Using a personal computer to create anatomic drawings for publication

Abstract

A chronic need exists for anatomic drawings that are suitable for publication. The best drawings of this type are the result of close collaboration between a trained medical illustrator and the author commissioning the artwork. However, high-quality drawings usually command premium prices and are not within everyone's budget. Similarly, services that can provide such illustrations are not available in all areas. This paper describes several methods of producing high-quality anatomic drawings with a personal computer. These drawings can be produced from the digital images obtained on one's local CT or MR scanners, or from digitized slides and photographs. Other images can be scanned from various sources of anatomic line art that are in the public domain. A final source of anatomic drawings is commercially available medical clip art. The drawings created from any of these sources can be modified to suit one's needs and can provide very satisfactory results.