Projects
Personal Project
As part of a project funded by the National Fund for Cultural Development and the Arts (FONDART), 2023 call, I developed the Illustrated Plankton Identification Guide for the Continental Coasts of Chile.
This publication features a carefully curated selection of scientific illustrations of plankton, accompanied by their main characteristics and complementary content designed to make the microscopic life of the ocean accessible to all audiences. The material was reviewed and validated by several collaborating scientists, ensuring both its scientific accuracy and educational value.
📘 The complete guide is available in the downloads section.
Plankton 1 © 2023 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Naturalist Illustration Diploma
Illustrations of various organisms created as part of the Diploma in Naturalist Illustration, developed through a project funded by the National Fund for Cultural Development and the Arts (FONDART), Chile, 2023 call, under the Chile Crea Scholarships / Specialization and Professional Development program.
Tatochila theodice © 2024 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Chilean Marine Fish Larvae 2022
A series of scientific illustrations depicting larvae of Chilean marine fish species, representing part of the biodiversity of the national ichthyoplankton.
The illustrated species include Maurolicus australis, Pseudolabrus gayi, Lampanyctodes hectoris, Harpagifer antarcticus, Congiopodus peruvianus, a postlarva of Psychrolutidae, Helcogrammoides chilensis, Leptonotus blainvilleanus, and Synchiropus randalli.
The artworks were created using colored pencils and watercolor on beige paper, with digital retouching in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
Deep-sea fish larvae © 2022 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
I was selected to be part of the TMSoc 2023 Calendar with one illustration inspired by different microscopic techniques applied to the same microorganism, Cibicides aknerianus, a species of benthic foraminifera from the Southeast Pacific Ocean.
The scientific illustrations were based on photographs obtained through optical microscopy of unstained specimens, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a color map of the shell volume, and stereoscopic microscopy of specimens both unstained and stained with Bengal Rose.
The reference images and technical information were made possible thanks to the collaboration of Dharma Reyes-Macaya.
The artworks were created on black cardboard using colored pencils and gel pens, with digital retouching in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Foraminifera techniques © 2022 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Plankton life 2022
This piece was created for the international Illustraciencia 2022 competition, representing microorganisms characteristic of northern Chilean Patagonia.
The reference photographs and scientific information were made possible thanks to the collaboration of Macarena Herrera and Ricardo Giesecke.
The black and white sketches were drawn with dip pen and Chinese ink on tracing paper, while the color tests and final illustrations were created on black cardboard using colored pencils and gel pens, with digital retouching in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Plankton ecosystem © 2022 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Foraminifera, Decoding the Climate in the Past 2021
Scientific illustration depicting eight key species used in paleoceanographic studies: Cibicidoides mundulus, Cibicides aknerianus, Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Uvigerina peregrina, Bolivina interjuncta, Bolivina plicata, Globobulimina pacifica, and Bolivina spissa.
The reference photographs and scientific information were made possible thanks to the collaboration of Dharma Reyes.
The black and white sketches and illustrations were created with dip pen and Chinese ink on tracing paper, while the color tests and final illustrations were produced on black cardboard using colored pencils and gel pens, with digital retouching in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Benthic foraminifera sheet © 2022 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Harmful Microalgal Blooms 2021
Scientific illustration depicting eight species of microorganisms responsible for harmful algal blooms in southern Chile. The illustrated species are Heterosigma akashiwo, Leptocylindrus minimus, Chaetoceros convolutus, Pseudo-nitzschia australis, Pseudochattonella cf. verruculosa, Dinophysis acuta, Dinophysis acuminata, and Alexandrium catenella.
The reference photographs and scientific information were made possible thanks to the collaboration of Dharma Reyes.
The initial sketches were created with dip pen and Chinese ink on tracing paper, while the color tests and final illustrations were produced on black cardboard using colored pencils and gel pens, with digital retouching in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Plankton File © 2022 by María Yolanda Núñez Medina is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0