Show Me the Unseeable:

Superficial Structures Surrounding the Eye & Bony Orbit

Anatomical Illustration

    1. Visualize the spatial relationships of a chosen anatomical region from an oblique (non-traditional) viewpoint, that includes multiple cross-sectional views.

    2. Depict anatomical structures in an accurate and “lifelike” fashion.

  • Instructor: Prof. Michael Corrin (BMC)

    Content Advisors: Drs. Anne Agur and John Tran

  • Anatomy students

  • Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Cinema4D

  • Anatomy Atlas

STAGE 1:

Ideation & Concept Sketches

Choosing a pose

For this project, I decided to focus on the anatomical structures inside and surrounding the orbit (eye socket). Facial anatomy is extremely intricate, and I felt that focusing on the orbital region would make for a eye-catching (no pun intended!) subject for an anatomical illustration.

Using the Complete Anatomy 2023 app’s head model, I experimented with different head positions. This helped me produce a visually interesting angle that had multiple anatomical regions in view.

My goal was to determine the angles and cross-sections that would reveal/penetrate the most structures (muscle, bone, nervous tissue, glands… etc.), producing a reasonable visualization challenge for this illustration assignment.

Concept sketch & objectives

I eventually settled on a 3/4 view of the face, with the eye looking upwards and to the right. I also decided on two cross sections:

  1. a superficial cut-away of the skin around the eye to expose the facial muscles surrounding the orbit, and

  2. a deeper cut-away of the eyelid to reveal the extraocular muscles (muscles that control eyeball movement) and lacrimal gland (organ that produces tears).

I used Procreate to generate a rough concept sketch.

Then, my instructor and I set visual-problem solving objectives, based on the overall design, and the anatomy that needed further visualization.

    • add shading and highlights to give structures 3D form;

    • collect texture references for skin, fat, muscle … etc.

    • visualizing precise order of tissue layers on cross-section surfaces

    • redraw eye looking upwards (and to the right)

    • determine whether the same extraocular muscles would be more/less in view.

Screenshot from the Complete Anatomy 2023 app -
a 3D human anatomy atlas with rotatable models.

The initial concept sketch in Procreate.

Lighting: 3D maquette building

I constructed a 3D maquette using assets from the BodyParts3D library to experiment with lighting.

I decided to light the subject more head-on, rather than from the subject’s left side, to illuminate the intricate cross-sections of the eyelid.

I used this maquette as the reference for the revised sketches.

Facial muscles: Clay modelling studies

I also performed some clay modelling studies while referencing anatomical atlases.

This was an attempt to better understand the nerves and blood vessels surrounding the nose and orbicularis oculi muscle.

Extraocular muscles: Eyeball maquette

Using a golf ball as a crude model of the eyeball, I constructed a maquette of the extraocular muscles. I glued on strips of an elastic band to mimic the extraocular muscles.

Pinning the elastic bands to a cork board, I tilted the eyeball maquette to model the eye looking upwards.

This allowed me to understand which extraocular muscles would be in view with the chosen eye positioning.

Cross-sectional anatomy & texture references

I also consulted a number of cross sectional anatomy and eyelid/facial surgery videos for texture references.

Observing these live surgeries served as a “live” tissue reference to supplement the anatomy textbook rendering styles, which typically feature cadaveric specimens.

Anatomy references from Grant’s (left) and Netter’s (right) Atlases of Human Anatomy.

Head-on lighting.

Clay modelling on plastic replica of human skull.

Lighting subject’s left side.

Golf ball eyeball maquette.
Elastics were used to mimic the extraocular muscles.

Live tissue references from eyelid (blepharoplasty) and facial (gracilis muscle transfer) surgery.

STAGE 2:

Visual Problem Solving

STAGE 3:

Comprehensive Sketch

Applying knowledge to model

Using the insights I derived from my visual problem solving exercises, I developed a comprehensive sketch in Photoshop according to the my volunteer model’s facial anatomy.

I decided to add a callout around the eyelid cross-section to make the intricate tissue layers more easily discernible. As well, decided to fade out the face’s right half to bring more attention to the relevant anatomy.

Using Illustrator, I added labels and leader lines to the illustration.

After, I sent this sketch to two anatomists at University of Toronto, who verified the anatomical accuracy.

Volunteer model

Labelled comprehensive sketch, verified by 2 anatomists for accuracy.

STAGE 4:

Rendering

Greyscale Rendering

Using a combination of hard tapered brushes and soft circular brushes in Photoshop, I rendered the anatomy in greyscale starting at the border of the skin cut out, leaving the rest of the drawing as line art.

This partial rendering would call further attention to the main subject - the anatomy. I intended to make the rest of the drawing line art to serve as visual contextual information for the audience.

Rendering in greyscale first also allowed me to focus on light and shadow, making the light source and 3D surfaces clear for the audience.

Colourization in Photoshop

Using a combination of Overlay, Multiply and Soft Light colour layers in Photoshop, I used the Grisaille technique to colourize the portrait.

Greyscale rendered illustration.

Colourized illustration.

Final Illustration

With Labelling

To see my process for this piece, please view this website on a desktop!

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