Local Art Materials & Techniques

• The document acts as a reviewer, focusing on local materials used in art and artistic skills and techniques.

Local Materials in Art

• Medium refers to the substance an artist uses to create a piece of artwork.
• Local materials, also known as indigenous materials, are resources readily found in large quantities in a specific location.
• Availability of local materials depends on geographical location and the chemical/physical components of the materials.

Specific Local Materials

• Abaca: Belongs to the banana family with a natural luster and colors ranging from white to dark brown, used for ropes, furniture, and decor.
• Bamboo: Utilized as a raw material for various products, including construction, textiles, and musical instruments.
• Coir/Coconut Fiber: Found between the shell and outer coat of a coconut.
  • Brown coir is used in upholstery padding and horticulture, while white coir is used for finer brushes and ropes.
• Buri/Anahaw: Extracted from matured leaves of the Buri palm, native to the Philippines, and is durable and moisture-resistant.
  • Used to make products like bayongs, hats, and slippers.
• Rattan: Belongs to the palm family, it includes various types of rattan palms, ranging from high or low climbers to single-stemmed or clustered species.
• Seashells: Hard exoskeletons of marine mollusks, used for protection and support of their bodies, typically used for ornamental and house decorations.

Art Technique Defined

• Art technique includes the method to accomplish an artwork.
• Art technique includes how artists use and manipulate materials.
• Art technique is determined by the unique nature of the medium.

Traditional Philippine Art Techniques

• Wood Carving
• Clay Molding
• Fabric Weaving
• Basketry Technique

Wood Carving

• Wood carving is the art of fashioning or ornamenting wood by cutting with a sharp implement.
• Woodcarving has been influenced by different cultures, making Filipino woodcraft unique.
• Dating back to pre-colonial times and native Filipinos carved boats, plows, arrows, spears, and other essential items.

Clay Molding

• Clay molding is a technique of shaping pliable material like clay and considered a fine art.
• Pottery making is one of the longest traditions in Philippine art.

Fabric Weaving

• Fabric weaving is a textile production method where two sets of yarns are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric.
• It is considered an attractive and interesting traditional craft in the Philippines, preserving Philippine cultural history.
• Philippine weaves can also bring attention to indigenous communities via the international design and lifestyle stage.

Basketry Technique

• Baskets are a national icon for Filipinos and have agricultural and cultural relevance.
• Baskets have been used as containers, traditional bags, or status symbols and can be made from materials like rattan, abaca, or bamboo.

Basketry Technique Types

• Coiling includes the wrapping of a core material and a sewing process.
  • Coiling uses grasses, rushes, or pine needles.
• Plaiting, also called checker weave, is the interweaving or braiding of two or more elements.
  • Plaiting utilizes wide and ribbon-like materials, such as palms or yucca.
• Twining involves horizontal elements (weavers) that cross each other between the vertical elements (spokes).
  • Twining uses materials from roots and tree bark.
• Wicker uses a weft element (weaver) and passive warp elements (spokes) typically larger and stiffer than the weft element.
  • Wicker uses rattan.

Artistic Skills and Techniques

• Artistic skills are the abilities possessed by an artist operating within a fine art capacity.
• Medium refers to the material or substance out of which a work is made.
• Technique refers to the way artists use and manipulate materials.