words Al Woods
It’s a difficult time for art lovers with certain galleries still closed and fewer possibilities to travel this year. Those of you who were looking forward to spending their sum
mer trolling exhibitions might have had to change plans.Luckily, over the past months, great collections of digital art experiences have been popping up at some of the most famous institutions in the world. Many of these are also interactive and use 3D technology. Here are five visually stimulating art experiences, so you can get your art fix this summer.
Watercolours
The Marandi Foundation is committed to supporting publicly available art and the conservation of cultural heritage. Their charity, The Watercolour World, offers free access to documentary watercolours that were painted before 1900. Each piece provides a wonderful insight into what the painter’s life was like at the time. For art historians and those who prefer watercolours, this is definitely a must-see virtual experience.
3D Artefacts
The Minneapolis Institute of Art is offering a collection of 3D scans of various spiritual artefacts enabling art lovers to see every detail. Whatsmore, they’re perfect if you want to practice your life drawing. If you’d like to get back into sketching, then these 3D representations are ideal for the amazing amount of detail you can see at different angles.
This collection inspires curiosity and wonder, featuring religious artefacts such as statues, food and wine vessels, animals and figurines. Some of these artefacts date back to as early at the 10th century BCE.
Illuminated manuscripts and rare illustrated books
British Library’s Flippable Site is offering the change to flip through rare illustrate books and manuscripts online as a virtual experience. A couple of the more famous pieces include Alice in Wonderland and Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebook. These are great to get stuck into on a quiet evening at home.
3D Gallery tours
Several world-famous galleries and museums are offering 3D tours at the moment. If you’re going to miss visiting galleries on holiday this year, why not take a virtual tour instead? Artland offers a range of international exhibitions, from Germany to New York to Korea. Whatever your taste, you’ll be able to find something fascinating, all available in 3D format.
The Google Arts and Culture app also offer access to over 2000 leading museums and archives, so you’ll have unlimited resources to browse through. You can also explore several of the world’s architectural gems.
Interactive Modern Art
The Tate Modern website provides a wide selection of art tutorials, interactive games and quizzes. You can follow your favourite modern artists and copy their style, or simply learning more about their life history. It’s a family fun website initially aimed at kids, but there are plenty of cool ways to spend an afternoon.
The Museum of Modern Art is also offering free online classes at the moment, so if you’re looking to brush up your skills, why not join one? There plenty of different types of courses that cover topics such as painting, fashion and photography.
