PAINTING

- It is defined as the application of colored pigments to a flat surface, usually canvas, paper, wood
or plaster.

PIGMENTS – are used in making colors that comes from different sources. Some are artificially
manufactured and some are found in nature.

VEHICLE – the substance that must be mixed with something in order to be spread on a surface.

- In OIL PAINTING, the colors are mixed with the oil. In other words, OIL is the vehicle. In
watercolour, WATER is the vehicle.
1. OIL AND ACRYLIC
- Probably, the most widely used medium for painting the present time is OIL.
- The VEHICLE is oil and the surface is usually canvas.
- The ADVANTAGE of oil is that it stays moist for a long time. The artist can work over what
he/she is done yesterday and may change today.
- The DISADVANTAGE/S of oil has something to do with preservation of the picture. Because the
paint takes a long time to dry and in time, the paint cracks.

ACRYLIC – Acrylic dries faster than the oil and it enables the artist to work in thick composition.

WATER COLOR – In watercolour, the pigments are mixed with water and applied to a good quality
paper.

FRESCO – In fresco painting, the art is painted at the wall or ceiling. DISADVANTAGES: 1. It is imposible
to move a fresco. 2. The painting is permanently fixed to the wall and subjected to any disasters that
may happen to the wall.

ENCAUSTIC – the visual art that uses wax

PASTEL – pigments in the form of powders are compress tightly into sticks. Other pastels are mixed with
oil.

MOSAIC – a picture in mosaic is made by putting together small pieces of colored glass, papers, etc. and
a stone called TESSERAE.

STAINED GLASS – it is made by combining many small pieces colored glass which are held together.

TAPESTRY – are large fabrics in which design is woven/stitched by hand.

- In the MIDDLE AGES, they were hung on the walls of PALACES AND IN THE CATHEDRALS.
DRAWINGS – are known famously by the medium using PENCIL OR PEN, SILVERPOINT AND CHARCOAL.

PENCIL – is one of the most common medium in drawings because of its general utility.

SILVERPOINT – a drawing made with a gold or silver wire on a specially prepared paper.

CHARCOAL - is one of the oldest mediums for drawing. The charcoal is made by roasted wood.

- This medium is capable of great variety of tones from the darkest to the very light.

CHALK – is another medium that has been used from the earliest times. It is found in white, black and
red.

CONTÉ CRAYON – is one of the chalks that is less waxy than the schoolroom type of chalk.

MEDIUMS OF VISUAL ARTS

ARCHITECTURE – Traditionally the material of which a building is made has been determined by the
materials native to the place where the building is located.

- In GREECE, marble was easily available, and many of the buildings were made of marble.
- In ROME, concrete was used because there were great quantities of an earth called
POZZOULANA.
- In EUROPE, limestone was easily available and cathedrals were built of limestone.
- In most section of UNITED STATES, there were heavily WOODED FORESTS and the first housed
were built by chopping down.
- In the SOUTWEST, the Indians had NO STONE AND NO WAY OF FIRING BACK and so they built
their housed of BRICK DRIED IN THE SUN, ADOBE.
- However, in the MODERN WORLD, the condition has changed because NEW BUILDING
MATERIALS are being made and architects are LESS DEPENDENT on local materials than use to
utilized.

SCULPTURE

1. STONE AND BRONZE

- STONE is durable, it resists weather, fire and all ordinary metal. On the other hand, it is heavy,
expensive and breaks easily.
- Of all stones, MARBLE is the most beautiful. It takes a high polish and is almost translucent.
- CARVING is a SUBTRACTIVE PROCESS IN SCULPTURE. It involves removing unwanted portions of
the raw material to reveal the form that the artist has visualized.
- MODELING, on the other hand is an ADDITIVE PROCESS. It permits the artist to rework his
material.
- Of all the metals, BRONZE is one of the most commonly used.
- The process used in making the stone and bronze sculpture are EXACTLY OPPOSITE.
- STONE SCULPTURES are made by cutting away the stone until only figures are left.
- For METAL SCULPTURES, the sculptor builds up in the figure clay and then has it cast bronze.
2. WOOD
- Wood has an initial advantage in that it is cheap, readily available and easy to cut.
- It is not brittle and permits the sculptor to work in THIN AND/OR EXTENDED FORMS.

3. IVORY
- Carvings using ivory are small. The reasons WHY IS IT IN SMALL SIZES the great expense of ivory
and it is difficult to secure if it is in large pieces.
- Like wood, IVORY CRACKS.

4. TERA COTTA
- The term “Terra Cotta” means BAKED EARTH
- Terra Cotta is made by Firing clay like pottery.
- It is very cheap compared with stone and bronze but it can be easily broken.