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Science-art Scumble

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Scumble: "A painting technique in which semi-opaque or thin opaque colors are loosely brushed over an underpainted area so that patches of the color beneath show through."

From The Artist's Handbook, by Ray Smith.


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Welcome to the first Science-Art Scumble here on Scientific American! I hope you like the new logo image!

This began as a series of posts on my personal blog, The Flying Trilobite, as a way to brush highlights over the tremendous amount of science-based art that's out there. I can't begin to cover it all, so here's a scumble over some recent posts that I found interesting, provocative, or otherwise caught my eye from the Science Artists Feed, and other sources.

Science-art is becoming an increasingly popular form of science communication and entertainment. Drawing from fine art, laboratory work, scientific illustration, concept art and more, watch how artists spread scientific literacy and play with the inspiring concepts in science.

So sit back, enjoy your Sunday, make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up and enjoy the science-art and art techniques!

Click here for earlier Scumbles. For those counting the old ones, this makes #19.

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Science and art - Talking about a new art movement - Sci-Art-Sci. Is it a new movement? I say yep. Like a rocket.

Nature and the artist: Rocky Mountain National Park - Darkstorm Creative, the Work of Russell Dickerson. Nothing beats getting outdoors!

Dinosaur Art - Clever Girl. I always enjoy Jennifer Hall's vintage-looking absurd drawings.

The Sunscreen Smokescreen - Information is Beautiful.

Insane. Insane!!! - An Eye for Science. Kalliopi's reaction to this amazing shot of Atlantis from the space station.

Skeletal Poses: do they matter? - Skeletal Drawing. And a response, Skeletal Reconstructions; discussion on David's Really Interesting Pages.

Ghost Wash - Gurney Journey. Great watercolour technique from the modern master and Gentleman, James Gurney.

Watching Europa - Kingdom of the Blind.

Maurice Mbikayi - Street Anatomy.

Science Visualized by Google = HELL YEAH - Hybrids of Art and Science

Painting Through the Universe: Earth - Katy's Notebook. Check out this whole series, they're amazing and somehow almost toy-like.

The pollinating gnome video - The Flying Trilobite. Watch my painting from the Magic Beans post come together in ArtRage.

'Crab'- Designing to forged elements - Hammered Out Bits. Blacksmith Darrell Markewitz shares some of the stages of his horseshoe crab project.

Finally, below a Portrait of Barbara McClintock by chid0ri. The Nobel Prize-winning scientist in an elegant portrait. Find chid0ri on deviantArt and her blog, The Empty Triangle.

Come back next weekend for another Scumble.