There is already a bee woman and a snake lady in her university course, but scientific illustrator, Samantha Bayly, 21, wants to be known as the ugly animal painter, depicting beasts that only "a mother could love".

Drawing an ibis revealed that its plumage included beautiful shades of pink and greys that not everyone noticed.

Samantha Bayly poses for a portrait holding her illustration of an Australian White Ibis (Bin Chicken), and wearing one of her prints on a t-shirt. Credit:Cole Bennetts

"Everyone hates an ibis, they are boring, brown and usually smelly, and they don't get much loving. They are misunderstood and so sad, hideous and in everyone's bins, but that's that because their real habitat is being destroyed. "

Ms Bayly and a fellow student Lucia Garces are the co-winners of the inaugural $10,000 Scientific Illustration Scholarship from the Australian Museum. It was awarded this month to commemorate the legacy of 19th century natural history illustrators Helena and Harriett Scott and encourage the next generation of scientific observation.