Figure drawing depicts the human figure and is an essential foundation for many other art forms such as painting, sculpture and illustration. An understanding of figure drawing and the various poses, shapes and angles of the human body helps artists accurately depict the human body in their artwork and create works with more realism and emotion and higher levels of aesthetic sophistication. Figure drawing also helps artists master various techniques, such as shading and perspective.  

What you may not know about some of the world's most famous and recognisable paintings is that they were created with paint made from some very special ingredients. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the more interesting paints used by artists of the past and find out what makes them so special.

Few artists have been as influential as Leonardo da Vinci. His work in various disciplines - from painting and sculpture to engineering and architecture - has inspired generations of creators. He is also well known for his groundbreaking anatomical drawings. However, his revolutionary anatomical sketches remained a secret for centuries, only to be rediscovered in the modern era and finally receive their due recognition as one of history's most influential contributions to scientific knowledge. Read on to discover more! 

The infamous theft of the painting 'Nativity with St Francis' and St Lawrence earned it a place in one of the FBI's Top Ten Art Crimes. This glorious work by Caravaggio was stolen from the Oratory of San Lorenzo in Palermo, Sicily, in October 1969 by an unknown thief. Despite years of investigations, there have been no leads as to who might have stolen the painting or what may have happened. Read on to learn more about this magnificent painting and its mysterious disappearance. 

Art historians, scholars and inquisitive audiences have speculated on the secrets hidden in Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. We've even discussed them on our blog! Today we're going to discuss another mystery that involves this painting, the tale of the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and how it disappeared for two years, and how its reappearance made it one of the most famous paintings in the world. 

Many Greek and Roman mythology characters have been depicted in art throughout the ages, and these characters often hold great significance in ancient and modern cultures. Some of these figures are more well-known than others, but all offer a fascinating glimpse into the fantastic and magical world of mythology

The daguerreotype was introduced in 1839 by Louis Daguerre. It was the first publicly available photographic process and quickly became popular among those interested in photography. The name "daguerreotype" refers to both the process used to create the images and the final product.

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Expressionist painter who created the iconic painting, 'The Scream' in 1893. The work was inspired by an experience where Munch felt overwhelmed by "the infinite scream of nature." Today, we'll learn about the theft of The Scream from the National Museum of Norway.

We'll take a closer look at some well-known paintings and reveal their amazing secrets hidden in plain sight for hundreds of years. Read on to hear music hidden in a 500-year-old picture, speculate on what a medieval UFO may have looked like, and see if you can find the self-portrait hidden inside a painting.