Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Preliminary designs





A new assignment for Minnesota Medicine Magazine, folks is in the works, yay! Only this time, it is a cover for a supplement that will go out next month with the magazine. The supplement's theme is health care reform, with the general focus on Minnesota leading the nation in working with the federal government to examine changes in the health care system.

I submitted these two sketches, one being a collage treatment, and the other a more painterly approach. The art director selected the magnifying glass sketch. Here's something I learned - I drew the wrong icon for the medical industry. Initially, I looked it up for reference in various websites, and most of the reference sites got it wrong! The two snakes entwined around the staff (which as you can see is what I drew) is called the "caduceus", whereas what I should have drawn is the "asclepius", the single snake entwined around a staff. Caduceus is the symbol of Hermes, the ancient Roman messenger of commerce, and Aclepius was a Greek god who whose specialty was his healing powers. So you can see how these descriptions can make quite a different impression in regard to the medical profession! The snake shedding its skin symbolizes renewal and vigor, the aim of medicine. Now aren't you glad you learned something new today?

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