Drawing
depiction of shapes and forms on a
surface, primarily by means of lines
� Artists draw to
- Define their ideas
- Plan for larger projects
- Resolve design issues in preparatory sketches
- Record their visual observations
Media
Materials the artist uses to make a piece
of art
Pigment
colored material used to make colored
media
- Binder
substance that makes pigments adhere to the
surface. Mixed with pigment.
Dry media
pencil, color pencil, silverpoint,
charcoal, chalk, pastel, crayon, erasers
Wet media
ink, quill and pen, brush
Gesture drawing
quick, loose drawing method
that aims to identify and react to the main
visual and expressive characteristics of a form
Contour drawing
drawing method that uses
contour lines to render the essential qualities
of a form.
Life drawing
process of drawing from a live
model, often (but not always) nude. Also
includes drawing other things from life, such
as architecture, animals, plants, etc.
Paint
a liquid combination of pigment
suspended in a binder that dries after it has
been applied
Luminosity
a bright, glowing quality
Illusionistic
artistic skill of making an artwork
look real
Stylized:
art that represents objects in an
exaggerated way to emphasize certain aspects
of the subject
Naturalistic
realistic or lifelike style of making
images
Painting Media
� Encaustic, tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor,
gouache, ink painting, spray paint/graffiti
- Acrylic
newest form of paint, and has the
benefits of drying quickly and cleaning up easily
with water
Spray paint
one of the oldest ways to paint, as
seen on pre-historic cave wall paintings
Printmaking
allows artists to make multiple
versions of an image by repeatedly inking and
printing a matrix
Edition
the limited production of two or more
identical images, signed and numbered by the
artist
Three main printmaking processes
- Relief
- Intaglio
- Planography
Relief
method that involves carving into a flat,
comparatively soft surface (such as wood) to
leave a raised image on the surface of the
block which can then be inked and printed
Intaglio
printmaking method that involves
cutting or etching into a plate. Ink settles into
the cut grooves. Metal plates are often used in intaglio
- Metal plates are longer lasting than woodblocks,
and thus can be used to create more prints
Types of intaglio
engraving, etching, drypoint,
aquatint, mezzotint
Planographic prints
prints created from an
entirely flat surface
Lithography
process that involves drawing with
oil-based materials on stone
Silkscreen
versatile process that involves pushing
ink through a screen using stencils
� Often used in making clothing (t-shirts), solar panels,
circuit boards
Visual Communication Design
uses symbols to
communicate information and ideas
Graphic design
art of improving visual
communication design
Typography
visual form of printed letters,
words, and text
Logo
usually refers to a carefully designed
piece of type that is unique and easily
identifiable
Layout design
art of organizing type, logos,
and illustrations in print media
� Web design
arrangement of text and images
in interactive designs used on the World Wide
Web
Photography
word originates from Greek
terms "drawing with light
Camera
is both a mechanical recorder and an
artistic tool
Photojournalism
use of photography to tell a
news story. Credibility is crucial when
reporting the news�therefore, truthfulness is
a key element for photos to be effective.
Persistence of Vision theory
at regular intervals
appear as a continuous sequence (the mind
connects them together to create the appearance
of motion)
Edward Muybridge
created illusion of movement
by taking multiple photos of a horse running and
stringing them together
By 1896
movies were being shown all over
Europe and the United States
Blockbuster
successful and popular movie
that often tells an epic or larger-than-life story
� Style in film
way in which artist uses visual
language to give a film an identifiable form of
visual expression
Genres:
categories of film with established
conventions, plot lines, and character types
Documentaries
films based on actual people,
events, and subjects
Experimental films
uses non-mainstream
approaches to create visually compelling, poetic
films with unusual content, such as dreams and
fantasy. May make use of innovative technology
or manipulated images.
Video
often made for art-related presentation.
Inexpensive, using electronically recorded
cassettes.
Color films
introduced in late 1920s
Integrated sound
introduced in 1927
Animation
creates the illusion of movement
using separately-created still images that are
shown in a sequence
Stop-action animation
figures (dolls, models,
etc.) photographed in a pose, moved slightly, and
photographed again to create scenes
- Cel animation
individual drawings, called cels, are
shown in a sequence
Special effects:
models, props, make-up, postproduction,
etc.
Interactive digital media
a way artists can
involve viewers as active participants
Alternative media and processes:
describes
artworks made outside traditional methods
- Emphasis on actions rather than the product
- Meant to expand our consciousness: make us see
the art in the everyday world around us. Breaks
down boundaries between art and life.
- Focuses on process r
Action painting
: artworks that track the movements
and gestures of an artist during their production
Performance art
performed in front of a live
audience, usually in art-related venue
Conceptual art
artwork in which the idea, or concept,
is more important than the finished end product
� Installation
choreographs an entire space, not just a
single artwork. Multi-media, and may be an
environment for viewe
Readymade
everyday object (or artifact)
presented by an artist as a work of art
Found image:
an image found and presented
by the artist, with little or no alteration, as a
work of art
Happening
impromptu art action, the
outcome of which is not known in advance
Tradition of Craft
In Western society by the 18th century,
distinctions were made between "craft" and
"fine art"
- Craft came to mean items that are created to be
used, or are functional
Craft
includes ceramics, glass, metalwork,
fibers, and wood
Ceramics
requires shaping of clay and heating
it at extremely high temperatures to make it
hard. Ceramics are made by hand-building or wheelthrowing
Kiln
oven used to fire ceramics (turns clay into
"ceramics" by hardening it)
- Glaze
glassy, finished surface applied to a ceramic
object
Ceramic hand-building
Coil method: hand-building technique that involves
rolling clay into a long rope shape, then coiling it
around upon itself
- Slab building: technique that involves rolling out a flat
slab of clay, cutting it, then using the slab to make a
form
� Wheel-throwing
: method of creating vessels that
involves shaping a mound of clay into a form as it
turns on a potter's wheel
Glass
created by applying intense heat to silica
with lead so that it fuses together
Glassblowing
process of forming a glass vessel by
forcing air into molten glass (usually by blowing
through a tube)
- Stained glass
art of arranging colored glass into
mosaic-like window forms
Metalwork
working of metal to create forms
- Can be heated and poured into molds
- Can be hammered into shape
Fibers
threads made from animal, plant, or
synthetic materials that can be woven or knitted
into lengths of textiles
- Wood
organic plant-based material that
deteriorates over time, but is prized for its
strength and beauty
� Intarsia
a kind of mosaic using thin pieces of different
colors of wood to create surface designs
Free-standing/sculpture in-the-round
sculpture that is made to be seen from many
sides and angles�we can move around them
Relief
sculpture that is designed to be seen
from only one side
Bas-relief
very shallow, low relief
- High relief
has a great deal of depth
Sculptural methods
Subtractive: sculptor uses tools to carve, drill, or
chip away unwanted material to create a form
- Additive: sculptor adds materials to create a form
Subtractive method (carving)
- Michelangelo's method of sculpture allowed him
to "release" the figure trapped within the block of
stone
- He believed sculpture was the most difficult and
beautiful form of art
- Modeling
sculpture created by building up and
shaping the material (such as clay and wax)
� Armature: a skeletal structure inside a sculpture meant
to help support the weight of heavy materials like clay
- Casting
involves adding a liquid/pliable material
to a mold to create a detailed replica of the
original model
- Earthworks
monumental sculptures that use the
surface of the earth as a material
- Construction
sculptures made from a variety of
methods that involve assembling component
parts. Parts may be found objects that are put
together to create an entire sculpture.
- Readymade
an artifact that is presented to the
viewer as a work of art. The artist makes little or
no alterations to the object.
� Artists rebelling against the traditional idea that
artworks are primarily appreciated for the effort and
skill that goes into making
Light and kinetic sculptures
lighted and moving
artworks that rely on mechanical engineering as
well as the artist's creative input
Installations:
involves the construction of a space
or the assembly of objects to create an
environment that we can experience physically by
using all of our senses
Architectural space
is the result of thoughtful
design by an artist or team of artists working to a
common idea
Architects:
collect information about
� planned location of the building
� the needs of the people who will use it
- select appropriate building techniques and materials
- consider the availability and cost of building materials
when planning projects
- consider the
Span
distance between two supports in a
structure that create interior space
Post-and-lintel
one of oldest load-bearing
construction types, with a lintel resting on two
posts
Vaulted ceiling
ceiling based on the structural
principle of the arch
Wooden architecture
made from wood, a
natural material that combines strength and
beauty
- Post-and-beam construction
Modern Architecture/Materials
19th century: increased use of iron, steel, and
concrete