Bio:
Nicholas K. Pontone graduated with honors from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn NY in 2020 with a BFA in Illustration, right in time for the COVID-19 pandemic to send the world reeling. He freelanced as an illustrator while cultivating an interest in biology working in landscaping and gardening. It was during this time he discovered medical illustration. He enrolled at UMBC, taking three semesters of premedical classes to build upon a lifelong interest in the sciences. In 2024 he completed a two-year MA in Medical and Biological Illustration from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. While a student he was awarded the Dieter Scholarship for excellence design, a merit award from the Association of Medical Illustrators student salon, a Vesalius Trust Thesis Research Grant, and the Inez Demonet Scholarship for excellence in biomedical communication. He is currently growing his career as a full-time illustrator, and one day hopes to have his own garden.
2022-2024
MA in Medical and Biological Illustration, Johns Hopkins University: School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
2021-2022
Biology classes: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD
2016–2020
BFA in Communications Design: Illustration major, Pratt Institute of Art and Design, Brooklyn, NY
2024
- Inez Demonet Scholarship for “student with the most promise for contributions to the profession of medical illustration”
- Vesalius Trust Thesis Research Grant
2023
- AMI Student Salon, Merit Award in Biological Illustration
- Joseph M. Dieter Jr. Scholarship for Creative Design Excellence
2020
- Society of Illustrators Student Award
- Pratt Circle Award
- Pratt Institute Excellence in Academic Achievement Award
2017
- Pratt Foundations Award Scholarship for Overall Excellence
2016
- National Merit Award from YoungArts Scholastics Art and Writing Awards National Gold Medal: Selected drawing and illustration
- National Silver Medal: Selected drawing and illustration
- Two Silver Key Art Portfolio Awards
2022-2024
- JHU client based student projects: illustrations and animations
2020-2022
- Illustrations for Offshore Wind: Turbine manual and infographics
- Freelance illustration for the August issue of Scientific American
- Mural for Baltimore Toolbank: Outdoor urban ecology classroom
- Kingsdene Nursery: Nursery Assistant
2018-2019
- La Di Das Lifestyle, LLC: Graphic Design
- Outside Space NYC: Landscaping and Mural painting
2016-2017
- Vesta Partners Construction: Branding/Advertising Warrior Wellness Solutions
- Veterans non-profit: Graphic Design
- Valley View Farms: Nursery Assistant/Customer Service
- Photoshop CC
- Illustrator CC
- Indesign CC
- After Effects CC
- Premier CC
- Cinema 4D
- ZBrush
- PyMol
- Procreate