A World of Art - Essay Example

A World of Art The characteristics of drawing, printmaking and painting vary from each other and yet are connected through similarities. Drawing components can be categorized through its mediums such as graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, chalk pastels, oil pastels, pen and ink, and lastly, markers (Fussel, 2010). By incorporating these mediums on paper, artists utilize different techniques that make it differ from printmaking and painting. The reason for this is each of the mediums’ produce different colors, shades of color, line direction, etc. An example of this is Leonardo da Vinci in the “Vitruvian Man”. In regard to printmaking, the most notable component is that nearly identical images can be produced by inking and printing from original work (Works On Paper, 1984). Woodcutting, etching, printing, lithography, and silk screening are those characteristics of printmaking that separate it from drawing and painting (Works On Paper, 1984). “L’Oiseau de Bourges” by Malcolm Osborne is an example. Painting, like drawing, is mostly about the tools, or mediums used that help define it like brushes and paint colors. An artist needs to understand what colors make what when they are mixed together, and which brushes to use to attain the correct look he or she wants. Vincent Van Gogh is an excellent example of this with his work “Starry Night”. The characteristics that form similarities between the three art genres are that they all rely on the mediums to form the artwork. 2. Encaustic- This painting technique was initially developed by Greek shipbuilders who used hot wax to fill the holes in their ships. Artists today use wax as a means to create art by heating it and applying colored pigments then incorporating metal tools or brushes to shape it before the wax cools on top of a wooden base (Sayre, 2007). “Blue Poem” is a prime example of encaustic paintings. Fresco- This painting involves water-based pigments that are applied on plaster like wall surfaces. The colors are formed by incorporating water with ground dry-power that will dry to the wall as permanent artwork (Sayre, 2007). The purpose of fresco painting is to make murals, which ideally need to be durable on a matte surface. An example of a fresco painting is “The Annunciation”. Tempera- This type of painting originated all over the world from Russia, Greece, Italy and Islam, and is most frequently used by Muslims (Sayre, 2007). Egg tempera, as it is also known by, consists of dry pigment, egg yolk and water (Sayre, 2007). The combination of ingredients creates an outstanding product which ages very well considering other painting techniques. “The Crucifixion” is an example of egg tempera painting. Oil Painting- Unlike with the consistency of the tempera paintings, oil paintings have a more undetermined history based on the fact that they do not age as well. However, it is estimated it began in Japan and used in other early civilizations. “View of Delft” is an example of this as it contains pigment in drying oil like linseed and varnish can be added to improve glossiness (Sayre, 2007). Watercolor- This technique is the oldest known by man (Sayre, 2007). It is utilizing water-soluble pigments by painting them on paper. The pigment was even incorporated into a series of washes to help illuminate the artwork (Sayre, 2007). It is one of the most difficult painting techniques. Monet did a lot of his paintings in water color. Gouache- This technique was originally paired with tempera as an addition to it rather than its own technique, rendered so by the Italians (Sayre, 2007). What artists did was add chalk to make water color opaque. It enhanced colors that the artist intended to bring out in the piece. “Pathway Painting” uses the gouache technique. Synthetic Media- This technique refers to calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate compounds, i.e. gypsum or limestone (Sayre, 2007). The crushed, dehydrated and heated compounds become stiff-like and perfect for sculpting for artists on a budget. “Dead Dad” is an example of a synthetic media sculpture. Computer-generated painting- This technique of painting is varies the most from the other techniques mentioned because it involves an electronic device like a computer or monitor in which the artist paints the picture on (Sayre, 2007). The medium includes a mouse as well as the tools on the computer program to either create a painting that is 2-D or 3-D. It is a newer technique, of course, due to the fact that computers were not invented until the 80s. 3. A major discussion and argument among painters of the Western World has been about the natural world and how best to represent it. Artists are torn between the definition of truth and how a painting realistic, or truthfully, represents the things of the natural world. There are two forms of art that are classified as representing the natural world are abstract art and naturalistic or natural art (Sayre, 2007). Naturalistic art is artwork that represents a person, place or object which is universally recognized by its viewers (Sayre, 2007). Pictures are an excellent example because, say for instance a photograph of the Empire State Building without a title is sold in a gallery it is commonly recognizable as the Empire State Building, New York, NY by everyone. Any artwork can attain naturalistic status as long as it is maintains a universal acknowledgement from its audience. This type of art is what Western World artists believe to carry the “truth” of the natural world only because of the universal symbol it creates (Edgerton, 2006). Abstract art is the opposite of natural art as its meaning is not immediately understood or registered with people. Oftentimes abstract art depicts multiple elements of realism, but they are not unanimously identified and this is what causes controversy among artists. Westerners proclaim that abstract art does not depict the truth as it is not naturalistic (Edgerton, 2006). The non-Westerners do not agree. They believe the truth is not limited to the definition of universal realism. In fact, the definition of truth is that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. Take, for example, “Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh. It is a representation of a city at night beneath a moon and stars. However, because it is not mirroring a specific city that everyone can point-out, it is considered abstract art, and therefore untruthful by Westerners. But is it? By definition truth goes along with reality, and Starry Night incorporates realistic elements that are understood like the stars, moon, homes, sky, earth, buildings, and landscape. Just because the audience cannot know which town it is, does not necessarily mean it is untruthful to nature. Also, by concentrating on replicating nature in the quest for truth, artists overlook the other important types and styles of painting like direction, value, shape, size, balance, gradation, repetition, contrast, unity, etc., (Sayre, 2007) which make art full of meaning. A viewer can attain the artist’s meaning and emotion by analyzing the elements of design and principles rather than narrowly focus on the “realism” involved. References Edgerton, S. Y. (2006). Picturing the Mind’s Eye. In Journal of Art History. Retrieved April 27, 2011 from, http://journal.utarts.com/articles.php?id=4&type=paper Fussel, M. (2010, April 2). A List of Drawing Mediums and Their Characteristics. In Ezine Articles. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?A-List-of-Drawing-Mediums-and-Their- Characteristics&ID=4043400 Sayre, H. M. (2007). A World of Art (5th ed.). Prentice Hall, NY: Upper Saddle River. Works on Paper- Introduction to Printmaking Process (1984). In Museum of Fine Arts. Retrieved April 27, 2011 from, http://www.all-art.org/history12.html Read More

 

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