Looking closely
is the work.

I am Gina Mikel, a scientific illustrator in St. Louis, Missouri. My work brings birds, fish, mammals, insects and plants onto the page in watercolor and gouache. For naturalists and birders, these images offer another way to spend time with the subjects that hold their attention. For editors, organizations and others looking for natural history art, they show the range of subjects I illustrate.

Scientific illustration made by hand

I do use digital media at times, but every illustration starts, and is fundamentally created, on paper. That approach applies across a small bird study, a botanical subject or an illustration of aquatic life. The collections below are organized by subject, so you can move from a common loon and its chick to a brook trout, an American lotus, a polar bear or a green darner dragonfly without losing your place.

Scientific illustration calls for close attention to the subject. On this site, you can see that attention across birds, botanical art, fish, mammals, insects and landscapes. The work ranges from individual animals and plants to scenes from the places where they live. Whether you arrived looking for a scientific illustrator or simply enjoy natural history, the collections are a place to begin.

For freelance scientific illustration or to license an existing piece, please email me at gina@scientificillustrator.com.

I also photograph animals and plants at zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums and nature preserves. Those photographs are mainly reference material for future illustrations, and the photography section is available separately from the artwork. If you recognize a bird that I have misidentified, I would be glad to hear from you.

The photographs are copyrighted too; please email me for terms of use.

See the photographs →