Watercolors for science

Documentary science was once performed entirely by hand: handwriting and hand-drawings and fast-drying watercolor paintings of the wonders of the natural and ancient worlds were used to record important and scenic things. Both professional draftsmen and artists documented the world around them through their mastery of pencils and paint. Now, watercolor paintings in particular are being digitized and studied for their context and content. This reminds me of how Japanese letters and diaries have been used to amass data on when cherry blossoms historically bloomed. It's another fabulous analog dataset! #watercolor #scientificillustration #illustration #science #bigdata

Our lost world in watercolours - the paintings that documented Earth

A new website is digitising millions of watercolours - to make instantly available a wealth of vital historic imagery that could assist everything from climate research to school teachers