I came across a posting on Charity Job by relatively new charity, SKIN DEEP Behind the Mask (SDBM), recently. They were looking for all manner of creatives, from illustrators to fashion designers. What caught my eye was their need for illustrators for their educational children’s books. The combination of book illustration and skin ailments was just too attractive for me to pass up (we pharmacists/ex-pharmacists are an odd bunch).
Since then I’ve been volunteering my illustrative services for SDBM. So far I have drawn up character designs for Amy, an elephant with epidermolysis bullosa simplex, and Adam, a snake with ichthyosis. The former is a condition where the skin blisters extremely easily, and the latter results in thick, scaly skin.
Needless to say, it’s been an interesting experience trying to draw these conditions. I had to get them right, yet still create a character that children would like looking at. I always like a challenge though!
SDBM are still looking for volunteers for a large variety of roles, including:
- creative artists
- performance artists
- musicians
- fine artists
- fund writers
- creative writers
- bloggers
- illustrators
- graphic
- designers
- product designers
- web designers
- fashion designers
- garment technologists
- fashion engineers
- dermatological researchers
- videographers
If you can give some of your time, please fill in their form here.
Meanwhile, I’m going back to drawing blisters and scales. And snakes on a skateboard (not a Samuel L. Jackson film this time).