Welcome to our graphics and art blog, where we share thoughts, ideas and creativity, with occasional free graphics, offers and displays of our art for sale around the web. Please bookmark us, we update our content regularly!
Showing posts with label free graphics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free graphics. Show all posts
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Lovely vintage display of various toadstools, mushrooms and other fungi in color. Makes a nice reference if printed, or cut the various images out for decoupage and other art and craft projects.
Fact...There’s no scientifically accepted difference between a mushroom and a toadstool. You sometimes see the term being used interchangeably to refer to the same types of fungus. Most of the time though, people are using the name toadstool to refer to the inedible varieties.
Another interesting fact...The name Toadstool dates back to the 14th Century. Sometimes recorded as "tadstoles". Toadstools were thought to be favored places for Toads to sit. Toads were considered poisonous and diseased. This was then transferred they thought by the Toad to the Toadstool.
Fact...There’s no scientifically accepted difference between a mushroom and a toadstool. You sometimes see the term being used interchangeably to refer to the same types of fungus. Most of the time though, people are using the name toadstool to refer to the inedible varieties.
Another interesting fact...The name Toadstool dates back to the 14th Century. Sometimes recorded as "tadstoles". Toadstools were thought to be favored places for Toads to sit. Toads were considered poisonous and diseased. This was then transferred they thought by the Toad to the Toadstool.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Today's Freebie: Vintage Image from the Betty Fairy Book
Today's vintage image is from The Betty Fairy Book of 1915.
It depicts a winged ship with a little fairy in green. The original illustration was whiter and brighter than this vintage image, which was taken directly from my copy of the original book. I chose not to try to brighten it in photoshop, because I like the vintage look. But if you want to do so, feel free.
The poem is part of the larger story of the book. It's such a pretty illustration, done by Margaret Evans Price, who, incidentally, was one of the later founders of Fisher-Price Toys!
The Betty Fairy Book was written by Helen E. Flint in 1915. It tells the story of a little girl who unintentionally angers the fairies, by finding a fairy crown and dancing on fairy land. The fairies banish her to the boat pictured above. I wouldn't mind a sail on that pretty thing!
Anyway, the story ends happily, both for Betty and the fairies.
We'll be offering more illustrations from this lovely vintage children's book in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy this one, and feel free to download and use for your own purposes.
It depicts a winged ship with a little fairy in green. The original illustration was whiter and brighter than this vintage image, which was taken directly from my copy of the original book. I chose not to try to brighten it in photoshop, because I like the vintage look. But if you want to do so, feel free.
The poem is part of the larger story of the book. It's such a pretty illustration, done by Margaret Evans Price, who, incidentally, was one of the later founders of Fisher-Price Toys!
The Betty Fairy Book was written by Helen E. Flint in 1915. It tells the story of a little girl who unintentionally angers the fairies, by finding a fairy crown and dancing on fairy land. The fairies banish her to the boat pictured above. I wouldn't mind a sail on that pretty thing!
Anyway, the story ends happily, both for Betty and the fairies.
We'll be offering more illustrations from this lovely vintage children's book in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy this one, and feel free to download and use for your own purposes.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Here are two free seamless tile patterns for you to download. These designs are opposite in style. The top tile is abstract and has a flowing feel to it in purple, blue and green. While the bottom vintage pattern is a daffodil floral in white, gold and green, with a very stylized look. Both are lovely in their own way. Right click on each of these to save to your computer.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Persuasion is Better than Force
We came across a lovely edition of Aesop's Fables by V.S. Vernon Jones, from 1912, with illustrations by the great Arthur Rackham (1867 -1939). Rackham was famous for his pen and ink drawings that combined the use of India ink, often with subtle watercolor washes.
This particular drawing illustrated a fable called "The North Wind and the Sun." In the artwork, the North Wind is blowing at full force, while the sun, with a somewhat evil grin, waits his turn to prove his strength and power. Of course, all of Aesop's fables had a lesson to be learned, and the lesson of this brief fable was "Persuasion is better than force."
Pity the poor traveler who is the chosen target of the dispute between the north wind and the sun! He looks right miserable!
Here's the fable in its entirety:
.THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN
A dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun, each claiming that he was stronger than the other. At last they agreed to try their powers upon a traveller, to see which could soonest strip him of his cloak. The North Wind had the first try; and, gathering up all his force for the attack, he came whirling furiously down upon the man, and caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one single effort: but the harder he blew, the more closely the man wrapped it round himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first he beamed gently upon the traveller, who soon unclasped his cloak and walked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders: then he shone forth in his full strength, and the man, before he had gone many steps, was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey more lightly clad.
Persuasion is better than force
We'll share more images from this lovely book in the near future. The illustration above can be enlarged by clicking on it, so you can see the cool detail and the distinctive strokes that were a hallmark of Rackham's illustrative style.
As far as we know, this image is in the public domain, but as always, do your own research before you decide to use it, especially if you plan to use it for commercial purposes.
If you enjoy our blog, please leave us a comment. We're new and we want to hear from you!
This particular drawing illustrated a fable called "The North Wind and the Sun." In the artwork, the North Wind is blowing at full force, while the sun, with a somewhat evil grin, waits his turn to prove his strength and power. Of course, all of Aesop's fables had a lesson to be learned, and the lesson of this brief fable was "Persuasion is better than force."
Pity the poor traveler who is the chosen target of the dispute between the north wind and the sun! He looks right miserable!
Here's the fable in its entirety:
.THE NORTH WIND AND THE SUN
A dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun, each claiming that he was stronger than the other. At last they agreed to try their powers upon a traveller, to see which could soonest strip him of his cloak. The North Wind had the first try; and, gathering up all his force for the attack, he came whirling furiously down upon the man, and caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one single effort: but the harder he blew, the more closely the man wrapped it round himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first he beamed gently upon the traveller, who soon unclasped his cloak and walked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders: then he shone forth in his full strength, and the man, before he had gone many steps, was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey more lightly clad.
Persuasion is better than force
We'll share more images from this lovely book in the near future. The illustration above can be enlarged by clicking on it, so you can see the cool detail and the distinctive strokes that were a hallmark of Rackham's illustrative style.
As far as we know, this image is in the public domain, but as always, do your own research before you decide to use it, especially if you plan to use it for commercial purposes.
If you enjoy our blog, please leave us a comment. We're new and we want to hear from you!
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Arthur Thiele was the son of an instrument maker. Best known for his fabulous anthropomorphic art, he created an abundance of fun art with pigs, geese and other animals. He was, however, best known for his comical depictions of cats and dachshunds. He also illustrated childrens' books.
I love his artwork, and would like to share this adorable scruffy kitten with you. If you've never seen his work I hope this freebie will encourage you to search it out.
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