Nearly a year ago, I wrote and illustrated An Introduction to Model Organisms, a silly first look at a few of the most broadly studied model organisms in genetics. I’m very pleased to finally share it in a format that you can play with. It’s a tiny book, printed from a single sheet of paper. I’m attaching it in two different formats…

Here is is in a PDF form that you can flip through on a monitor: model-organism-book-copy

Or if you’d like a printed copy, these files are printable. (Print it on a single sheet of paper, double-sided, cut the three sections lengthwise and sample them in the center fold.) model-organisms

I taught a lesson on scratch-board, charcoal and carbon dust this week. If you haven’t played with any of these media recently, I’d recommend it. We had a lot of fun. Here’s my finished Motor Light Machine (inspired by a description from Zev, and partially illustrated by him as well. Note, the background pencil doodles). The color was dropped in digitally.

We used the students finished art to make stickers, extending the lesson into digitizing traditional media and digital coloring. We printed them through Moo.com. Now, we have silly stickers ready for the beginning of the new school year.

Today was the first day of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (http://2016.conf.gnsi.org/) meeting. There was portfolio sharing and visiting with old friends. I got a few requests to re-post a few favorite printable, shareable pieces of art. If you want copies, here you go:

Hey Look! A Dandelion! (http://www.blurb.com/b/6913130-hey-look-a-dandelion)

Cuddly toy Nautilus (https://walkaboutem.com/2015/09/23/176083757/)

Ctenophora fabrics (https://walkaboutem.com/2012/12/21/ctenophora-fabric/)

Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus).

The Nigella are blooming again in my garden.

Blooming minibell aloe.