Q & A - Kelly Bullock
How did you become involved in science and then start Kelly Bullock Art?
I have been fascinated since a young age by nature and drawn to understanding how the human brain works. My grandmother was a big reader and gave me a few neuroscience and psychology books, and from there I was hooked. I decided to pursue graduate studies in neuroscience after university, and soon found that research was not the best fit for my skills and interests. My passion lied in the communication of science.
Having practiced drawing from a young age, I had not initially considered making a career in a creative field. Like so many other scientific illustrators, when I was introduced to the concept of combining my design skills with my understanding of science, it was a revelation. I felt that there was a critical gap in understanding between the policy makers and public, and the scientists conducting the research. I decided to start a scientific illustration studio to address that communications gap.
The field of scientific and medical illustration is so vast and varied, and it feels like living on the cutting edge of science, art, and technology. That’s an exciting place to be.
Your ‘sliced brain’ image presents a unique way of showing the brain. Did you take on this concept for scientific or artistic reasons?
The inspiration for this piece was an artistic take on a technique for studying the brain; slicing or ‘sectioning’ the brain. This was conceived as a fine art piece created to explore the process of understanding the form and function of the brain through de -construction into its basic parts. It comments on the gestalt principle in which the whole construct is different, more, than its constituent parts.
We’d love to see your other forms of art relating to neuroscience and psychology..
I aim to capture the world of science visually in a way that many may not have seen before. For instance, a lot of cell imaging techniques show cells in 2 dimensions. I wanted to highlight the 3-dimensional form of the neuron with realistic materials in the Pyramidal Neuron piece.
I also love creating 3D content for virtual environments, such as the monkey avatar, which will be used in experiments. I believe in the power of visuals to help connect with the audience on an intuitive level.
How did you create the rat brain model, as shown in a video on your site?
The rat brain (see image to the right) was modelled and sculpted by hand in Blender 3D using the Waxholm Rat from the Scalable Brain Atlas and the Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections for reference.
Photorealism can be achieved in Blender with the physically-based path tracing Cycles render engine, and physically based materials. The Filmic color space allows for photorealistic renders with a high dynamic range.
Adding just the right amount of sub-surface scattering and imperfect gloss to the surface gives it that squishy, organic look.