In mood for sea illustrations

Today I am in the mood for a sea illustration!
And since I can’t really find the time to draw anything I am going to share some illustration of the sea that I like!
A whole while ago the sea illustrations were used in history and anatomy textbooks, nature guides, natural history museums, scientific magazines and journals.I am talking here about the 19th century when people were still discovering Earth and it’s wonders. This type of illustration is called Biological Illustration.

Since the illustration presented the sea life, they were present in wealthy houses in book formats, the novelty being interested in Natural Science. The illustrations were fascinating since the sea life is obviously so different than the land one!

Even now we are surprised by the organic forms in our seas and not many of us had the courage or the luck to be explorers of the ocean! The sea bottom has always been a source of inspiration for designers and graphic artists!

Now that we all have computers and an unlimited source of information and photography, video and other mediums, the vintage natural history illustration has become no more than a decor that is very used in the sea-inspired house decors, especially the Mediterranean type!

But we can’t throw apart this obsessions with sea illustration! I know many of you are bedazzled by the looks of those illustrations for example!

While in my Greece adventure I also worn a really cool t-shirt with sea illustration on it!This T-shirt and the lovely handmade bag with the blue boat is from Maria Dima! I think you remember her from a little while ago, don’t you? You can see the T shirt here!

Afterwards there’s a collection of contemporary sea illustrations that I like!