Artist Bonnie Hofkin jokingly informs
DG that “color choice in medical art
certainly has its dictums when it
comes to painting organs. The classic
ones being:
1) blue means without oxygen
2) red usually indicates inflammation
3) yellow is saved for neurology
4) green …well don’t use it. The exception being bile.”
As the daughter of a doctor, Hofkin was
immersed with images of kidneys and circulatory
systems from her father’s medical journals. “When
I was 10, I was indelibly moved by a series of sculptures
by Michelangelo. They were essentially massive
unfinished chunks of marble with parts of polished
anatomy trying to emerge from the raw, unhewn
marble,” says Hofkin. “These were much more exciting
than his finished David down the hall. Dynamic
anatomy is still my muse, so when I can’t get to the
Academia in Rome, I hang out at Gold’s Gym.” Her
art is as classically rich as her humor.
“With the advent of digital art, the [medical
illustration] market is flooded with rich, high-impact,
vibrant colors. However, the colors that I use are
organic, earthy, and have an old-world, classic undertone.
I think they offer a little relief from all the
digital art now being used in the medical art field,”
says the artist. “I gravitate toward two palettes: the
first is earth tones and sepia to simulate parchment,
the second is grayish teals and periwinkles to recreate
a ‘blueprint’ look.”
A traditionalist (and becoming less embarrassed
to admit it), Hofkin only uses a computer to convert
sketches to JPEG and finished art for clients. From
sketch, acrylic, airbrush, and even coffee with a dash
of salt, Hofkin creates her medicinal masterpieces.
Fonts
Available at www.myfonts.com, News
Gothic MT Condensed Bold (hope), Hoefler Text (healing), Myriad Pro (dignity), and
Adobe Garamond Pro (faith) are classic, readable fonts that work well for informing
older audiences.
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Symbols/Colors
Employ easily distinguished
medical
symbols such as a
mortar and pestle,
heart, cross, and
caduceus. Avoid dull
yellow (decay and
sickness) as well as
yellow-green (disease,
cowardice, discord,
and jealousy). Image
23304797, Dynamic
Graphics
|
Stay positive
All areas of medicine
need to focus on the
positive side. Smiling
faces, children, and
landscapes make
people feel at ease.
Steer clear of needles,
blood, etc.
Image 22875313, Creatas Images
|
Healing colors
For a quick look at
ancient and modern
thinking on color therapy,
visit www.behr.com/behrx/inspiration/emotional_8.jsp
|
PALETTE: Medical
PALETTE: Combinations
