Medical/technical illustrators too often are forgotten.
They add value to publications, and need to be compensated.
So what will be the effect, as open-access publishing becomes
more common?
It is hard to know for sure, as the whole field is evolving so rapidly.
But Peter Suber, writing at
href="http://www.earlham.edu/%7Epeters/fos/2007/11/does-oa-help-or-hurt-scientific.html">Open
Access News, thinks the OA movement will be beneficial to
illustrators. He links to an article by
href="http://www.medical-illustrations.ca/2007/11/02/open-access-and-medical-art/">Tim
Fedak, which makes that point.
I am glad to see this point discussed.
When I was in medical school, taking gross anatomy, there were a few
students there from the School of Art & Design, when they have
a very good MFA program in Medical and Biological Illustration.
I'll just say that those people are amazing.
Certainly, they deserve as much support and opportunity as
possible.