Painting Mediums and Techniques

Study Notes

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color, or other medium to a solid surface.
Pigments are derived from nature.
Different mediums used in painting include:
- Acrylic paint: thick, shiny, and dries within a few hours
- Poster paint: solid, water-based, and dries to a matt finish
- Fresco: involves painting with dry pigment on wet plaster
- Oil paint: thick, shiny, and takes several days to dry
- Tempera: water-based paint that may or may not be mixed with egg yolks
- Watercolor: soft, see-through paint made from pigment, water, and gum Arabic

Landscape: outdoor scene that captures not only land, water, and clouds but also air, wind, and sunlight
Portrait: image of a person or animal that captures their mood or personality
Still Life: shows objects, such as flowers, food, or musical instruments, and reveals an artist's skill in painting shapes, light, and shadow
Real Life scene: captures life in action, showing a busy street, a beach party, a dinner gathering, or any place where living goes on
Religious Work of Art: shares a religious message, portraying a sacred story or expressing an artist's faith

Realism: depicts figures and scenes exactly as they appear in real life
Surrealism: emphasizes the unconscious creative activity of the mind
Cubism: shows the flatness of the picture and rejects traditional perspectives
Expressionism: expresses subjective feelings and emotions of the artist
Impressionism: depicts what stimulates the eye, focusing on the effects of light
Symbolism: uses visible signs to represent invisible ideas or qualities
Pointillism: uses small distinct dots of color to form a figure
Futurism: portrays machines and motion, emphasizing speed and movement
Minimalism: reduces forms to utmost simplicity, emphasizing space
Fauvism: uses bright and extreme colors to assume positive characters
Dadaism: shocks and provokes the viewer
Constructivism: constructs abstract pictures using metal and wire

Harmony: resolution of forces in opposition, creating a sense of balance
Contrast/Variety: generates interest through different qualities or characteristics in a form
Rhythm/Repetition: creates rhythm through duplication, alternation, or sequential change of forms
Emphasis: something in the work must dominate, creating a high point or climax
Continuity: organized movement or rhythm
Balance: ordered relationship of parts, whether symmetrical or asymmetrical
Proportion: comparison of elements in terms of their properties of size, quantity, and degree