The goal of this illustration was to depict the way that light enters the eye and generates signals along the optic nerve, shown in an unconventional view not able to be found in a traditional atlas or medical textbook.
Media and software: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Cinema 4D, ZBrush
Client: Michael Corrin
The process of creating this illustration consisted of a 3D model of the eye, a linear sketch, a greyscale rendering, and finally a full color rendering, which was then placed in a final layout and labeled.
After completing research on the structure and function of the eye, I began by creating a structurally accurate maquette (model) of the eyeball in Cinema 4D. This would be used as the basis of my initial sketch. I then made a secondary maquette of the retinal vessels in ZBrush.
I referenced the maquettes to create an initial linear sketch of the illustration, which I then revised and improved based on iterative feedback. Throughout this process, I completed further research as needed on specific parts of the eye to maintain a high level of accuracy in all structures.
After finalizing my linear sketch, I moved onto a grayscale rendering of the illustration to provide a basis for the three-dimensional structure of the eye. I created a version of the maquette with only grey materials as a reference (see maquettes above). This too underwent an iterative design process to reach its finalized state.
From there, I moved onto final colorization, followed by the addition of editorial elements to finish the illustration.