There are nearly 8,000 species of roses that grow around the world. From the wild varieties, edible and ornamental varieties have been cultivated. Roses are exchanged as gifts symbolizing love, friendship, apology, and sympathy... Read more
Batteries have been a part of our lives for as long as electronics have. A battery is a device designed to "convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy."... Read more
Dragons have long mystified mankind. These monstrous legendary creatures are typically seen as serpent-like, many having wings or the ability to fly. In fact, the English word "dragon" is derived from the Greek word drakon, referring to a large serpent. Some have legs or the features of terrestrial beasts. Many had "extraordinary breath," able to exhale smoke, fire, water, ice, or wind... Read more
The Thinker, sometimes called Poet or Poet/Thinker, is a famous statue of a man in deep reflection. He has his hand to his chin, much as does the character in this drawing guide. The sculpture was made by French artist Auguste Rodin in 1880... Read more
The Justice League is DC Comics' team of all-star superheroes. Among their ranks are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. A number of other superheroes have joined the Justice League's ranks since their first comic book appearance in 1960... Read more
Canada is located in North America, north of the United States. It is well-known for maple syrup, Niagara Falls, and hockey. The beaver is the national animal... Read more
Forest ecosystems are found all over the world. Because they are home to predatory animals, many forests have become linked with danger in the human psyche... Read more
Christmas pudding, also called plum pudding or figgy pudding, is a traditional holiday desert, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland.... Read more
"Don't cry over spilt milk." "There's no use crying over spilled milk." The above idiom in its various forms is often used to mean "don't worry about something that has already happened and that you can't change. In its current form, the phrase first appears in print in... Read more
The eyes are one of the most important aspects of a sketch or character. Eyes are extremely expressive of emotion. Even if the rest of the face is not visible, the shape of the eyes can convey happiness, sadness, excitement, fear, or anger. Sleepless eyes can be red and bloodshot, or have dark "bags" underneath. Sad eyes may emit tears... Read more
A jigsaw puzzle is "any set of varied, irregularly shaped pieces that, when properly assembled, form a picture or map." The first puzzles, created in England during the 1700s, were teaching tools - "dissected" maps, alphabets, or pictures of animals... Read more
An elf is a mythological creature of German folklore. The elves of old generally resemble tiny humans. They were considered mischievous, causing diseases, bad dreams, or stealing children. Some were thought to be benevolent or helpful... Read more
The groundhog or woodchuck is a type of rodent, a marmot or ground squirrel. Groundhogs live across North America and can even be seen in urban areas. They can weigh 6 kg (13 lbs) and feed on plants... Read more
Cakes are sweetened bread-like pastries. They may include fruits, nuts, or sugary icings. Cakes of various types have been made and consumed throughout history.... Read more
Do you like anime? This style of animation, wherein characters have large, expressive eyes, originated in Japan. While the first Japanese cartoons were created in the early 1900s, modern anime traces its roots to the manga comic books or graphic novels that have been gaining popularity since the 1950s. Manga, in turn, conforms to an artistic style developed during the 1800s... Read more
The postman, also called the mailman, mail carrier, letter carrier, postie, or mail delivery person, has the important job of delivering letters and parcels to homes and businesses... Read more
Birds, especially bluebirds, are often used as symbols of spring in art and animation. Disney, for example, has plenty of examples - Mr. Bluebird from Song of the South, Kessie from Winnie the Pooh, and various unnamed birds seen during Snow White's performance of "Whistle While You Work, Sleeping Beauty's "Once Upon a Dream," or those twitterpated pairs from Bambi... Read more
Cthulhu is a creation of horror-mystery author H.P. Lovecraft who appears in Lovecraft’s stories from the first half of the twentieth century and in thousands of derivative works including short stories and books, board games, video games, television shows, songs, and a couple of plays... Read more
The 1996 slasher film Scream gave rise to a long-lasting horror entertainment franchise. The main antagonist is "a mysterious killer in a Halloween costume known as Ghostface."... Read more
Anime and manga - a Japanese style of cartooning - feature complex dramas and characters with large, expressive eyes. Modern anime and manga became established in Japan in the 1950s. Today, these films, television series, and comic books are popular all over the world... Read more