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Practice is a vital part of perfecting your drawing skills. Learning the basics and repeating them over and over again is the only way to improve. For proof, just check out what a few years of drawing practice can do. It’s truly incredible the progress that you can make by dedicating time to this pursuit. Those who do have gone from scrawling simple figure sketches to fully-rendered portraits in seemingly no time.

Photo: EndOfAllHope

Although the best way to improve your drawing is to just get started, figuring out what to sketch can be challenging. Like all creative endeavors, everyone goes through “blocks” where they can’t figure out what to put pencil to paper. Well, have no fear! We’ve got a list of 100+ easy drawing ideas for you to try and fill up your sketchbook with. Get your creative juices flowing with everything from everyday objects to fantastical cityscapes—we recommend trying a variety in order to flex every bit of your drawing muscle.

But First, Gather Your Supplies

Graphite Pencils

Investing in great supplies will help ensure that you expand your sketching capabilities. So, check out our recommendations for the best drawing pencils, best sketchbooks, and best type of paper. Although pencils are the most popular tools when it comes to drawing, charcoal is also fairly popular for those who like to sketch and do it fast. While working on drawings that have deep shadows, charcoal will offer rich black tones that are perfect for shading. You can check out our selection of the best charcoal pencil sets for artists.

Best Graphite Pencil for Drawing

We highly recommend Derwent Graphic Pencils. Loved by both beginners and professionals, they are available in soft, medium, and hard sets. Easy to sharpen to a point or flat shape, they are versatile for detailed work and shading.

Drawing Pens

Does your artwork depict intricate details? Try using a drawing pen. Pens offer consistent linework and precision. There is a pen for almost every type of linework, including sketching, cartooning, drafting, calligraphy, and more. Check out our picks for the best drawing pens. And if you’re looking to add color to your work, we’ve identified some of the best colored pencils to use, too.

Best Drawing Pen

Anyone looking to draw with precision will want to stock up on Sakura Pigma Micron pens. Whether sketching comics or drawing architecture, these acid-free archival pens are a great option. They come in a variety of sizes, allowing you to draw thin or thick lines and have real staying power, so your sketches will last the test of time.

Photo: Pixabay

Drawing Ideas That Anyone Can Try

Still Life Drawing Ideas You Can Find at Home

You don't have to go far to find inspiration for what to draw. Just look around your house to see what to sketch. Every object is an opportunity for drawing. If you're feeling ambitious, try combining them into a still life.

• The interior of your living room
• A houseplant
• Kitchen utensils, like a whisk or slotted spoon
• A necklace, ring, or another piece of jewelry—try combining them in a still life
• House keys attached to a keychain
• An interesting knick-knack (or knick-knacks) off your shelf
• An interesting doorknob or door knocker
• Crumpled fabric or a pile of laundry
• An object in a glass dish
• Your dinner that night…
• … before you've prepared it (the ingredients)
• Collection of your favorite things
• A still life featuring old technology
• Your favorite condiment from your kitchen—be sure to draw the label
• Things that make you feel cozy
• Your most interesting pair of shoes
• The items on your coffee table
• The view from your window

Ocean Waves, Trees, and More: Creativity Inspired by Nature

Nature has long provided artists with inspiration for drawing. Trees and the sandy beach are both beautiful to look at and are also fun to draw. Plenty of cute animals are also out in the world, from a squirrel at the park to an octopus at the aquarium. As you improve your drawing, try revisiting these subjects to see how different they now look.

• Trees outside your window
• A fresh bouquet of flowers (try colored pencils with this one)
• A myriad of mushrooms
• A landscape scene from your favorite vacation
• Head to a park and draw what you see
• Your favorite tree
• A seashell or collection of seashells
• Visit an aquarium or look at a fish tank and draw what you see

Have a Lot of Fun Drawing People With These Ideas

People can be a daunting subject, but humans are exciting models to explore. From self-portraits to sketching the body, you'll never tire of these interesting and challenging ideas that revolve around people.

• Your self-portrait
• A famous person you admire
• Your feet (or someone else's feet)
• Your hands (or someone else's hands)
• A closeup of your eye
• Sketch someone on public transit
• A portrait of your significant other
• Someone who looks worried and is biting their lip
• What you're wearing today
• The back of someone's head
• Curly hair, from gentle waves to ringlets

Aren't feeling confident about drawing people? Check out these online drawing classes to sharpen your skills.

• Portrait Drawing for Beginners
• Realistic Portrait Drawing Made Easy

More Great Drawing Ideas

• A furry friend (working from a photograph is probably best)
• The exterior of your favorite building
• A cute baby animal
• Fresh fruit that's been cut in half (citrus fruit works well)
• A cup of coffee and pastry from a local cafe
• Your favorite wild animal
• A spider in a spiderweb
• Play with perspective by looking straight up at a skyscraper or at a bridge
• Make a copy of your favorite painting or statue (bonus points if it's in a museum)
• Recreate scientific renderings of bugs or birds (such as John James Audubon)
• What you see from your car's rearview mirror
• Frog on a lily pad
• The view from a bridge—either from or underneath it
• The inner workings of a mechanical object (like a watch)
• A ballerina on their toes
• Draw your to-do list
• Find a receipt and draw one item that is on it
• Sketch the same subject in at least five different ways
• Document your day, each hour, as a comic
• Aerial view of your favorite place

Photo: Syda_Productions/DepositPhotos

Creative Drawing Ideas Inspired by Holidays

Get into the spirit when you sketch. Holidays have their own imagery that you can source when trying to think of something to draw.

Halloween Drawing Ideas

• A bat flying in the sky
• Your idea of a haunted house
• A massive spider web (you decide how big)
• Pumpkins with scary faces
• A group of witches brewing a boiling cauldron
• A spooky ghost that could live in your town
• A glamorous vampire and their vampire hunter nemesis
• Zombies walking through the city
• An old graveyard that is coming alive

Thanksgiving Drawing Ideas

• A cornucopia of different fall foods (like pumpkins and corn)
• Your favorite Thanksgiving dinner dish
• Colorful fall leaves falling from the trees
• A portrait of a turkey
• Something that you're thankful for

Christmas Drawing Ideas

• A Christmas tree decorated by you
• A portrait of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus
• All of Santa's reindeer playing in the snow
• The biggest snowman that you can imagine
• Santa's sleigh with Christmas lights
• Your family as gingerbread people
• A snow globe containing a beautiful winter scene
• Your Christmas stocking (filled with goodies)
• A yard filled with candy canes

Photo: Javier Gonzalez

Drawing Ideas Inspired by the Imagination

Imagine Your World With a Dragon and a Rainbow

Draw the world that you want to see. If it's cloudy out, imagine a sunny day with a vibrant rainbow. Want a protective pet? Sketch what a friendly dragon would look like. With these ideas, the sky is the limit to what's possible on the page.

• Design the exterior of your dream house
• Now, the interior of your dream home
• Build your own castle
• What's at the end of the rainbow?
• Imagine life underwater
• Picture a home in outer space…
• … and the ship that will take you there…
• … and the creatures you'll meet
• A neighborhood of treehouses
• Superheroes in real life
• Your world in LEGOs
• M.C. Escher-style interior
• Imagine a city in outer space
• Imagine an album cover for a fictitious band (or real band)
• Make up your own flower—for an added challenge, make it a whole bouquet
• Make up a music band and draw their album cover
• Draw a new album cover for an existing musician
• Combine multiple animals into one creature

Cool Drawing Ideas Inspired by Fantasy

Fantasy is all about imagining things. We often think about it in terms of grand worlds like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but at its core, fantasy is about picturing things that don't exist today.

• Imagine a wolf made of branches
• Combine two subjects that don't go together into one scene
• Draw a new fish tank for a fish
• Draw a still life in the Cubist style
• Everything in the world is topsy-turvey (up is down, down is up)
• Animal dressed like a human
• Give an object a face
• Mashup of two characters in pop culture
• A mad tea party
• A forklift lifting spaghetti and meatballs
• It's raining… (not water)
• Randomly select three words and draw what they mean together
• An animal holding a balloon
• A llama that's about to tap dance
• A mythical creature inspired by a unicorn
• Your favorite fairy-tale character

Patterns and Other Easy Things to Draw

You don't have to draw dragons to exercise your imagination. If you like design, try creating your own patterns or filling a sheet of paper with stylized flowers. These ideas will get you started.

• Cover a sheet of paper with an array of flowers
• Fill a silhouette portrait with geometric designs
• Make your own pattern
• Many mandalas in different shapes and patterns
• Reimagine a famous pattern like paisley
• Illustrate a vivid dream you or someone else has had
• Render your favorite memory
• An unlikely pair of friends
• A drawing of a drawing
• Swap the scale of two subjects
• Illustrate the phrase “it's a small world”
• Illustrate the phrase “your head in the clouds”
• Illustrate part of your favorite song
• Illustrate the title of your favorite book
• Illustrate an idiom in a literal way
• Your favorite video game character
• A cityscape in the lenses of sunglasses

For even more drawing prompts, pick up your copy of 642 Things to Draw!

Learn How to Execute Your Drawing Ideas Step by Step

Photo: rawpixel

While there are seemingly endless cool drawing ideas floating around, some of the most popular subjects tend to be nature-themed or revolve around the human figure. Get acquainted with how to draw them with some of the step-by-step guides below. You never know—learning to draw them might spark even more drawing ideas!

Drawing Animals

Photo: Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

How to draw a cat in two different ways — Whether you want to sketch countless tiny fur hairs or are looking to design the next Garfield, this guide will introduce you to basic cat anatomy and how to draw them in a realistic or stylized way.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Draw a tiger step by step — Ready to draw a big cat? Learn how to draw a tiger in 10 steps.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Learn how to draw a panda — Pandas are some of the most beloved animals on the planet, and it's easy to understand why. This tutorial will teach you how to draw a panda sitting while holding a shoot of bamboo.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Master drawing a cow lying down in a field — No depiction of a bucolic landscape is complete without a content cow, grazing away on some grass. Learn how to draw a cow with these step-by-step instructions.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Sketch a polar bear step by step — In this tutorial, we will go through the steps of sketching a polar bear walking through the arctic under a full moon.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Draw a sleeping arctic fox in nine steps — With their plush coats and charming personalities, it's no wonder foxes are among the most beloved animals on the internet. Now you can learn to draw one!

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Make your own drawing of a sea turtle — Follow this illustrated guide to learn how to draw a sea turtle in pencil and then go over it in ink.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Learn a bat step by step — Bats are often regarded as a symbol of Halloween and all things spooky. Learn how to draw a bat with these step-by-step instructions and illustrations.

Drawing Human Anatomy 

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

A “handy” guide to drawing hands — Drawing human anatomy is tricky, and the hands might be the most challenging body part of all. In this guide, we break down the internal structure of the hand and how you can articulate the bones and muscles under the skin. Follow these steps to bring your drawing to life.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Know your nose with this tutorial — Of all the facial features, the nose is one you might not give a lot of thought to. But don't ignore it—this feature helps define the face. We'll go over the anatomy of the nose and how you can draw it in a realistic way.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Set your sights on realism — Learning how to draw a realistic eye is all about understanding that it’s not just the pupil that makes it appear lifelike. The shape of the eye, the creases in the lid, and the eyelashes are also important in achieving likeness—and we'll go over all of it.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Perfect your portraiture in this tutorial — Portrait drawing has long had an important place in art history and remains a popular subject for contemporary artists. If you too are a creative who wants to carry on this tradition, it’s important that you know how to draw a face.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Learn to draw a skull — It’s a necessary and helpful exercise to learn how to draw a skull—even if you’ve rendered a portrait before. In this tutorial, we’ll look at the proportions of the head as well as an easy step-by-step process to sketching the bones.

Nature-Inspired Subjects

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Embrace the fall spirit and draw a pumpkin — Whether they're orange, green, smooth, or bumpy, pumpkins are synonymous with autumn. We've put together this step-by-step drawing tutorial that will help you draw a pumpkin in just a few steps.

Photo & Art: Margherita Cole | My Modern Met

Sketch a sunflower in nine steps — Channel Van Gogh's painting when you follow this step-by-step guide.

Photo & Art: Sara Barnes | My Modern Met

Learn how to draw a rose — The rose is an enduring symbol of love. Just as writers have spoken of its beauty, artists draw its delicate petals. But just because the rose is popular doesn't mean it's easy to sketch. Loaded with layers of petals, it can be a challenge. But have no fear—we break a rose drawing down so that it's both approachable and fun.

Interested in other blooms? Here's how to draw a variety of flowers —There are so many types of botanicals in the world that it’s impossible to learn how to draw each one. But once you understand the basic structure of a flower, you can use that knowledge to sketch any botanical you like.

Photo: Rawpixel

If you're itching to sketch all the things, check out the top drawing tutorials on YouTube. These artists will help you learn to draw for free. And if you're looking to empower your creative journey even further, check out our illustration courses on My Modern Met Academy.

Photo: Art: Melissa De Nobrega | My Modern Met Academy

Portrait Drawing for Beginners: Learn How to Draw Anyone You'd Like — Learn to draw facial features, characters, and people. Melissa De Nobrega breaks down one of the most complex subjects into bite-sized lessons where drawing the human face becomes simple and approachable.

Photo: Art: Demi Lang | My Modern Met Academy

Architectural Illustration for Everyone: Draw Buildings in Ink and Colored Pencil — Draw architecture like a pro with this course by Demi Lang. She'll take you step by step through the process of drawing buildings using ink and colored pencil.

Looking for more drawing tips? Subscribe to our Drawing Club newsletter.

This article has been edited and updated.

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READ: 100+ Drawing Ideas That Will Get You Sketching Right Now

 

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The world-renowned Pablo Picasso is one of the most influential artists of all time and a co-founder of the Cubist movement. He was incredibly prolific during his 79-year-long career. Now, thanks to the Musée Picasso Paris and its archivists, a treasure trove of his art, writings, and memorabilia can easily be accessed through a digital archive. The museum has already uploaded almost 60,000 items to the database including 19,000 photos. They also plan to digitize at least another 200,000 documents. Many of these pieces have never been available to the public before, including items that were donated by Picasso's estate directly to the museum.

The archive was launched along with the opening of a new exhibition at the museum. Iconophage or Consuming Images explores the plethora of diverse reference material that influenced Picasso. He even collected plenty of media himself. From African masks to American comic strips, Picasso's expanded reservoir of references that broke away from academic art informed revolutionary modernist art.

As noted in the exhibition's program, “A frequent visitor to the Louvre, Picasso accumulated a lifetime’s worth of photographs, postcards, reproductions, posters, magazines, and illustrated books in addition to the works in his personal collection. This wealth of material, which provided the artist with a rich iconographic repertoire, reflects his new way of thinking about the image, liberated from the domain of art and from historical time.”

Coming later this year, the Picasso Studies Center will also open up at the museum, and the digitization was spurred by the same mission to encourage research by scholars and artists. Whether you're heading to Paris or staying home, you will be able to learn more about Picasso than ever before.

The Musée Picasso Paris' Iconophage runs now until September 15, 2024.

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso has undoubtedly shaped art history.

 

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Now, thanks to the Musée Picasso Paris and its archivists, nearly 60,000 of his works of art and memorabilia are viewable anywhere you have internet access.

 

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There are still plans to upload at least another 200,000 documents.

 

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A post shared by Musée national Picasso-Paris (@museepicassoparis)

Musée Picasso Paris: Website | Instagram
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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Ancient Library in Tibet Creating Digital Archive of Its 84,000 Scriptures

READ: Thousands of Pablo Picasso’s Pieces Are Now Available To View in New Digital Archive

(Photo: Richard Mortel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

Tibet's Sakya Monastery is home to many wonders. Founded in 1073, its collection includes some of the oldest Tibetan artwork, as well as 84,000 ancient manuscripts and books. Given its remote location, the contents of this library may seem out of reach for international scholars. Luckily, in an attempt to preserve these ancient documents, the Sakya Monastery Library began digitizing its assets in 2011 and is well underway in its mission.

Most of the library's collection is made up of Buddhist scriptures. This relates back to the monastery being the most important seat of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. However, the library also contains pieces of literature, as well as works on history, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, agriculture, and art. Among its most compelling assets are volumes of palm-leaf manuscripts, which have survived the passage of time thanks to the arid climate of the region, and the heaviest scripture in the world, which weighs 1,100 pounds.

“Following the advice of His Holiness, the 41st Sakya Trizin, the Ven. Khenchen Appey Rinpoche (1927-2010) stressed the importance of collecting, digitizing and publishing important texts to ensure an authentic and complete transmission of the Dharma to future generations,” writes the team. “Recovering and publishing many volumes of important scriptures from the Sakya tradition, Rinpoche has made an immeasurable contribution to the Dharma in general and to the Sakya tradition in particular.”

Given the sheer size of the endeavor, it wasn't until 2022 that all books were indexed. So far, only 20% have been fully digitized and are available in the original Tibetan. Following the mission to preserve these texts for future generations, the works are available under a Creative Commons license for educational and scholarly purposes.

These priceless resources can be browsed on the Sakya Digital Library website.

Tibet's Sakya Monastery Library is home to 84,000 ancient manuscripts and books.

(Photo: Richard Mortel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

In an attempt to preserve these ancient documents, the Sakya Monastery Library began to digitize its assets in 2011, making the work accessible to international scholars.

(Photo: Richard Mortel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

Given the sheer size of the endeavor, it wasn't until 2022 that all books were indexed. So far, only 20% have been fully digitized and are available in the original Tibetan.

(Photo: Richard Mortel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

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READ: Ancient Library in Tibet Creating Digital Archive of Its 84,000 Scriptures

American Union Railroad Map Of The United States, by Haasis & Lubrecht, 1871. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

Maps help us get from place to place, but they also orient us to our surroundings both physically and culturally. They reflect the values and priorities of their creators, as well as the scientific advancements of the times. They can be topological, illustrated, conceptual, and more. For budding cartographers or anyone who might be searching for a particular place in space or history, the David Rumsey Map Collection is an incredible online archive with free high-resolution downloads of thousands of maps from the past 500 years of world history. Since 2019, the archive has added 40,000 new additions across its many categories—which include such gems as a world history board game and a 22-foot-long timeline of world history.

One can search the maps by subject, location, and even by text. Or you can browse thematically, for example, through mythical maps. The collection has countless items, starting around 1550 to modern day. Some were crafted by hand, while others reflect sophisticated geotechnologies. The collection is actually the mirror of a physical maps collection assembled by David Rumsey. Rumsey began his collection in the 1980s and has since donated it to Stanford University. He has also received awards for his tireless effort to digitize and make available the maps in the collection.

Military buffs will find maps of World War I sites, while astronomers can admire these phases of the moon. Compare the heights of the world's tallest mountains, or view this historical version of Google maps from 1907. Explore maps from the collections of the Ford Motor Company, and learn about the different regions of Mexico through art. Exploring the David Rumsey Map Collection will never get boring, so what will you find today?

David Rumsey began his vast map collection in the 1980s.

Astronomical Recreation, by John Betts, 1855. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

The chemical elements and their periodic relationships, by J.F. Hyde, 1975. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

It now belongs to Stanford University and has been digitized, with over 130,000 maps online.

(Apollo 11 Moon Landing) Le 1er Pas: Ou et Comment (The first pass – where and how), by Anonymous, 1969. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

Game of the World, by Pierre Du Val, 1645. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

The collection is truly a cartographer's dream.

Hadley Rille : EVA – I, I of 2; EVA – II, I of 3. Grid interval 125 Meters, by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center, Geological Survey, 1971. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

The HOW, WHEN and WHERE of Discriminating and Enjoyable Drinking, by Collins Diboll, 1931. (Photo: David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries)

David Rumsey Map Collection: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Open Culture]

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This 19th-Century Atlas Has Raised Maps for Blind Readers

READ: Explore and Download 131,000 Maps from Vast Online Archive

Page from the “Shah-nameh by Firdausi,” a 17th or 18th-century copy of the Iranian history epic. (Photo: Library of Congress)

Persian history is rich and ancient. The first Persian Empire was founded in 550 BC and was known as the Achaemenid Empire. Persian kingdoms rose and fell in the succeeding centuries, but the culture endured and spread. Today, Persian language dialects are still spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. This is reminiscent of the days when Persians dominated art, culture, history, and science across Eurasia. You can explore this Golden Age of Persian writing and art through the Library of Congress's collection, which boasts over 700 manuscripts.

The collection includes impressive works such as the ancient epic poem Shahnamah and the works of the poet Rumi. One can peruse the 169 manuscripts online alongside some lithographs and imprint titles. According to the Library of Congress, the archive “clearly reflects the diversity and cosmopolitan nature of the collection, since a sizable number of manuscripts and lithographic books originate in India, Central Asia, the Caucasus and regions under Ottoman rule, in addition to the native Persian-speaking lands of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.”

Although not digitized, the Library notes that many volumes have bindings that are works of art in and of themselves. Meanwhile, the pages boast everything from battle scenes to ornate calligraphy. Despite the widespread belief that Islamic art does not include figural representation, the collection demonstrates this has not always been universal. Browse the collection to watch the history of a large portion of the world evolve. This wide expanse of experience is evidenced by the appearance of Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian alongside Persian.

Then, if you're still hungry for online archives, dive into these illustrations from medieval Chaucer or explore these illustrations from Victorian editions of Shakespeare.

Explore the Library of Congress's magnificent collection of 700+ years of Persian-language illustrated and illuminated manuscripts.

The 16th-century “ʻAjāʼib al-makhlūqāt.” (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

“Shah-nameh by Firdausi,” by Firdawsī, 17th or 18th century copy. (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

A 16th-century Persian manuscript, “Kitāb-i Saḥr-i ḥalāl.” (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

A page from “Yūsuf va Zulaykhā.” (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

From a Persian poetry book. (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

The 18th century “Kitāb-i kullīyāt-i Shaykh Saʻdī ʻalayhi al-raḥmah.” (Photo: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection)

h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: Explore 700+ Years of Historic Persian Manuscripts for Free Online

Digitally restored black and white daguerrotype of Emily Dickinson, c. early 1847. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
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The now-renowned Emily Dickinson is widely regarded as one of the most important poets of American literature. Famously a recluse in her later years, the overwhelming majority of her poems were never published until after her death. Even then, it wasn't until the 1920s, 40 years after her death, that her unconventional style was embraced and celebrated as proto-modern work. Poetry wasn't her only passion, though. In fact, during her life, more of Dickinson's acquaintances would have known her as a gardener than a poet, according to scholar Judith Farr in The Gardens of Emily Dickinson. From a young age, she studied botany. While still a student, the avid anthophile compiled a remarkable herbarium, a compilation of dried plants.

This herbarium still holds the same plants Dickinson dried 180 years ago and is held at Harvard University's Houghton Library. Unsurprisingly, though, the original herbarium is not available for viewing, even by academic researchers, since it is so fragile. Luckily, the Houghton Library used digital photography to make the collection viewable to scholars, and the general public. The book, housed in a green album embossed with a botanical pattern, contains 424 different plant specimens on 66 sheets of paper. Dickinson's neat handwriting can be viewed via the labels that use the scientific name of the plants.

Botany was a common past-time for girls of that era, an acceptable pathway to science through illustration, which was deemed to be suitably feminine. Over a third of Dickinson's poems refer to flowers, and she often gave gifts of her poems entwined with flowers to her friends and family. Farr argues that one can only understand Emily Dickinson the poet if one understands Emily Dickinson the gardener. For instance, most of the plants Dickinson features in her herbarium are ones native to her home in New England. Yet the collection opens with jasmine, a far more exotic species. Farr writes, “Just as her fondness for buttercups, clover, anemones, and gentians spoke of an attraction to the simple and commonplace, her taste for strange exotic blooms is that of one drawn to the unknown, the uncommon, the aesthetically venturesome.”

Emily Dickinson was a passionate gardener, creating her own herbarium when she was just 14 years old.

First page of Emily Dickinson's herbarium. (Photo: Houghton Library, Harvard University, Public domain)

Photo: Houghton Library, Harvard University (Public domain)

During the Victorian Era, young women were often well-versed in the “language” of flowers.

Photo: Houghton Library, Harvard University (Public domain)

Her herbarium was once inaccessible; but now, in Harvard's collections, it is fully digitized and viewable by the public.

Photo: , Harvard University (Public domain)

Photo: , Harvard University (Public domain)

Photo: Houghton Library, Harvard University (Public domain)

h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: Emily Dickinson’s Collection of Plants and Flowers Now Viewable Online for Free

“Macbeth and the Witches,” Macbeth, 1880. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman)

It is commonly said that William Shakespeare‘s works cannot be fully appreciated until they are performed on stage, as the thirty-eight plays by “The Bard” were meant to be seen. Actors trained to convey the pain of Romeo upon finding Juliet in the tomb, the strange humor of the woodland characters who frolic on a Midsummer Night, and the cold cunning of Lady Macbeth. Dramatic monologues, such as Hamlet to the skull must be said in proper cadence.

While reading Shakespeare's works is still a thrilling experience for literary fiends, illustrations can help bring a little of the stage's magic to the page. Michael John Goodman—who describes himself as an “independent researcher, writer, educator, curator and image-maker”—has made this magic easy no matter what edition you have. His Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive collects over 3,000 illustrations from 19th-century British editions of Shakespeare’s Complete Works.

Peruse the website however you wish, whether by play or by historic edition. The latter include those edited by Charles Knight, Kenny Meadows, John Tallis, and others. Many illustrators and engravers are also represented. The works span the Victorian period, a segment of British history that roughly tracks the lifespan of one of Britain's longest-living monarchs.

Goodman has developed an innovative way to search the archive. He has created word clouds describing the subjects of the illustrations. Find “animals,” “crowns,” “death,” and your favorite characters. This immersive experience can show you how the Victorians imagine life in Elizabethan London or ancient Egypt, with varying accuracy and cultural awareness.

The artists responsible for these historic sketches conveyed emotion in each face using different artistic styles, some more Romantic, others like a children's book to modern eyes. Check out a collection of wood engravings, or browse, and you will notice that famous actors of the day were shown in their roles. They are depicted through a process known as photogravure plates. In this process, a negative is essentially transferred to a copper plate through a delicate operation that then allows for mass printing. The Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive is not just a window into Shakespeare but also a glimpse into how people have read, admired, and interpreted his work over the centuries.

Aggregated by Michael John Goodman, the Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive is an enchanting collection of illustrations from prominent British Victorian editions of Shakespeare’s Complete Works.

“Cleopatra, Charmian and the Death of Iras,” Antony and Cleopatra, Illustrated by H. C. Selous and engraved by Frederick Wentworth, 1860s. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive
by Michael John Goodman)

Check out Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry VIII, and more notable characters from The Bard's works.

“Mr. George Bennett as King Henry the Eighth,” from Henry VIII, From a Daguerreotype by Paine of Islington, 1850. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive
by Michael John Goodman)

“Titania and Bottom,” A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1880. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive
by Michael John Goodman)

“Garrick as Richard 3rd,” Richard III, illustrated by Hogarth and engraved by Porthbury, 1850. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman)

“Hamlet Full Page Introductory Illustration,” Hamlet, Illustrated by H. C. Selous and engraved by Frederick Wentworth, 1860s. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman)

“You Spotted Snakes (II),” A Midsummer Night's Dream, illustrated by John Gilbert, 1862. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman)

“Falstaff choosing his Recruits,” Henry IV, illustrated by R. W. Buss, circa 1839. (Photo: Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive by Michael John Goodman)

Victorian Illustrated Shakespeare Archive: Website
h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: Explore Over 3,000 Victorian Illustrations of Shakespeare’s Works

America has always had a unique relationship with film. Movies have shaped the United States in more ways than one, from drive-in theaters to classic blockbuster films. Amid these iconic cultural symbols, there is also a vast array of short films that have been nearly forgotten. The Prelinger Archives‘ goal is to prevent these movies from being lost in the ether.

Rick Prelinger started the archive in 1983 with a focus on preserving “ephemeral” films, which are typically educational or industrial in subject matter. Many of the films listed in the archive are from the mid-20th century and include vintage documentaries, instructional videos, political propaganda, and home videos that provide a glimpse into what life in the United States was like many decades ago. Of the 30,000 films in the Prelinger Archives, over 9,200 can be found at the Internet Archive or uploaded to the official YouTube channel.

Many of the films are as strange or campy as you might imagine, from heavily sanitized sexual education videos on puberty and dating to an uncomfortably long and detailed 31-minute tutorial on how to handle raw meat. But there are hidden gems in the vast online repository as well, including rare performance footage of Billie Holiday, playful Felix the Cat cartoons, and same-day news coverage of major historical events, including the Hindenburg explosion or the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Vintage home videos are where the collection really shines, as these tapes offer an uncensored, unedited look into the lives of everyday Americans. Watching footage of family vacations, road trips, and Christmas celebrations provides a unique glimpse into the past. While the clothes, styles, and social norms have changed drastically since many of these videos were created, they do serve as a reminder that people have always found ways to enjoy themselves and that humans have always been undeniably human. Even though it may take some digging, you are bound to find something that stands out to you in the Prelinger Archives and makes your day a little bit brighter.

The Prelinger Archives has the goal of documenting and preserving vintage films that are normally instructional, educational, or home videos.

Over 9,200 short films from the archive can be found on Internet Archive and the Prelinger Archives YouTube channel.

Prelinger Archives: Website | YouTube
h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: You Can Now Download and Watch Over 9,200 Short Vintage Films for Free

The opening of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, with a portrait of the author: Lansdowne MS 851, f. 2r

Geoffrey Chaucer's compelling work earned him the title of “father of English literature,” and his influence can still be felt over six centuries after his passing. His most famous book, The Canterbury Tales, was published around 1400, meaning its earliest incarnations weren't easily accessible for readers and academics around the world—until now. Recently, the British Library announced that they've completed the digitization of all of their pre-1600 manuscripts containing Chaucer’s works.

The new archive features 25,000 images from more than 60 items related to Chaucer's works and life, all carefully photographed and uploaded. “We have digitized not only complete copies of Chaucer’s poems, but also unique survivals, including fragmentary texts found in Middle English anthologies or inscribed in printed editions and incunabula (books printed before 1501),” writes the institution.

As for The Canterbury Tales, the archive boasts at least 23 editions. “In addition to the surviving manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, the British Library also houses some of the earliest printed versions of Chaucer’s poem,” they write. “These include rare copies of the 1476 and 1483 editions of the text made by William Caxton (d. c. 1491), the 1491/1492 edition by Richard Pynson (d. c. 1529), and the 1498 edition printed by Wynkyn de Worde (d. c. 1534).” Calum Cockburn, the British Library’s curator of medieval manuscripts, highlights a version with a portrait of Chaucer himself. “That is a really wonderful detail because there aren’t that many surviving portraits of him,” he tells The Guardian.

Medieval manuscripts of Chaucer's other notable works are also available. The archive features an edition of The Legend of Good Women, one of Chaucer’s four poetic dream visions, with printed and handwritten versions of the text side-by-side; translations of The Romance of the Rose and The Consolation of Philosophy; and the epic Troilus and Criseyde, which would go on to inspire William Shakespeare some 200 years later.

“Whether you are experienced scholars of Chaucer’s life and poetry, who know his words off by heart, or only just learning of his collected works for the first time, we hope you enjoy exploring the pages of these digitized manuscripts and engaging with the writing of one of the foundational figures in the history of English literature,” writes the British Library.

You can start browsing the entire Chaucer archive with the help of this PDF index. To learn more, visit the British Library's website.

The British Library announced that it has completed the digitization of all pre-1600 manuscripts containing Geoffrey Chaucer’s works.

A 16th-century portrait of Geoffrey Chaucer, holding a rosary and stylus: Add MS 5141, f. 1r

The new archive features 25,000 images from more than 60 items related to Chaucer's works and life in the British Library's collection.

The opening of Chaucer’s Legend of Good Women, showing printed and handwritten versions of the text side-by-side: Add MS 9832, ff. 3v-4r

“We have digitized not only complete copies of Chaucer’s poems, but also unique survivals, including fragmentary texts found in Middle English anthologies or inscribed in printed editions and incunabula,” writes the institution.

A woodcut of the pilgrims from William Caxton’s 1483 edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: G.11586, f. 20 c4

“In addition to the surviving manuscripts of The Canterbury Tales, the British Library also houses some of the earliest printed versions of Chaucer’s poem.”

The opening of ‘The Knight’s Tale’, from Thomas Speght’s 1598 edition of the collected works of Geoffrey Chaucer: Add MS 42518, f. 29r

The opening of Walter Stevins’ revised edition of Chaucer’s ‘Treatise on the Astrolabe’: Sloane MS 261, f. 1*r

The British Library: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Open Culture]

All images via the British Library.

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READ: 25,000 Images of Medieval Geoffrey Chaucer Manuscripts Are Now Online

“The little one’s log” by Eva Erleigh. Courtesy of the New York Academy of Medicine.

The New York Academy of Medicine Library started Color Our Collections in 2016, which provides people with the fun opportunity to color in masterful artwork, all for free. In February, the program released its 2024 coloring page selections, allowing people to print and color images from 93 libraries and museums. This provides people with the chance to not only see collections that are normally in storage or not accessible by the public but also re-imagine them as they see fit.

Some of the most exciting pages on the list this year were taken from the Harley-Davidson Archives, the National Library of Medicine, and the Stanford University Libraries. The images vary from retro advertisements to sketches of fantasy creatures and nearly everything in between. No matter what style of coloring you prefer, you will probably be able to find something unique that speaks to you.

Upon clicking on a certain collection, you will likely be taken to a blank page, but don't despair. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page to click on the download link. To check out this year's collections, as well as the archives of all previous years, go to the Color Our Collections website.

Color Our Collections is an annual event that allows people to color in art from library and museum collections.

“Ornithologiae” by Ulysse Aldrovandi. Courtesy of the Bibliothèque municipale de Nantes.

This year, the event is offering coloring pages from 93 different institutions.

“Mariana Pineda” by Federico García Lorca. Courtesy of the CRAI Library at University of Barcelona.

These institutions range from university libraries to specialized archives, such as the Harley-Davidson Archives.

Drawing of 165 model from a 1957 Harley-Davidson® model flyer. Courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Archives.

With everything there is to offer, there should be something for everyone.

Courtesy of South Street Seaport Museum.

h/t: [Open Culture]

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READ: Thousands of Free Coloring Pages Now Available from Museums and Libraries