If you liked chemistry during high school, you probably wouldn’t be a graphic designer now.
Chemistry and art don’t usually mix (Ha! Get it? Because I said chemistry and… never mind).
But Minnesota-based artist Kaycie D. decided to let both bond and created a series of illustrations personifying each element of the periodic table.
Elements — Experiments in Character Design is Kaycie D.’s senior thesis project which premiered in their senior thesis exhibition in Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from April to May of 2011.
72 of the elements were exhibited while the remaining 40 were completed on November 2011.
Drawing for each element’s specific properties and namesakes, Kaycie D. illustrated all identified elements in the Periodic Table accompanied by a short trivia about them.
Kaycie D. was inspired by her high school chemistry class.
“We were watching a video about the periodic table of elements and the narrator was acting out/personifying some of the elements, and instead of taking notes like a good student I started drawing these human element characters. I created a whole story around them (which I still work on today, in my spare time) and drew them throughout the rest of my high school and college years. It was an idea I had always been very passionate about, which is why I decided to make it my senior project!”
Since she finished her work in 2011, there are two new elements that were discovered, Flerovium and Livermorium.
When asked if she’ll continue her series, she said “Possibly, as names and information become available. I know there’s at least two more named ones, so we’ll see!”
You can check the rest of her Elements — Experiments in Character Design project on her Tumblr account.
Kaycie D. is an artist from Minnesota with a major in Animation and a minor in Illustration. Aside from art, she likes puppies, Julie Andrews, and singing loudly and off-key in public places.
You can check the rest of her work on her website, KcD Studios.
Which element is your favorite? Comment your choice below!