Nature Teaching on the Blackboard

Nature Teaching on the Blackboard by W.P. Pycraft and artist Janet Harvey Kelman was published in 1910 in London as an attempt to inspire and assist teachers to get to grips with the tricky problem of disseminating knowledge of the natural world. This week two books of the three volume set were added to the library.  Aren't these pictures of chalk on blackboard fantastic? They would make great embroideries, and as a starting point for designing textile design, they are a wonderful resource.

Books like these may not immediately seem relevant to design but I think they are. They can be viewed as not only inspiration but also as great lessons on proportion and to help learn new skills. Using pictures like this was how I learned to make a repeat pattern and to use Photoshop.