Explore the World of Visual Arts

Study Notes

Visual Arts: A Brief Overview

Visual arts include painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture.
The term "visual arts" now includes fine art, applied or decorative arts, and crafts, but it was previously restricted to people working in the fine arts only.
The distinction between the fine arts and crafts was emphasized by artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Painting and sculpture have been privileged over other arts in Western and East Asian art because they rely heavily on the imagination of the artist.
Training in the visual arts has been through variations of the apprentice and workshop systems, and art schools at tertiary levels.
Drawing is the means of making an image, illustration, or graphic using various tools and techniques.
Painting is the practice of applying pigment suspended in a carrier and a binding agent to a surface in combination with drawing, composition, or other aesthetic considerations.
Printmaking is creating an image on a matrix that is then transferred to a two-dimensional surface by means of ink or another form of pigmentation.
Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of light.
Architecture is the process and product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or other structures.
Filmmaking is the process of making a motion picture from an initial conception and research through distribution to an audience.
Computers have been used as an ever more common tool in the visual arts since the 1960s.Overview of Visual Arts
Visual arts include traditional fine arts such as drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, film, and printmaking.
Digital technologies have blurred the lines between traditional and new media art forms, such as algorithmic art, video games, and website art.
Computer usage has led to multi-skilled image developers, and the use of computer clip art has made the distinction between visual arts and page layout less obvious.
Plastic arts involve physical manipulation of a plastic medium such as sculpture or ceramics, and also include materials that can be carved or shaped such as stone, concrete, and steel.
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard or plastic material such as stone, clay, metal, glass, or wood, and can also be made with 3D printing technology.
Public art is often in the form of sculpture, and many sculptures together in a garden setting may be referred to as a sculpture garden.
The US copyright law has a more restrictive definition of visual art.
The term "visual arts" can refer to traditional fine arts, digital art, and plastic arts.

Description

Test your knowledge of the visual arts with this brief overview quiz. From traditional fine arts to digital technologies, this quiz covers topics such as painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture. See how much you know about different mediums, techniques, and the historical context of the visual arts. Challenge yourself and learn something new about this fascinating field.