Art
Psychology Class Web Illustration
by Anne Kostecki
There are some subjects that are impossible or not feasible to photograph, and thankfully, illustration can save the day. While working for Loyola University Maryland, I offered my services as an illustrator to assist in promoting difficult-to-display subjects, such as spirituality, networking, and psychology. A member of the Web Communications team reached out to me and said there were a long list of illustration needs, and asked if I could design and illustrate a concept to promote an undergraduate course in adult psychology.
The class is described as "[A] course addressing the physical, cognitive, social, and psychological changes that take place from early to late adulthood, with a focus on the complex interaction between nature and nurture. Students explore generational, cultural, socio-political, and environmental influences on adult development.” The class discusses various types of relationships: intimate, family, friend, coworkers, and others, in relation to adult development.
With this in mind, I decided to draw the recognizable outline and shape of a human brain, and within it the various stages of human life and other visual representations from the class descriptions. I wanted to show the variety of human experience: travel, nature, exercise, work, love, peace, friendship, home, science, literature, music, dreaming, and so on. After my sketch was approved, I decided to paint in watercolor, so that I could blend the various elements into one another. I also wanted to keep the pillowy texture of brain lobes, so I deliberately mimicked that in the clouds, smoke, bushes, and other elements. The final piece was about 9 x 12 inches on cold press watercolor paper.
