Home | Emma Nydam | science illustration

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My name is Emma Nydam, and I'm a science illustrator & artist currently based in northwest Washington State.

I aim to create science illustrations that invite people to slow down and truly see the natural world. Rooted in observation and informed by biology, my work explores the intricate relationships within ecosystems and the beauty often overlooked. My goal is to make science approachable, meaningful, and emotionally resonant - encouraging connection, curiosity, and care for the natural world.

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Earlier this spring, I had the best day out in the intertidal zone with my class and @its_mad_science - she shared her macroalgae expertise with us, helped us ID so many brown, red, and green kelps and seaweeds, and gave us a lesson in cyanotype as well!!
(I made this sketchbook page with ink and marker after getting home - no way I was attempting to draw while balancing on slippery rocks😂)

I was astonished at the sheer biodiversity of species of macroalgae… also spot the purple shore crab? 🦀 👀

Surfgrass is a flowering plant that creates underwater meadows and shelter for crabs, sea stars, and other invertebrates. It’s important for sequestering carbon, buffering the intertidal zone against crashing waves, and filtering the water.

Mazzaella is a type of iridescent seaweed - its cuticle (skin) is covered in tiny prisms that reflect the light and create a shimmer of colors across the ocean and tidepool floor. This photo does not do it justice - the iridescence is much more apparent underwater!!

@its_mad_science gave us a cyanotype and seaweed pressing lesson!!

*ALL seaweed we collected was from an area that allows for seaweed harvesting and we took well below our daily limit. Never take anything from the beach unless you have made sure it’s legal and you have the correct permissions!!

It was a pretty cloudy day on the central coast, so we had to leave our prints out for quite a few minutes before seeing results!!!! We used fresh seaweed, but using dried and pressed seaweed does often offer much crisper results.

After exposure to the sun, the print gets rinsed in water!!

I am now HOOKED on cyanotype and can’t wait to print with some of the seaweeds and plants that I have collected, pressed, and dried! Our class made a ton of prints all together, and it was so fun to see a table full of cool compositions :)

a “Vaccinium deliciosum” and “Bombus melanopygus” on the work table - two species of the North Cascades that I love dearly! :) swipe to see the process of getting this from a transferred sketch to painting!!

I have been so inspired by many botanical watercolor MASTERS - there are so many incredible artists out there that create incredibly detailed and composed pieces that I have always loved. (Check out @shirleysherwoodcollection to see some of my favorites!!)

This cascade huckleberry and black-tailed bumblebee is still in the works - but it’ll be done by Monday :)

fine art | science illustration | Pacific Northwest hiking & nature | alpine ecology | mt baker wilderness

a little bit of what’s been going on the past month :) swipe to see the pieces of mine that made the exhibit!!

🌿 May 1 was the opening of “Illustrating Nature” at @pgmuseum - it was a great night with friends & family and so fun to see everyone’s incredible art and illustrations!! I have such talented friends :)
🌞 On Friday was my first art market of 2026 (also at the museum!) and it was a huge success! It was an absolute joy to chat with so many people & I was overjoyed to see so many prints & stickers make their way to new homes!!

⭐️ all the market prints & stickers are at the link in my bio - many more options than just the art in this post!!

✨ There’s only two weeks left of grad school (yes, I am a little bit swamped with finals at the moment & my brain is a bit of a tornado) and somehow I’m feeling all grown up 🥹☺️

the best part of being an artist is the way that it’s changed how I see the details 🥹

these sketchbook pages were done in Lake of the Woods (pinecone page) and northwest Iowa in the tallgrass prairie (the aster & spiderwort). I am so passionate about these beautiful places and the conservation necessary to protect these ecosystems, and my dream is to use the art I create to help share awareness of the places and organisms that need protecting.

all @danielsmithartistsmaterials watercolor in a @speedball_art travel journal, with writing in @sakuraofamerica micron pens.

🌲follow along for the story of when my husband and I went hiking in the redwoods on the rainiest weekend in April :) @bigsurstateparks

I’m a Washington girl all the way through, and I love the rain (& I miss it dearly here in California!). When the forecast for the weekend turned wet and gray, I was thrilled, and prayed that the rain would come while we were in the forest!!

It was a magical & perfect day. The sun shone in Big Sur on the drive down, and the rain came quickly - keeping the crowds away. We saw more banana slugs than we could count, and briefly crossed close paths with the a beautiful doe and fawn that watched us through the mist.

The past few months have been so busy with grad school and internship planning, & furthering my science illustration career & portfolio. It’s the weekends like this - out in creation, enjoying the beauty of the world - that remind me why I love what I do. What a blessing it is to live in the same world as these redwoods and mushrooms and bright yellow slugs!!

painted in @danielsmithartistsmaterials watercolors on @strathmoreart 400 series cold press watercolor paper, and notes written with a brown @sakuraofamerica micron pen.

you guys have been asking… & my friends have finally convinced me!! I ordered stickers of the most popular paintings & illustrations of the past few months, and I’m so excited to share them with you! In honor of the science illustration exhibit opening on Friday, I figured this week was the perfect time to share them ☺️
They’re now online and you can go to the 🔗 on my bio to check them out :) I’ll also be at an art market at the @pgmuseum on May 22 & you can stop by and support me & other local artists then!

lots of natural science-inspired, watercolor, ink, wildlife, and bird fine art prints & stickers are on [ emmanydam . com ]

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Emma Nydam

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