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Art Education
Giovanni Battista Piranesi: The 18th Century Artist Who Inspired M.C Escher, Umberto Eco and Fritz Lang
Giovanni Battista Piranesi created some of the most widely circulated images of Rome ever made, drawn as much from his imagination as from the ruins in front of him. Today we're taking a closer look at the multidisciplinary artist whose prints shaped how the world saw ancient Rome. Let's go!

Art Education
Sea Monsters in Art: A History from Ancient Greece to the Romantic Era
Sea monsters have been a fixture of human art for thousands of years, from ancient Greek pottery to Renaissance sea charts to Edo period woodblock prints. Today we're taking a closer look at the different ways mysterious and fantastical sea creatures have inspired artists throughout the world, and through the centuries. Let's go!

Art Education
Cornelis Cort: The Innovator Who Changed European Engraving Forever
Cornelis Cort was an engraver and draughtsman from the Netherlands who lived the later years of his life in Italy. He spent his career engraving artists' paintings onto copper and, in doing so, invented a technique that changed European printmaking. Today we're taking a closer look at his life, his method, and why Titian couldn't do without him. Let's go!

Adam de Coster
What Is Tenebrism? A Brief Introduction to a Baroque Painting Technique
Tenebrism describes a way of painting in which darkness plays a dominant role, learn about this technique and what makes it distinct from chiaroscuro.

Ancient Egypt
Protective Symbols in Art: Five Images Used to Ward Off Harm
Today we're looking at five iconic examples of protective imagery in art history and its lasting influence on artists and designers.

Art Education
The Vault Editions Bestiary: Discover the Meaning and Symbolism of 50 Mythical Creatures
Bestiaries have been used to record and interpret the natural and imagined world for over a thousand years. In medieval Europe, they combined artistry with moral lessons, turning animals into symbols of human behaviour. The Vault Editions Bestiary continues that tradition for a new generation of creatives. This collection brings together fifty creatures drawn from mythology, legend, and medieval art. Each entry connects historical sources with contemporary artistic insight to inspire new drawing, storytelling, and design ideas.

Art Education
Celebrating the Season of Decay: How Autumn Can Inspire Your Art
It’s autumn for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and this time of year is especially inspiring for artists and designers; the sunlight flattens and cools the day’s colours, nights darken and draw in earlier, and the trees slowly turn from green to gold. It’s the perfect season to explore themes of transformation, texture, and impermanence in your work. If you’re feeling inspired by the shifting light and fading colour, here are five ideas for you to get started

Art Education
How to Draw a Skull: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Want to learn how to draw a skull step by step? Whether you're a complete beginner or just looking for an easy skull drawing tutorial, this guide will walk you through the process of sketching a human skull from the front view. You'll learn how to build the basic structure using simple shapes and draw accurate features, such as the eye sockets, nasal cavity, and teeth.

Art Education
Introducing Filippo Morghen: The Visionary Engraver Whose Imagination Travelled to the Moon
Italian printmaker Filippo Morghen created a series of surreal engravings depicting a fictional journey to the moon, blending scientific curiosity with whimsical fantasy. His prints show pumpkin houses in trees, giant butterflies, and strange machines. At Vault Editions, we’re drawn to forgotten works like Morghen’s that inspire imagination and creative reinterpretation. This article explores his creative vision and why it still resonates with artists today. Let's go!
