Deep diving into visual research
As creatives, inspiration may come from research, visual references and using visual tools. We would like to share some of the best open source visual libraries to entice curiosity. Let's dive in to our favourite resources:
This is one of the best visual research library for art, art history and design. It may require a membership or an institutional email account. If you can find a way to access it, JSTOR is a great tool for deep diving into your topic of interest and find relevant connections.
Best way to visit international museum collections from your home. Google Arts & Culture has one of the most extensive databases of world renowned museums to small gallery archives with detailed references and links. The website features online exhibitions, learning tools and great activities for kids. The website features daily topics such as today’s dedicated page to the photographer, Eugène Atget.
Another great visual archive is the Getty Archives. From Ottoman archives to American Art history, this website contains a comprehensive catalog and tools of visual research. If you are in need of some inspiration this is a great tool to explore new topics and expand your knowledge.
This website contains archives from all different types of archives. If you go to the ‘Collections’ segment, there are lots of options to explore various topics and learn about art history. You can filter your research by time period, art movement and format.
We saved our favourite to last. This database contains diverse drawings and scientific archives of visual research on fauna and flora. The Biodiversity Heritage Library page works on shuffle daily to bring forth different topics from natural history.
