Ipsa Jain is a science illustrator who brought her background as a biologist to the world of visual communication and scientific storytelling. After earning her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, Ipsa did a postdoc where she transitioned to science communication by creating a book on the science of color and color-changing animals. She currently does freelance science communication and illustration under her own brand, Ipsawonders. Check out some of Ipsa’s amazing work at her website or on Instagram.

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field?  

I am a molecular biologist by training. After early training in zoology, I pursued a PhD in Molecular Oncology at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. While I entered the PhD program aspiring to be a scientist for the rest of my career, the PhD duration was a crucible and a turning point. Towards the end of my stint in the lab, I was certain that life on the bench was not a lifestyle I would enjoy. A bit of exploration and introspection led me to the idea of drawing for science. The idea seemed great, especially since there were fewer people in the Indian scientific community doing such work. I worked hard to develop skills on my own since at the time I could not afford the time and cost of pursuing a professional illustration degree. I spoke to artists and illustrators locally, globally, picked up software online, took small workshops, read and analyzed the work of other science illustrators and artists. This idea has grown and evolved with time, in the way I approach drawing for science. Initially, I looked at observational drawings and mainly natural history illustrations. With time, I started learning how to draw schematics. After a point, I started doing molecular illustrations that were based on actual data. Now I explore drawing as a way of doing science, questioning science, and sharing science. 

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field?  

I mainly work in this field as a freelancer as India does not have any jobs in this field. Because I lack a professional art or design degree, I am not eligible for jobs at publishing houses and other such institutions. As a freelancer, I work on a gig-based mode and rely on previous collaborators and clients to spread the word about my work, so networking and social media presence are really important for me.

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities? What is a typical day or week like in your role? 

I work mainly with scientists and science teachers to create images and image-based storytelling for different audiences. If possible, I also make my own work. My day typically involves communicating with collaborators and clients to ideate, negotiate and update on the work, research  the content, and do visual research for content as well art styles, drawing, editing, and polishing drawings. If I have time, I also upskill myself by spending time on Skillshare and Youtube. I also give a lot of talks and workshops for young scientists and science students who are interested in scientific visualization or science illustration and science communication. In the pre-pandemic era, I would also travel to conferences and present and sell merchandise based on my personal work.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment?  

I like the interactions I have with scientists and my audiences. I get to interact with different kinds of science and learn a lot. I also like the creative freedom that comes with working with some of the good collaborators. I work from home and only take a few on-site meetings. Often phone conversations and online meetings are sufficient to discuss work. This also allows me to work with collaborators from across the country or the globe. 

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

The inconsistency of payments and gigs is the most challenging aspect. Certain time periods like the pandemic era were very difficult financially.

With regards to projects, I get several kinds of requests ranging from poster design to science communication stories. My skills are more suited to one rather than the other, but to make ends meet, I work on gigs that I do not enjoy as much. I always need to maintain a diverse set of income-generating models, which at the moment includes a time-consuming day job! 

Do you have any professional plans for the future? What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road? 

I hope that in a few years, I will be able to build a large pool of people in India interested in this kind of work, such that it legitimizes this work as a profession, rather than a hobby. I hope to develop more formal certification programs and courses on scientific visualization for students in India.

What’s changing in your industry? Are there any future trends we should be aware of? 

I think, with social media as a space to share work and receive praise, the interest in science and art are growing. This is propelled by a growing interest in scientific communication. I hope that this will fruit in greater interactions between artists and the humanities with the scientific community for symbiosis.

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field? 

You can start in your lab or department, for example by offering to illustrate for presentations, posters, and other department collaterals. For larger science art and science communication activities, you could contact local museums, science outreach groups, science galleries, the Exploratorium, etc. You will need to use social media to your advantage and network with peers. 

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e. have PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field? 

It is an advantage to have a PhD if you plan to work closely with the scientific community, for two reasons. Firstly, scientists feel comfortable talking to someone who knows their language and the nuances of science. The second advantage is the network you build. People from your campus can be your early collaborators and clients. 

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now?  

One thing I wish I had is formal training in art and illustration. While I have good training in science, what I have picked up about illustration and design is via online mediums. It took me some time to understand the visual language I like to work with. I imagine that having the peer-driven learning that happens in college-like spaces would have helped me. This would have happened easily in a formal school.