Back in 2021 after completing SKT the Third, I shared a scan of my personal art study notes here, “Download My Art Study Journal.”

I converted the handwritten notes from pages 25 – 33, and integrating notes from other pages in that notebook into the following cleaned-up and expanded handout:

Download Handout

Art History Timeline

The PDF file will be easier to work with. However, for those who want to cut and paste or edit the contents in the handout to create something more custom-tailored to your own needs and purposes, feel free to do so from the DOCX file.

I credit my huge improvement in art draftsmanship on art history study. It gave me the vocabulary to describe different art styles, genres, and concepts. It helped me to pinpoint which masters from history to study if I wanted to do a deep-dive into improving certain techniques, like understanding the golden ratio by studying Renaissance masters, or grid systems via Modernist artists. Most importantly, it helped with personal identity as an artist/illustrator. I can articulate which art styles and movements I’m most influenced by and then further refine my art style through dedicated study of the masters from that art movement.

This downloadable handout is a quick reference cheat sheet on the major art movements. With it, you can spot which eras, or combination of eras, you as an artist tend to be influenced by, even if subconsciously.

Also, if you’re a deck collector, this cheat sheet helps you to spot and articulate the art influences found in both historical and contemporary deck art. Like seeing Art Nouveau in our iconic tarot decks from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, or the creative forms of New Media Art explored in modern collage decks.

Recently I felt like my art was on a bit of a plateau, so I put myself through a quick art history refresher course, and the work product from that personal study is this handout. Hopefully some of you stumbling upon this page will find the download to be useful.