Blackman, Charles (1928-...), an Australian artist, made many drawings based on the theme of the schoolgirl. He later acknowledged that he was indebted to the Australian poet John Shaw Neilson for his interest in the theme. Blackman's sensitive and melancholy drawings of the schoolgirl evoked a world of fantasy that led to a series of large paintings inspired by the English author Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Masterpieces of literature, such as the works of the French writer Marcel Proust, have continued to inspire many of Blackman's paintings, drawings, and designs for tapestry. Much of his work also features studies of the nude body. Blackman's wife and children are also frequent subjects in his work. In addition, he has painted somber moonlit landscapes. Blackman draws mainly in charcoal on large sheets and often emphasizes black in his paintings.