological errors. So who cares? The target audience, that's who — doctors and others in the medical field are very particular about accuracy, and errors in an illustration can discredit an entire article, product, presentation or publication.

Do you go to surgery to draw? What do you use as reference?

Although I love drawing in the OR, I do so rarely. This is due primarily to time constraints and logistical difficulties (my clients are spread throughout the US). Even when attending an operation, I usually only take notes on the procedure... I wouldn't really call it drawing. These notes can usually be dictated by the surgeon, either over the phone or through e-mail.

Most drawings begin by recreating the surgery or anatomy on paper, using a library of medical references and the internet, which has become increasingly useful in this regard. I regularly use photographs, surgical atlases, anatomical atlases, and surgical instrumentation as references. The rest is drawing and visualization. You'll get a much better idea of this by looking over the case studies.

Are you certified by the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)?

No longer. I never really was a big proponent of the idea, which was implemented for a number of reasons that I personally felt were not very valid. So after roughly eight years of maintaining my certification, I have allowed my CMI status to lapse.

I believe my degree, work, awards and experience are a better indication of my abilities than a few initials after my name. But that's just me... some folks seem to just need those initials.

What services do you offer?

Foerster Studios has the ability to create content for just about any and all media formats. The following is a short list of projects we've completed:

• 2D illustration:
• — advertising
• — textbooks
• — journals
• — scientific exhibits
• — Power Point™ presentations
• — internet


• 2D animation and video
• — VHS
• — DVD
• — internet


• 3D animation and stills
• — CD-ROM interactive
• — DVD
• — internet
• — print

My personal specialty is 2D still and motion media, but if a project calls for something more, we have a network of affiliates to call upon. We all do, really... the AMI is a close-knit bunch.

In what content areas do you work?

Just about any area of medicine and natural science. Some of the areas we've worked within include:

Medicine:

• surgery (all specialties)
• anatomy
• pathology
• microbiology
• epidemiology
• sports medicine
• veterinary
• medical devices (including patent drawings)

Natural Science:

• geology
• biology
• Earth sciences
• technology

In addition, we've done a great deal of general illustration for non-medical purposes. Our target audiences have ranged from children and the general public to physicians and research scientists.

Do you work in other artistic styles?

Yes, yes, yes! One of the peculiar aspects of illustration is that art buyers (understandably) ask for what they commonly see around them. The result is the "more of the same" syndrome, which affects the entire market as well as an artist's individual portfolio. Most of us have a great variety of styles in which we can work, but rarely get the chance to do so. If you're after something different, by all means ask about it! If it's outside of my specialty, I'll help you find the right person to get the job done.

If you ask me to follow another artist's style, I will generally refer you to that artist, if they can be identified. I can work in a similar fashion and use similar media, but the final look and feel will be uniquely mine.

Do you specialize in any specific areas of medicine?

No, not really... at least, not on purpose. Most medical illustrators work closely with a specialist (often the author or client) who provides the expertise. Our medical training helps us communicate and keep up, but it rarely extends to the point of being a specialist in any one field. It's common for art buyers to look for a specific subject matter when choosing an illustrator, but most of us are equally competent in all areas of medicine. When the need arises, there are a number of medical specialists that I contact for guidance.

Our procedure or product has never been illustrated. Will you travel to see the surgery or meet with us to discuss the product?

I will gladly travel anywhere and meet with anybody to discuss anything. But don't be surprised if I suggest an alternative: My experience has been that most drawings can be done without travel, and that phone conversations and faxed or e-mailed images are enough to create exactly what you need. Nearly all my work over the past 15 years has been done in such a manner.

The materials I typically need before I can begin will have usually been prepared in the normal course of a projects development. These may include a script, an article, a scientific paper, or an author's rough sketches (no matter how crude). Once these are forwarded to me, I can usually take it from there without actually seeing the surgery. I have had numerous clients express their delight in finding that drawings can be done correctly the first time around without any discussions in person.

What software do you use?

I'm constantly testing and teaching a wide variety of software packages, but most of my work is done with the following software:

• Adobe Photoshop CS
• Adobe Illustrator CS
• Corel Painter (6 & 8)
• Discreet Cleaner (6 & XL)
• Adobe After Effects 6.5
• Apple Final Cut Pro HD
• Apple DVD Studio Pro 3

There are many other packages that I know fairly well, but only use occasionally, including:

• Macromedia Flash MX 2004
• Macromedia Director MX
• Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004
• Alias Maya
• Maxon Cinema 4D
• Quark XPress
• Adobe InDesign

What platform do you use?

I use both Windows and the Mac, although my main production machine is a Mac running Panther.

I have far more PCs in my studio, however, mostly to speed up rendering times (and yeah, okay, for games). These are running Windows 2000 and XP.

A goal of mine is to install and test Linux on one of my PCs soon. Through OS X, I've become a big fan of Unix, and think Linux might be a better alternative to Windows in regard to stability, speed, and the lack of viruses and spyware.

All our work is designed, tested and delivered to function properly on all platforms.

What is your pricing structure?

This is a common question, but unfortunately, it simply isn't easy to answer. The price of a given project varies greatly, and depends on the media used, the subject shown, the overall size of the project, and the usage rights granted.

There are a wide variety of approaches to a project that can be taken to suit a specific budget, so the best thing to do is to contact me to discuss the project along with any financial restraints you might have. Then I can do my best to find a solution that fits your budget.

If you would like an estimate on a specific project, simply e-mail me the details... a rough layout or description (with sizes or durations noted), an idea of the media and style you'd like, the usage of the intended project, and the usage rights you'd like to purchase. Include your budget range if you'd like — I'll get back to you quickly with an estimate.

I believe my work represents a great value. My prices are mid-range, while I strive to consistently provide quality of the highest level.

How long does a typical project take?

Much like pricing, this is dependant on many factors, some of which are beyond the control of the illustrator (e.g., client approval).

Realistically, it is rare for a project — even a simple one — to be completed in less than two weeks. The average project (e.g., 6-7 drawings) usually takes 3-4 weeks, and some large projects (e.g., 12-15 drawings, a large poster, or an animation sequence) can take 4-8 weeks. Book projects can easily span more than a year.

Of course, projects can be completed much more quickly, but rush charges may then apply. It is better for all concerned to get the project in motion as early as possible.

About the site...

I had some distinct goals when designing this site, mostly in reaction to many of the sites that populate the web. A few of those goals:

• spaciousness — I find most sites to be far too claustrophobic. I wanted this site to feel luxurious, like you've got pixels to burn.
• immediacy — I dislike the routine of clicking on an icon to see the full image. I decided to use modified javascript rollovers to speed things up. I also dislike images that pop up in new windows, so I tried to keep everything happening on one page.
• large image sizes — in this day of mega-monitors and ultra-high resolutions, it made sense to bump up the size of the images.

I used Dreamweaver MX 2004 for most of the work, modifying the code to get what I wanted. The ability to quickly jump between WYSIWYG and code view made everything faster and easier.