A wide variety of plant and animal species are represented, from delicate blossoms of redbud to the cobralike stalks of a pitcher plant, from a bulbous sea hare to a mountain lion observing possible prey. This is the seventh exhibition of its kind presented by the Natural Sciences Department of the museum. The exhibition is curated by Gail Binder, Natural Sciences Preparator at the Oakland Museum of California. High quality scientific illustration and wildlife art brings the species to life. Because the work demands such close, considered, and often prolonged observation, it results in a particularly intimate relationship between the illustrator and the subject.
Biological illustration is more useful than photography for some purposes.
Illustrations can often clarify anatomy and other details that remain obscure in photographs. They are ideal for presenting a composite image, as in a field guide illustration. They are also used to show relationships in space and time within a scene, situations that are impossible or difficult to document through photography. Events One of the best methods of learning about an organism is to draw or paint it. The challenge of accurately rendering an organism progressively focuses attention on all aspects of that organism.