mark belan | science illustrator + info designer
@markabelan.bsky.social
telling science stories with the power of visuals✨ a little bit of this and that, too
🧳 Graphics Editor | Quanta Magazine
🎓 MScBMC, MScGeochem/Astrobio
🎨 Founder of artscistudios
📍 NYC | 🇨🇦🇭🇷
https://linktr.ee/artscistudios
🧳 Graphics Editor | Quanta Magazine
🎓 MScBMC, MScGeochem/Astrobio
🎨 Founder of artscistudios
📍 NYC | 🇨🇦🇭🇷
https://linktr.ee/artscistudios
THE MANY SHAPES OF BACTERIA
#science #infographic #art #sciart #bacteria #microbiology #bacterium #scientificart #biology
#science #infographic #art #sciart #bacteria #microbiology #bacterium #scientificart #biology
November 12, 2025 at 4:23 PM
THE MANY SHAPES OF BACTERIA
#science #infographic #art #sciart #bacteria #microbiology #bacterium #scientificart #biology
#science #infographic #art #sciart #bacteria #microbiology #bacterium #scientificart #biology
VISUALIZING THE BIOMASS OF LIFE
🐛🦉🐟🐸🐐🐌🍄🦚🐙🐍🦑🐢🦂🦧🌴
#biomass #science #infographic #art #sciart #dataviz #datavisualization #biology
🐛🦉🐟🐸🐐🐌🍄🦚🐙🐍🦑🐢🦂🦧🌴
#biomass #science #infographic #art #sciart #dataviz #datavisualization #biology
November 11, 2025 at 3:16 PM
VISUALIZING THE BIOMASS OF LIFE
🐛🦉🐟🐸🐐🐌🍄🦚🐙🐍🦑🐢🦂🦧🌴
#biomass #science #infographic #art #sciart #dataviz #datavisualization #biology
🐛🦉🐟🐸🐐🐌🍄🦚🐙🐍🦑🐢🦂🦧🌴
#biomass #science #infographic #art #sciart #dataviz #datavisualization #biology
I co-wrote a visual explainer with Joe Howlett on the quantum mechanics of greenhouse gases. It includes graphics/animations showing why molecules like CO₂ are such powerful drivers of planetary warming.
It was fun! I'd appreciate if you checked it out here:
www.quantamagazine.org/the-quantum-...
It was fun! I'd appreciate if you checked it out here:
www.quantamagazine.org/the-quantum-...
November 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I co-wrote a visual explainer with Joe Howlett on the quantum mechanics of greenhouse gases. It includes graphics/animations showing why molecules like CO₂ are such powerful drivers of planetary warming.
It was fun! I'd appreciate if you checked it out here:
www.quantamagazine.org/the-quantum-...
It was fun! I'd appreciate if you checked it out here:
www.quantamagazine.org/the-quantum-...
In Sept, Quanta Magazine published a special issue on the science of climate change. We spent a lot of time curating 9 climate stories that span technology, microbiology, math, and more.
I made these 9 planetary models that reflect each story. Check it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
I made these 9 planetary models that reflect each story. Check it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
November 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
In Sept, Quanta Magazine published a special issue on the science of climate change. We spent a lot of time curating 9 climate stories that span technology, microbiology, math, and more.
I made these 9 planetary models that reflect each story. Check it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
I made these 9 planetary models that reflect each story. Check it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-we-came-...
Algonquin vibes 🇨🇦
August 23, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Algonquin vibes 🇨🇦
some fun graphics in today's story about smell 👃
read it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-smell-gu...
read it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-smell-gu...
July 3, 2025 at 5:36 PM
some fun graphics in today's story about smell 👃
read it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-smell-gu...
read it here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-smell-gu...
can anyone in #cartography or #mapping help me find a plate-carree/equirectangular projection of Pannotia? (ie: this planet?)
Would greatly appreciate it!
Would greatly appreciate it!
June 26, 2025 at 5:46 PM
can anyone in #cartography or #mapping help me find a plate-carree/equirectangular projection of Pannotia? (ie: this planet?)
Would greatly appreciate it!
Would greatly appreciate it!
The final result? A 3D web environment that presents as a clean, 2D, flat vector style! 🎯
Ie: what you're seeing is a 3D space that is rendering as a flat, vector graphic. No need to painstakingly hand-make every frame of this animation into a vector, or host a super-heavy GIF/video file!
Ie: what you're seeing is a 3D space that is rendering as a flat, vector graphic. No need to painstakingly hand-make every frame of this animation into a vector, or host a super-heavy GIF/video file!
June 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
The final result? A 3D web environment that presents as a clean, 2D, flat vector style! 🎯
Ie: what you're seeing is a 3D space that is rendering as a flat, vector graphic. No need to painstakingly hand-make every frame of this animation into a vector, or host a super-heavy GIF/video file!
Ie: what you're seeing is a 3D space that is rendering as a flat, vector graphic. No need to painstakingly hand-make every frame of this animation into a vector, or host a super-heavy GIF/video file!
For the artistic part, I exported these 3D animations and, using Spline.Design, created toon shaders that mimicked Quanta's 2D vector style. ✅
I could then set parameters that mimic the look and appeal of reading these animations as flat graphics on our website!
I could then set parameters that mimic the look and appeal of reading these animations as flat graphics on our website!
June 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
For the artistic part, I exported these 3D animations and, using Spline.Design, created toon shaders that mimicked Quanta's 2D vector style. ✅
I could then set parameters that mimic the look and appeal of reading these animations as flat graphics on our website!
I could then set parameters that mimic the look and appeal of reading these animations as flat graphics on our website!
A need in this story was to show an arrow moving across various surfaces: the position, direction, and perspective of this arrow changes - a lot.
First, I modeled these things in Cinema4D, and animated the motion of the arrow across the surface. This was the "science": accurate motion + geometry ✅
First, I modeled these things in Cinema4D, and animated the motion of the arrow across the surface. This was the "science": accurate motion + geometry ✅
June 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
A need in this story was to show an arrow moving across various surfaces: the position, direction, and perspective of this arrow changes - a lot.
First, I modeled these things in Cinema4D, and animated the motion of the arrow across the surface. This was the "science": accurate motion + geometry ✅
First, I modeled these things in Cinema4D, and animated the motion of the arrow across the surface. This was the "science": accurate motion + geometry ✅
Quanta's style is 2D vectors, which is industry standard: web graphics should be scalable + lightweight, but cool 3D work tends to produce rasters (complex, but heavier, unresponsive, and pixellated). Add lighting, shadows, angle changes, etc., and it's hard to both produce and host vector graphics.
June 7, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Quanta's style is 2D vectors, which is industry standard: web graphics should be scalable + lightweight, but cool 3D work tends to produce rasters (complex, but heavier, unresponsive, and pixellated). Add lighting, shadows, angle changes, etc., and it's hard to both produce and host vector graphics.
I had so much fun creating this infographic for Quanta's story on metabolic cell fates.
Bit of a challenge stretching the style guide to new heights, but we're headed somewhere ✨
Article here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-metaboli...
Bit of a challenge stretching the style guide to new heights, but we're headed somewhere ✨
Article here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-metaboli...
March 24, 2025 at 1:35 PM
I had so much fun creating this infographic for Quanta's story on metabolic cell fates.
Bit of a challenge stretching the style guide to new heights, but we're headed somewhere ✨
Article here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-metaboli...
Bit of a challenge stretching the style guide to new heights, but we're headed somewhere ✨
Article here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-metaboli...
Good fun creating this graphic of the internal brain structures for a story on Concept Neurons, out today on Quanta: www.quantamagazine.org/concept-cell...
January 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Good fun creating this graphic of the internal brain structures for a story on Concept Neurons, out today on Quanta: www.quantamagazine.org/concept-cell...
NEW PIECE: The Microbial Role of Climate Change
Check out this infographic I made with
@environmicrobio.bsky.social that introduces this unique intersection between methane, microbes, and climate change!
Check out this infographic I made with
@environmicrobio.bsky.social that introduces this unique intersection between methane, microbes, and climate change!
July 8, 2024 at 3:50 PM
NEW PIECE: The Microbial Role of Climate Change
Check out this infographic I made with
@environmicrobio.bsky.social that introduces this unique intersection between methane, microbes, and climate change!
Check out this infographic I made with
@environmicrobio.bsky.social that introduces this unique intersection between methane, microbes, and climate change!
a handful of cover designs. some published, most rejected.
still aiming for that Nature cover 🎯
still aiming for that Nature cover 🎯
April 23, 2024 at 3:45 AM
a handful of cover designs. some published, most rejected.
still aiming for that Nature cover 🎯
still aiming for that Nature cover 🎯
Hey #PortfolioDay My name's Mark, and I'm a scientific illustrator and information designer. I translate scientific concepts (and make 'em pretty, too!) with the power of visuals.
April 9, 2024 at 6:10 PM
Hey #PortfolioDay My name's Mark, and I'm a scientific illustrator and information designer. I translate scientific concepts (and make 'em pretty, too!) with the power of visuals.
little late, but finally got my copy of Nautilus where I made this front cover back in October.
Really proud of this one!
Full story here: nautil.us/mirror-image...
Really proud of this one!
Full story here: nautil.us/mirror-image...
January 25, 2024 at 2:03 AM
little late, but finally got my copy of Nautilus where I made this front cover back in October.
Really proud of this one!
Full story here: nautil.us/mirror-image...
Really proud of this one!
Full story here: nautil.us/mirror-image...
Making a good science figure is like baking a cake: you can have all the best-tasting ingredients, but without good execution + presentation (ie: design theory, organization, placement, hierarchy, etc.) who's gonna wanna taste it?
December 3, 2023 at 7:39 PM
Making a good science figure is like baking a cake: you can have all the best-tasting ingredients, but without good execution + presentation (ie: design theory, organization, placement, hierarchy, etc.) who's gonna wanna taste it?
Unnecessary confusion in figure construction.
Two process affecting apical constriction of a cell, yet both processes read right-to-left, and are loaded on the bottom right hand corner.
So much deciphering needed to understand this. Let's tackle it!
Two process affecting apical constriction of a cell, yet both processes read right-to-left, and are loaded on the bottom right hand corner.
So much deciphering needed to understand this. Let's tackle it!
December 3, 2023 at 7:38 PM
Unnecessary confusion in figure construction.
Two process affecting apical constriction of a cell, yet both processes read right-to-left, and are loaded on the bottom right hand corner.
So much deciphering needed to understand this. Let's tackle it!
Two process affecting apical constriction of a cell, yet both processes read right-to-left, and are loaded on the bottom right hand corner.
So much deciphering needed to understand this. Let's tackle it!
Actually, the correct graphic that expands on the paper that @mjafreeman.bsky.social shared is this one :D
November 16, 2023 at 8:41 PM
Actually, the correct graphic that expands on the paper that @mjafreeman.bsky.social shared is this one :D
Did a piece on shrinking Antarctic Sea Ice recently. Check it out! ❄️🌊🤏🧊
November 1, 2023 at 9:24 PM
Did a piece on shrinking Antarctic Sea Ice recently. Check it out! ❄️🌊🤏🧊
Givin' this ol' guy a whirl...
Biomass of Life!
Biomass of Life!
October 20, 2023 at 3:30 AM
Givin' this ol' guy a whirl...
Biomass of Life!
Biomass of Life!