Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Watch ad-free on Patreon: patreon.com/collection/79329 In this third episode of The Why of Art, Diane and Tamsin travel back 40,000 years to the Ice Age to explore the very beginnings of human creativity. From hand stencils in flickering torchlight to horses galloping across cave walls, they reflect on what Stone Age art tells us about who we are — and why the impulse to create is so deeply human.
As they sketch and smudge with charcoal and pastel, Diane and Tamsin wonder what drove our ancestors to climb scaffolding, lie on their backs, and cover cave ceilings with bison and bulls. Was it ritual, survival, teaching, memory — or simply the joy of making?
This is a conversation about the caves of Lascaux and Chauvet and curiosity about Picasso and Paleolithic hunters, about memory, movement, and why art has always been more than decoration. And it’s about us today: why we still doodle, still paint, still reach for color and line when words aren’t enough.
Topics include:
– The discovery of the Lascaux caves in 1940
– What Stone Age paintings reveal about movement, shading, and perspective
– Why early humans might have created art: ritual, survival, joy, or play
– Connections between Paleolithic marks and today’s art practices
– Are humans unique in making art — or do animals share this impulse?
– Desmond Morris and art as a survival tool
So settle in with your sketchbook or pastels, and join us in the oldest art gallery in the world.
#TheWhyOfArt #StoneAgeArt
Materials:
Art Graf 6 Highly Pigmented Earth Tone Colors Set amzn.to/4gcyF9E
Conté à Paris Sanguine Medicis 2-Sketching Crayons amzn.to/47rGZjq
25 Pieces Willow Charcoal Sticks in Storage Tube amzn.to/4nhmEC3
Jack Richeson Unison Pastel Set Natural Colors amzn.to/4pbxwTC
Sennelier Yellow Ochre Soft Pastel amzn.to/47OxyuL
Rembrandt Soft Pastel Set Yellow Ochres amzn.to/469YiTM
Daler Rowney Pastel Paper - 6 colors 160gm 12 x 16 inches amzn.to/4mJkYBo
Strathmore Pastel Pad 9 x 12 inches - assorted colors amzn.to/47rvrwD
----------
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome & introduction
1:20 The discovery of Lascaux cave in 1940
3:00 Horses, bison, and the first moving pictures
6:20 Picasso and the shock of the old
8:40 Shading, perspective, and forgotten skills
12:50 Were there Stone Age “artists”?
15:10 Why did they do it — ritual, memory, or joy?
18:40 Handprints, hunting, and meaning
22:00 Everyday creativity beyond the caves
38:30 Art as survival — Desmond Morris’ reminder
--
➡️ DON’T LOVE DRAWING? USE OUR LIBRARY OF 300+ SKETCH DOWNLOADS!
dianeantone.com/youtube-tutorial-sketches
*ALL Sketches have a full-length tutorial here on YouTube!*
Get 10 FREE one-click sketch downloads per month:
dianeantone.com/product/studio-insiders-pass
There are no recurring charges, just a one-off payment to set up the Pass.
**Mid and Top Tier Patrons and Channel Members get this pass FREE - look for the coupon code when you join!**
➡️ *Join Us and Support Us*
Join my YouTube Membership: youtube.com/dianeantonestudio/join
Join my Patreon: patreon.com/dianeantonestudio
Tip Jar: tinyurl.com/dastipjar (PayPal)
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——
➡️ *Save on Supplies with these PERMANENT Coupon Codes*
MEEDEN ART High Quality Affordable Art Supplies and Furniture
*Use code DIANE15 for 15% off*
US: meedenart.com/dianeantonestudio
UK: https://uk.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8833740.pkqmzOJ7cSUTK
EU: https://eu.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8833093.KEKQBZgUjrla
AU: https://au.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8831601.HrWQDzR7Ew8F
JACKMAN’S ART MATERIALS Professional Watercolours Handmade in England
*Use code DIANE10 for 10% off*
jackmansartmaterials.co.uk/discount/diane10
VIVIVA COLORS Fun & Portable Colorsheets and more Handmade in India
*Use code DIANEANTONE for 10% off your first order*
tinyurl.com/vivivacolors
MAB WATERCOLOURS Metallic Paints Handmade in England
*Use code DIANE10 for 10% off*
etsy.com/shop/MABWatercolours
VHAQUARELL Professional Watercolors Handmade in Germany
*Use code DIANE5 for 5% off*
Diane Antone x VHAquarell botanical set: tinyurl.com/dianeantonexvhaquarell
——
*Our baby sister channel*
Subscribe to @fromthegarden for behind the scenes videos of life on and around our little farm in Brittany, France
Diane Antone Studio makes a commission from sales made through the above links.*
#dianeantonestudio #watercolor #art
Watch ad-free on Patreon: patreon.com/collection/79329 In this third episode of The Why of Art, Diane and Tamsin travel back 40,000 years to the Ice Age to explore the very beginnings of human creativity. From hand stencils in flickering torchlight to horses galloping across cave walls, they reflect on what Stone Age art tells us about who we are — and why the impulse to create is so deeply human.
As they sketch and smudge with charcoal and pastel, Diane and Tamsin wonder what drove our ancestors to climb scaffolding, lie on their backs, and cover cave ceilings with bison and bulls. Was it ritual, survival, teaching, memory — or simply the joy of making?
This is a conversation about the caves of Lascaux and Chauvet and curiosity about Picasso and Paleolithic hunters, about memory, movement, and why art has always been more than decoration. And it’s about us today: why we still doodle, still paint, still reach for color and line when words aren’t enough.
Topics include:
– The discovery of the Lascaux caves in 1940
– What Stone Age paintings reveal about movement, shading, and perspective
– Why early humans might have created art: ritual, survival, joy, or play
– Connections between Paleolithic marks and today’s art practices
– Are humans unique in making art — or do animals share this impulse?
– Desmond Morris and art as a survival tool
So settle in with your sketchbook or pastels, and join us in the oldest art gallery in the world.
#TheWhyOfArt #StoneAgeArt
Materials:
Art Graf 6 Highly Pigmented Earth Tone Colors Set amzn.to/4gcyF9E
Conté à Paris Sanguine Medicis 2-Sketching Crayons amzn.to/47rGZjq
25 Pieces Willow Charcoal Sticks in Storage Tube amzn.to/4nhmEC3
Jack Richeson Unison Pastel Set Natural Colors amzn.to/4pbxwTC
Sennelier Yellow Ochre Soft Pastel amzn.to/47OxyuL
Rembrandt Soft Pastel Set Yellow Ochres amzn.to/469YiTM
Daler Rowney Pastel Paper - 6 colors 160gm 12 x 16 inches amzn.to/4mJkYBo
Strathmore Pastel Pad 9 x 12 inches - assorted colors amzn.to/47rvrwD
----------
Chapters:
0:00 Welcome & introduction
1:20 The discovery of Lascaux cave in 1940
3:00 Horses, bison, and the first moving pictures
6:20 Picasso and the shock of the old
8:40 Shading, perspective, and forgotten skills
12:50 Were there Stone Age “artists”?
15:10 Why did they do it — ritual, memory, or joy?
18:40 Handprints, hunting, and meaning
22:00 Everyday creativity beyond the caves
38:30 Art as survival — Desmond Morris’ reminder
--
➡️ DON’T LOVE DRAWING? USE OUR LIBRARY OF 300+ SKETCH DOWNLOADS!
dianeantone.com/youtube-tutorial-sketches
*ALL Sketches have a full-length tutorial here on YouTube!*
Get 10 FREE one-click sketch downloads per month:
dianeantone.com/product/studio-insiders-pass
There are no recurring charges, just a one-off payment to set up the Pass.
**Mid and Top Tier Patrons and Channel Members get this pass FREE - look for the coupon code when you join!**
➡️ *Join Us and Support Us*
Join my YouTube Membership: youtube.com/dianeantonestudio/join
Join my Patreon: patreon.com/dianeantonestudio
Tip Jar: tinyurl.com/dastipjar (PayPal)
Join our Newsletter for coupons, freebies, inspiration, news and more: dianeantone.com/join-our-newsletter
——
➡️ *Save on Supplies with these PERMANENT Coupon Codes*
MEEDEN ART High Quality Affordable Art Supplies and Furniture
*Use code DIANE15 for 15% off*
US: meedenart.com/dianeantonestudio
UK: https://uk.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8833740.pkqmzOJ7cSUTK
EU: https://eu.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8833093.KEKQBZgUjrla
AU: https://au.meedenart.com?sca_ref=8831601.HrWQDzR7Ew8F
JACKMAN’S ART MATERIALS Professional Watercolours Handmade in England
*Use code DIANE10 for 10% off*
jackmansartmaterials.co.uk/discount/diane10
VIVIVA COLORS Fun & Portable Colorsheets and more Handmade in India
*Use code DIANEANTONE for 10% off your first order*
tinyurl.com/vivivacolors
MAB WATERCOLOURS Metallic Paints Handmade in England
*Use code DIANE10 for 10% off*
etsy.com/shop/MABWatercolours
VHAQUARELL Professional Watercolors Handmade in Germany
*Use code DIANE5 for 5% off*
Diane Antone x VHAquarell botanical set: tinyurl.com/dianeantonexvhaquarell
——
*Our baby sister channel*
Subscribe to @fromthegarden for behind the scenes videos of life on and around our little farm in Brittany, France
Diane Antone Studio makes a commission from sales made through the above links.*
#dianeantonestudio #watercolor #art
