About the Name | Alar Illustration
alar a·lar (ā'ler) adj.
The word alar has several connotations in medicine and biology. Most simply, alar means wing-like or axillary.
In anatomy, alar refers to the wing-like ala of certain structures including in the nose, sacrum, and sphenoid bone. The sphenoid bone of the skull has both major and minor ala, and the shape is often compared to that of a butterfly, bat, or bird.
In botany, alar describes the wing-shaped cells at the base and sides of a moss leaf.
In zoology, alar denotes that which pertains to or resembles wings or alae.
About the Studio
Alar Illustration provides medical illustration and design services for scientific research, healthcare, and patient education initiatives.
The studio has contributed to various projects in the form of peer-reviewed journal figures and graphical abstracts, vector-based in-app scientific illustrations, patient education materials, 3D asset development, medical legal presentations, grant applications, interactive exhibits, and more.
Alar Illustration is located in Ottawa, Ontario:
About the Illustrator
Virginia E. Fulford, MS, CMI
I'm an illustrator and communicator specializing in medical and scientific illustration.
In 2016 I started Alar Illustration, a one-person medical and scientific illustration studio. Alar Illustration offers professional illustration services for science, healthcare, and education initiatives.
I have a Master’s degree in medical illustration and am a board-certified medical illustrator. I’m also a professional member of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI).
To learn more about my background, continue scrolling or download my resume here.
SKILLS & PROFICIENCIES
Illustration
Digital: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Traditional: Ink, graphite, watercolor, gouache, oil, printmaking (lithography, cyanotypes, risograph, linocut)
Biomedical
Human anatomy and physiology, biology, clinical pathology, medical devices
Technical & Process
Conceptual art and storyboarding, radiographic image adjustment (i.e. optimizing contrast), interactive PDFs, Google Slides, Protein Data Bank, basic HTML and CSS
experiencE
2016 - present
Medical and Scientific Illustrator - Owner | Alar Illustration - Ottawa, ON, Canada
2019 - 2020
Medical and Scientific Illustrator - Contract | BioRender - Toronto, ON, Canada
2017 - 2024
Medical Illustrator - Contract | BioDigital - New York, NY, USA
2015 - 2016
Medical Illustrator | Certified Medical Illustrations - Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
2015
Medical Illustration Intern | Journal of the American Medical Association - Chicago, IL, USA
education & Qualifications
2018 - present
Certified Medical Illustrator - CMI | Board of Certification of Medical Illustrators
2015
Biomedical Visualization - MS | University of Illinois at Chicago - Chicago, IL, USA
2013
Zoology - BA | Miami University - Oxford, OH, USA
2013
Painting - BFA | Miami University - Oxford, OH, USA
2010
Biological Illustration (course) | Shoals Marine Laboratory, Cornell University - Appledore Island, ME, USA