All about antlers

This story was part of the September 2024 print and digital issues of National Geographic magazine.

It talks about the annual cycle all male deers go through, shedding their antlers in the winter and regrowing them in the spring and summer in preparation for fighting in the fall. The process can be compared to the regeneration of a limb and raises scientific interest in possible applications to the growth of human tissue and organs.

Whereas the main illustration for the print story was done in scratchboard—a gesso covered surface to which black ink can be selective applied and then scratched to reveal the white underneath—the digital story was illustrated with strong colors in a fun and simple retro style.