r/medicalillustration

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some career advice. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and I’ve self-taught myself 3D art to become a Medical Animator.

My dream is to create MoA (Mechanism of Action) or MoD (Mechanism of Disease) animations—I really enjoy making the tiny molecular structures inside the human body. However, I’ve noticed that professional MoA jobs require very high-level rendering skills to create a "cinematic" look, which I’m still working on.

My questions are:

1. Based on my current work (video attached), is it possible to find entry-level molecular animation jobs right now?
2. What should I improve first?
3. Where are the best places to look for these kinds of niche jobs? Also, because I want to be a freelancer, is it possible?

One more thing: I’ve also thought about human anatomy or organs because there seems to be more demand. But since I don’t have a formal art background, sculpting realistic anatomy is very hard for me. Is it worth spending a lot of time practicing anatomy sculpting? Given the demand, is it a necessary skill for a medical animator?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

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Hi All.

I picked this up in Washington and I'm trying to identify it. It looks like a hand-pulled intaglio engraving (clear plate mark, rich/velvety ink).

Details:

Pencil notes: “Pl. 10” and “26 Hours”

Thick paper, lightly toned edges, no watermark

The subject appears to be a 26-hour chick embryo cross-section (neural tube, somites, notochord visible)

Theory: Possibly a working proof from an early 20th c. scientific series, maybe Carnegie Institution embryology plates or similar.

Does anyone recognize the plate, style, or handwriting? Looking for the original publication/artist. Any information greatly appreciated!