Career as Scientific Illustrator | Rafeeque Mavoor

Career Konnect Q&A: Career as Scientific Illustrator with Rafeeque Mavoor

Job Profile: Scientific Illustrator

Guest: Rafeeque Mavoor

Hosts: Pragya Gupta, Nikhil Kumar Tulsiyan, Disha Mukherjee

About Rafeeque Mavoor:

Rafeeque Mavoor is a science illustrator and the founder of SciDart Academy. Originally pursuing a PhD in material chemistry, he made an exciting career switch to scientific illustration. Rafeeque holds a Master’s in Chemistry from IISER Trivandrum and has formal training in science illustration, with experience at the Science Media Center in IISER Pune. Through SciDart Academy, he has trained over 2,000 researchers globally to create impactful scientific illustrations.

Pictures speak a thousand words with Rafeeque Mavoor

Q1: Welcome, Rafeeque! Can you tell us about yourself and your unique journey into scientific illustration, especially after pursuing chemistry?

Rafeeque Mavoor: Hi everyone! I completed my Master’s in Chemistry from IISER Trivandrum. After that, I decided to pursue scientific illustration as a career. I worked at IISER Trivandrum for two and a half years, then moved to IISER Pune Science Media Center for another two and a half years. Currently, I’m building SciDart Academy, a learning platform for scientific illustrators and research students to learn science visualization and graphic design principles. I’m also working as a freelance illustrator, dedicating most of my focus to building this platform.

Q2: You transitioned from working with chemicals to digital art. What motivated this significant shift in your career?

Rafeeque Mavoor: During my time at IISER Trivandrum, which was a young institution, I had the opportunity to get involved in various activities. I was always interested in design and visual arts, so I participated in designing logos, posters, and promotional videos for different initiatives. This gave me a lot of exposure to design tools like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

After my Master’s, while planning for a PhD in materials chemistry, my professor asked for my help in creating a 3D illustration for a student’s research paper. I didn’t know any 3D software, but I took three days, searched for tutorials (which were very few then), and found Google SketchUp. I managed to create the illustration, and it got published. During this process, I discovered that there are dedicated professionals called scientific illustrators and even Master’s programs abroad in this field. That was my “aha” moment. I realized I could help research students, who often struggled to create illustrations for their manuscripts and presentations, and decided to pursue this path instead of a PhD.

Q3: You’ve founded SciDart Academy. How has the experience been establishing it, and how many people have you trained so far?

Rafeeque Mavoor: I realized that research students often lack the time to learn design tools to create effective illustrations. SciDart Academy was founded with the idea of providing an online platform where research students and aspiring science illustrators can learn scientific illustration. So far, we’ve conducted multiple workshops with around 350 students participating in total. We have a long way to go, but the initial response has been amazing!

Q4: Congratulations on getting one of your pieces selected for a prestigious journal cover! Can you walk us through the process of creating a scientific illustration, from concept to final output?

Rafeeque Mavoor: The process starts by understanding the core story of the research. What is the main idea they want to convey visually? For cover art, there’s more artistic freedom, but for manuscript illustrations, scientific accuracy is paramount.

It’s a highly collaborative, back-and-forth process. Researchers often have an idea in mind, and we discuss it. I’ll make a rough pencil drawing to ensure it efficiently communicates their research. My role is to bring their imagination to reality. The first draft of an illustration is usually very different from the final output, incorporating many suggestions, contributions, and feedback from the researchers. I provide the technical expertise in using design tools to make their vision happen.

Q5: With various forms of science visualization like illustrations, animations, and 3D drawings, which one do you enjoy creating the most?

Rafeeque Mavoor: I find a lot of joy in creating 3D animations, especially those that communicate complex biological pathways, like cellular biochemistry. We recently published an animation explaining a protein molecule that cuts DNA in a novel way. The process involves storyboarding, building 3D models, fixing colors, shading, lighting, and then stitching scenes together. It’s a time-consuming but incredibly enjoyable process. I’m also inspired by labs like Dr. Janet Iwasa’s Animation Lab at the University of Utah, which focuses on 3D animations for biochemistry.

Q6: Many journals emphasize accessibility, requiring illustrations to be readable by everyone, including those with color blindness. How do you address this in your design process?

Rafeeque Mavoor: That’s a very important point that many people overlook. A study even showed doctors misdiagnosing heart diseases due to inappropriate rainbow color schemes in imaging, which were later changed to be universally readable.

To ensure accessibility, I use online simulators that show how colorblind individuals would perceive an image. This helps identify if certain colors look the same and need adjustment. Another crucial aspect is to check how the illustration appears in black and white, as many people print in grayscale, and information can be lost if colors and contrast aren’t chosen carefully.

Q7: For aspiring scientific illustrators, especially those new to the field, what are some pro tips you can offer?

Rafeeque Mavoor: When I started, there were very few resources in India. Now, there’s more online content, though much of it is expensive. There are two main paths:

1. Formal Education: Pursue a Master’s in Scientific Illustration or Medical Visualization. Programs are available in Australia, Canada, Netherlands, and the US. This can get you into the field quickly, often within two years.
2. Build a Portfolio: This is the beauty of this job—your portfolio speaks for itself. If formal education isn’t feasible, focus on creating strong work. Reach out to PhD students or researchers you know and offer to create illustrations for them. Start learning software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Blender.

At SciDart, we aim to provide an affordable platform for learning. I’ll be teaching, but I’m also bringing in other talented Indian illustrators to offer workshops and courses. My goal is to make high-quality scientific visualization training accessible to any research student without high expenses.

Q8: What kind of clients do you primarily work with, and what is your vision for the future of science communication in India?

Rafeeque Mavoor: As in research, scientific illustration also has various specializations. My primary focus is on material chemistry and chemistry in general, though others specialize in biological visualization. So far, my main focus has been collaborating within academia—with PhD students and faculties at research institutes. I have done a few illustrations for magazines, but I often refer those to others in my network who specialize in that area.

Science communication in India, though young, has a very bright future, especially with the boom in online communication and education. Building platforms like SciConnect and SciDart is crucial for nurturing upcoming science communicators, and I’m optimistic about its growth.