PAINTING

Definition and History of Painting

Many of you might have already experienced painting before but do you
really know what a painting really is?
Painting is technically defined to be the practice of applying paint,
pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface called the “matrix” or
“support”. The medium is commonly applied to the base or matrix with a brush,
but other also use other materials such as knives, sponges etc.
Painting can also be defined as the mode of creative expression. It is an
art form that gives us the ability and freedom to express our thoughts, feelings
and emotions on a matrix or canvas, especially the help of color and a brush.
Now that we know the definition of painting, let us now go to the history.

Prehistoric (40,000 – 4,000 B.C.) – Paintings are usually made from natural
pigments that depicts animals and human figures in a cave.
Ancient (4,000 B.C. – A.D. 400) – Paintings were used to tell stories about gods
and goddesses like the Egyptians.
Medieval Art (500 – 1400) – Paintings were dark and brutal. It was mostly
about biblical subjects.
Renaissance Art (1400 – 1600) – Paintings were about natural elements and
now exhibit attention-to-detail.
Baroque (1600 – 1750) – Paintings were characterized by drama. Has intense
contrast between light and dark.
Romanticism (1780 – 1850) – Paintings were focused on passion, emotion,
and sensation over intellect and reason.
Modern Art (1850 – 1930) – interest in re-imagining, reinterpreting, and even
rejecting traditional aesthetic values of preceding styles.
Contemporary (1970 – Present) – emergence of modern day art such as pop
art and photorealism.
 Elements of Painting
Color
Color (or hue) is at the heart of every painting. It is arguably the most important element because
it sets the tone for how viewers feel about the work. It can, for instance, be warm and inviting or
cold and stark. Either way, color can set the mood for a piece.
Tone
Tone and value are used interchangeably in painting. It is, essentially, how light or dark a paint is
when you strip away the color. Understanding how to use it can greatly affect the way your art is
perceived.
Line
Line is defined as a narrow mark made by a brush, or a line created where two objects or elements
meet. It defines the subject of paintings and helps us imply things such as movement.
Shape
Every piece of artwork includes the element of shape, which ties into line and space. In essence, a
shape is an enclosed area that is made when lines meet. When that shape takes on a third dimension
(as in sculpture or some mixed media), we then also have form.
Space
Space (or volume) is another crucial element in any art and it can be used to great effect in
paintings. When talking about space in art, we think of the balance between positive and negative
space.

Types of painting
1. Oil painting - Oil painting can be a difficult task for beginners. Oil painting is suitable for almost
all kinds of styles. You get to work with smooth texture of paint and it has a wonderful scent to
it. Oil paint uses some drying oil as a binder to the pigments, which gives the wonderful buttery
feel to the paint. The most common drying oils used as a binder are walnut oil, linseed oil, poppy
seed oil. Due to its long drying time, artists can take their time producing work.

2. Watercolor painting - Typically painted on paper, watercolors are made from pigments
suspended in a water-based solution. Known for the transparent layers they create, watercolor
paint remains soluble even when dry. This means that artists can make some corrections even
when the painting is dry, but this also means that finished work must be protected carefully.
There are many watercolor techniques that artists use to create different styles of art, from
realistic portraits to washed out landscapes. Although paper is the most common support,
watercolors can also be used on surfaces like fabric, wood, leather.
3. Pastel painting - Sometimes known as “dry painting,” the use of pastels has been popular since
the 16th century. Their stick form and lack of drying time make them an easy and portable
solution for artists. The most popular pastels—known as soft pastels—have chalk incorporated
into them, but oil pastels with a waxy consistency are also available. Colors are typically blended
straight onto the support and if you’re looking for a watercolor type effect, there are also water-
soluble pastels. These paintings are fragile, as the pigment can lift from the surface, so should be
framed under glass.

4. Fresco - is an ancient technique that is perhaps best-known thanks to Michelangelo’s

iconic Sistine Chapel Ceiling. Buon fresco involves mixing pigment with water and applying it to
a still-wet layer of plaster. Used for ceiling and wall decorations, the water helps the pigment
merge into the plaster, creating a permanent bond when dry. Buon fresco—or true fresco—
requires artists to work quickly, as the surface is no longer paintable once the plaster dries.

5. Acrylic - If you are looking for faster drying painting, then acrylic painting is the best. These are
water soluble paints, yet once the painting is complete, it turns water resistant. Interesting fact
isn’t it? Most hobbyists love to work with acrylic paints. For sculptures, moulding, facial
features, many artists use acrylic painting. It is easier to clean the brushes after use, since acrylic
paints need only water to wash them off.

6. Ink Wash - Also known as literati painting, ink wash finds its origins in China and East Asia. The
use of black ink in calligraphy led to the popularity of brush painting using the same inks. Artists
achieve different tonalities by varying the amount of ink on the brush and the pressure with
which the stroke is applied. Brushstrokes are carefully studied, with calligraphy masters
spending years perfecting their strokes. Though today colored inks are widely available, black is
still the most common ink used.

7. Sand Painting - Painting on sand can be quite messy and it's a temporary art. The sand painting
can be captured on video using speed motion, to understand how the artist works on them. It's
normally done with minimal light, but has a focus light under the table where the sand painting
is being created. Sand painting is created using coloured sands, which is moved around on a
fixed surface using hands.

8. Spray paint - Adhering well to nearly any surface, its most commonly used by mural artists and
graffiti artists on plaster, brick, and metal. Spray paint dries quickly and is fairly weather
resistant, making it a durable choice for urban artists. Available in an array of hues, artists pair
the cans with special caps that control the width of the spray. It’s possible to find spray paint
with different effects and finishes, as well as different pressures and coverage.

9. Texture painting - Texture paintings are mostly used with oil paints, since while working with
acrylic paints, they effects are lost when the acrylics dry up. But oil paints tend to be expensive,
 so as a substitute one can use acrylic impasto which works amazing on textures. Apart from
regular paint brushes, flat knifes, blunt objects are used to create texture paintings.

10. Digital painting - Digital painting is the art of creating artwork on a computer, which makes it
resemble a watercolour painting, oil painting or even an acrylic painting. A digitally prepared oil
painting and manually done oil painting will have plenty of differences, since you have access to
plenty of other textures and instruments which are easily available on the system.

The paintings

1. Oil painting

2. Watercolor painting
3. Pastel painting

4. Fresco

5. Acrylic
6. Ink Wash

7. Sand Painting

8. Spray paint
9. Texture Painting
10. Digital painting