California cave art linked to early use of hallucinogens

The Chumash people poked bits of psychoactive plants into cave ceilings next to their paintings.

Credit: Rick Bury (art)/Melissa Dabulamanzi (Datura)/PNAS
  • Mysterious pinwheel paintings in a California cave are probably representations of the hallucinogen Datura wrightii.
  • The paintings were made by the Chumash people 400 years ago.
  • This is the first definitive connection between cave painting and hallucinogens.
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Relieve stress through art with the help of these drawing courses

Pencil Kings will guide you from beginner to mastery with industry-leading teachers from Marvel and DreamWorks.

  • In a stressful time, art therapy has been shown to relieve stress, stimulate the brain's pleasure center, and help you become emotionally resilient.
  • Creating art stimulates the release of dopamine, which in turn raises self-esteem levels.
  • Pencil Kings features world-class teachers from Marvel and DreamWorks guiding you through art therapy by drawing.
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Unleash your inner da Vinci with these art and science drawing lessons

Learn how to draw realistic figures for comic books, anatomy courses, and more.

  • Masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper followed countless hours of anatomical studies.
  • Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by the human form.
  • The Complete Creative Art & Science of Drawing Bundle teaches you how to draw human bodies, heads, and more.
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9 weird and terrifying monsters from Japanese mythology

From animated umbrellas to polite-but-violent turtle-people, Japan's folklore contains some extremely creative monsters.

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  • Compared to Japan's menagerie of creatures, Western folklore can feel a little drab.
  • The collection of yōkai—supernatural beasts or spirits—has a staggering amount of variety.
  • Although there are many more creative folkloric creatures, here are nine that caught our attention.
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The horror and mystery behind 'the Black Paintings'

Towards the end of his life, Francisco Goya began painting terrifying scenes directly onto the walls of his house.

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  • The Black Paintings stand out in art history for their dark composition and themes.
  • The biggest mystery, though, is that Goya painted them directly onto the walls of his home and never told anybody about them.
  • With such little information, all we can do is speculate about the 14 horrifying Black Paintings.
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