MEDIUMS OF

THE VISUAL ARTS

PRESENTED BY: GROUP 3
Mediums of the
Visual Arts
• REFERS TO THE
MATERIALS WHICH ARE
USED BY AN ARTIST
• MEANS BY WHICH HE
COMMUNICATES HIS
IDEAS
• MANY MEDIUMS HAVE
BEEN USED IN CREATING
DIFFERENT WORKS OF
ART
• MEDIUMS IS VERY
ESSENTIAL TO ARTS.
 PIGMENTS
…
Pigments of the painter could
be applied to:

Wet Plaster Wood

Canvas Paper
Pigments:
Oil Pastel
Tempera Fresco
Watercolor Acrylic
PAINTING

 The art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use

of pigments
OIL PAINTING
 Pigments are mixed in oil
 The most familiar type of painting is done with oil on canvass.
 The surface to be suitable must receive oil paint freely and yet
not absorb it, can withstand temperature changes and not crack
the pigment on it.
 Pigments can come from many sources: minerals, vegetable
matter, coal tars, and other chemical combinations
 Two Methods in Oil Painting

 Directmethod: paints are opaque and are applied to the

surface just as they are to look in the finished product
 Indirectmethod: the paint is applied in many thick layers
of transparent color.
 Oil color is the best method for convincing
representation where exact reproduction of a
color tone is necessary.
 TEMPERA
 Mixture of ground pigments and an
albuminous or colloidal vehicle, either egg, gum,
or glue, used by Egyptian, Medieval, and
Renaissance painters.
 Special characteristic: EMULSION
-Watery, milk-like texture of oily and
watery consistency.
Advantages of Tempera
- Rapid drying
-Great luminosity of the stone
- Colors are clear and beautiful
 3 Principal Dimensions
1.Unvarnished or goauche like tempera
2. Varnished tempera
3. tempera as under painting for oil

“Resurrection with Two Angels” by Bernardino Fungai “Majesty” Segna Di Bonaventura

Temper a on Wood Siena, 1460-1616 Tempera on Panel Siena, 1298-1326
WATERCOLOR
 Pigments are mixed with water and applied to fine
white paper.

 Require a high degree of technical dexterity.

 Paper is the most commonly used for

ground.
 Opaque watercolor is also called “gouache”

Made by grinding opaque

colors with water and
mixing the product with a
preparation of gum and
adding Chinese white to
transparent watercolors.
SCULPTURES
What are Sculptures?

 the art of making two- or three-

dimensional representative or
abstract forms, by the use of
different mediums. (to be
discussed later on.)
 In choosing a subject for sculpture, the
most important thing to consider is the
material.
 Substances available for sculpture are
limitless.
 Some of the earlier sculptures are
made from bone or wood.
 Different materials required different
methods of handling.
Types of Mediums in Making Sculpture
Soft Medium Hard Medium
 Has freedom  Requires the process of cutting
 Lend itself to a moderate and taking away from the block
technique that uses squeezing  Carving is confined to the limits
and shaping and continuously of wood or stone
adding to it as the work goes on
 Stone and wood is a good
 Modeling allows for the example of hard medium
expansion of gesture
 Clay is a good example of soft
medium
Major Sculpture Processes Used:
Subtractive Process: ( - ) Additive Process: ( + )
 The construction of a figure by
 A process in which putting together bits of clay, or
by welding together parts of a
unwanted material is metal.
cut away.  Final results are produced by
putting together smaller
 Carving of Stone and segments of metals.
Wood is a good  May be plastic material and can
example. It is the 2 be molded like moist clay.
major mediums in  Materials may be rigid or semi-
subtractive process. rigid like metal wires, rods and
plates.
2 Types of Sculpture:
Relief Free-standing:
 Figures which are  Can be seen from all
attached to the sides can be seen
ground like the relief from all sides like the
of “Stela of UP Oblation made by
Akhenaten” and the Guillermo Tolentino
Sculpture made by in 1949. It is made of
Ed Castrillo for the bronze and stone.
Polytechnic
University of the
Philippines.
RELIEF SCULPTURES

Bonifacio Shrine
Made by: Eduardo Castrillo
FREE-STANDING SCULPTURES
 Stone and Bronze
• The media most commonly used for sculpture
are stone and metal.
• Stone is durable, resistant to elements, fire
and other hazards. On the other hand, it is
heavy and breaks easily.
• Marble is the most beautiful of stones. Plenty
in Greece and Italy and commonly used. High
gloss and polished; more or less permanent.
• “Pieta” by Michael Angelo in the Vatican City
& The head of Ptolemy I are made of marble.
 Wood
 Advantage: Really Cheap, Readily Available and
easy to cut. Polishes well and has smooth, shiny
surface and beautiful color.
 Relatively light and can be made easily into a
variety of shapes. The grain of wood that could be
seen ads to beauty.
 Carved Pulpit of the San Austin Church in
Intramuros is an example of Phil. Carving.

Disadvantage: Limited in Size and Burns Easily.

Discolor and Decays easily in the Phil. Climate.
 Ivory
 Ivory Statues survive through long
periods of time due to the intrinsic value
of the material. Ivory lends itself to
technical mastery. Popular to ordinary
craftspeople.
 Many statues of saints have heads and
arms made of Ivory.
 Ivory lacks the vigor of wooden statues.
 Like wood, it also cracks.
 Seldom used today.
 Terra Cotta
 “Terra Cotta” means “Cooked Earth”.
 It is made when Moist Clay is molded
and then subjected to heat.
 Moderately Coarse Clay product fired
comparatively low temperature.
 Usually painted and coated in heavy
glaze.
 Breaks and Chips Easily, not strong;
cannot stand great strain or weight.
Mount Li(shan); Qin Shi
Huang
 Other Materials
 Aluminum
 Chromium
 Steel
 Plastic
 Chemically Treated Clay & Stone for casting in
liquid form

*** Plastic is less expensive for use as a casting

material than metals and less fragile in many ways.
Beauty; lightness makes it preferable to other
materials.
MATERIALS IN
ARCHITECTURE
 The materials used in a building and the methods
which are used in assembling them are among the
factors contributing to architectural style.
 Availability of materials is important.
 Durability and beauty is the basis of choosing the
materials.