Drawing the line between art and anatomy

For Reagan Stevens ’10, the path to medical illustration was, as she puts it, “kind of a roundabout story.” But it was at the University of Dayton that a class project sparked something lasting for the sculpture major.

“We had to draw the whole human skeleton, front and back, and then all of the overlying musculature,” recalled Stevens. “I absolutely loved that project, and actually used it in my portfolio when I applied to the Cleveland Institute of Art.”

“We had to draw the whole human skeleton, front and back, and then all of the overlying musculature. I absolutely loved that project, and actually used it in my portfolio when I applied to the Cleveland Institute of Art.”

After earning her BFA in biomedical art in 2019, Stevens joined University Hospitals in Cleveland, where she now transforms complex anatomy into compelling visuals. Her process begins with research: “I feel I do my best work when I fully understand the subject matter.” She starts with a loose pencil sketch, then scans and refines it digitally, working in styles that range “from simple black-and-white line work to full-color photorealism.”

“Unlike other fine arts, it is more objective than subjective. Artistic expression tends to be found mostly in the stylistic way that you illustrate.”

Scientific accuracy is key, but so is expression. “Unlike other fine arts, it is more objective than subjective,” Stevens said. “Artistic expression tends to be found mostly in the stylistic way that you illustrate.”

Stevens brings anatomy to life, layer by layer, through a process that’s equal parts discipline and creativity. “Every year it grows,” she said. “Recently I’ve been trying to do more interesting, less common, more artistic yet still educational views of things as a kind of signature.”

Illustrations courtesy Reagan Stevens.