Introduction to a new digital drawing method for making black and white scientific illustrations of insects

Author of the article:DONG WenBing；CUI JianXin

Author's Workplace：1. Department of Plant Protection, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China; 2. Xinxiang Iasin Insect Pest Biocontrol Company, Ltd, Xinxiang 453003, China

Key Words：digital drawing; scientific illustration; pen tablet; insect; method

Abstract：Making illustrations is the most time-consuming aspect of taxonomy. We provide a new method using a personal computer, pen tablet and the drawing software SAI to make black and white spot-line illustrations of insects. To speed up the drawing process, the pencil sketch is replaced by photographs. By previously making templates for insects with similar shapes, the two most-consuming steps, drawing setae and habitus-shading by stippling, can be done much more easily and quickly, especially for species from similar taxa or with similar contours.