Art Appreciation

The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Module on
The Artist and the Artisan:

4 Mediums and Techniques

in Art Production

This module will introduce the artist and the artisan. It contains discussion on mediums and
techniques of art. We will define the role of managers, curators, buyers, collectors and art dealers in the art
world. This module will also help you identify national and GAMABA artists’ notable works.

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. define an artist’s and artisan’s medium and technique;
2. define the role of managers, curators, buyers, collectors, art dealers in the art world;
3. identify the medium in the various forms of art; and
4. identify national and GAMABA artists’ notable works and their contribution to society.

Read the article below entitled A Return to the Artisan in the Art World by The New York Times and answer
the following questions that follow.
A Return to the Artisan in the Art World
“Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons; there is nothing more depressing for a young artist,” said Bianca Argimon, a student at the
École des Beaux-Arts de Paris who favors traditional techniques when working with ceramics, engravings and pyrography
over what she views as ultraconceptual, increasingly dematerialized art. “Most of us can’t afford — nor approve of — having
an entire factory of workers.”
Artisanal techniques, once deemed the opposite of cool, are making their way back into art fairs and galleries,
particularly in Europe. Dedicated spaces and university programs are contributing to the renewed recognition of these trades
— albeit with modern twists and messages — while also providing young artists with marketable skills. As a result, the line
between gallerists and craftsmen, once so clearly delineated, is increasingly being blurred.
“As a student, I was always told to pare it down to bare bones,” said Laura Keeble, an artist based in London who
graduated from South Essex College two years ago. “Craft was a definite no, it was just so twee,” or excessively sweet. “But
things are changing; people are using it to convey another message.”
Ms. Keeble’s work, which she exhibits in art fairs and as outdoor “street art” installations, often comments on modern-
day consumerism, using traditional techniques including bronze making and mold making. For a recent series, she recreated

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Nike tennis shoes and McDonald’s menu items out of stained glass reclaimed from churches, which she assembled according
to the classical Tiffany’s technique of crimping with copper foil.
“Mass production gives an unnatural perfection to things,” she said, “and people are longing for a maker’s mark on
an object.” The artists Naïs Calmettes and Rémi Dupeyrat opened a minimalist gallery and store in the Marais district of Paris
in May with such techniques in mind. The venue, called Artisan Social Designer, showcases works by artists who use classical
skills — like blowing glass, metal work, macramé, embroidery or carpentry — to create sleek, contemporary objects.
“Our generation has been trained to appreciate sharp industrial lines,” Ms. Calmettes said. “Now we’re trying to merge this
with a more respectful production.”
She said that highlighting craft was about expressing certain values, like sustainability and local production, rather
than factory practices. “And it’s cheaper, too!” she said with a smile. Marco Querin, an Italian artist, has developed a personal
tapestry technique that consists of hammering nails onto the frame of a canvas and pulling threads across to create tongue-
in-cheek, sometimes politicized designs. Recent works feature a woman in a burqa and a young boy firing a gun. “These are
ancient gestures through which you reconnect with the roots of humanity,” he said.
Galleries are increasingly interested in manual techniques, said Bruno Hadjadj, a carpenter-turned-artist and the
founder of Cutlog, a Paris art fair that promotes emerging artists and runs in late October at the same time as the Foire
Internationale d’Art Contemporain, the city’s main contemporary art fair.
“This year, there is a definite rise in young, cool artists introducing old-school skills into their work,” Mr. Hadjadj said.
He cited as an example Koichiro Tagaki, a Japanese artist specializing in embroidery and influenced by children’s cartoons
and pop art. Mr. Tagaki, who exhibits at Galerie Agathe Hélion in Paris, was featured at Cutlog this year and nominated for
the fair’s grand prize. (The award went to the Romanian artist duo Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu, whose work, “No Borders
Equals Tolerance,” consisted of a classical gypsy caravan parked outside the fair, decorated with traditional embellishments,
like handcrafted carved metal pieces on the roof).
Jeanne Briand, whose works can be seen at Lebenson Gallery in Paris and who was also featured at Cutlog, is a
glass blower who creates fetuslike shapes to draw attention to questions about test-tube babies. “Jeanne’s practice questions
birth in a very literal way: her breath brings life into the glass,” said Stéphane Lebenson, her gallerist. “The very human aspect
of craft gives a more profound meaning to her work.”
Until recently, when the art world appeared elitist to some, craft offered more democratic and approachable forms of
creativity. But the lines are no longer so clear cut. “When I first entered the world of art, I felt like a nonartist, a cheat,” said
Mr. Hadjadj, the creator of Cutlog. “But this snobbery is fading, as artists are in fact hijacking these techniques to denounce
contemporary problems.”
At the same time, there is a real effort to promote the novel use of traditional techniques, which in France are viewed
as part of the national patrimony. The Fondation du Patrimoine, a national organization dedicated to protecting the French
patrimony, announced in September the creation of Ateliers d’Art de France to promote and preserve French craft. It will
finance a number of projects, including a prize worth up to €60,000, or about $80,000, to reward a particularly modern use of
craft.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/arts/03iht-rartpfeiffer03.html

Answer the following questions:

1. According to the article, what is an artisan?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the different kinds of art mentioned in the article?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
ARTIST AND ARTISAN
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or
demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner
in the visual arts only. The term is often used in the entertainment business, especially in a business context,
for musicians and other performers (less often for actors). "Artiste" (the French for artist) is a variant used in
English only in this context; this use is becoming rare. Use of the term to describe writers, for example, is
valid, but less common, and mostly restricted to contexts like criticism. An artist is involved in creating art,
practicing art, and demonstrating an art. He is someone who is driven by creativity and imagination to
produce a tangible or intangible representation of art. Artists primarily produce art for the sake of beauty or
aesthetics. Some examples are the work of fine art painters, who produce their painting purely for aesthetic
reason.
An artisan is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand that may be functional
or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative arts, sculptures, clothing, jewellery, food items,
household items and tools or even mechanisms such as the handmade clockwork movement of a
watchmaker. Artisans practice a craft and may through experience and aptitude reach the expressive levels
of an artist. The adjective "artisanal" is sometimes used in describing hand-processing in what is usually
viewed as an industrial process, such as in the phrase artisanal mining. Thus, "artisanal" is sometimes used
in marketing and advertising as a buzz word to describe or imply some relation with the crafting of handmade
food products, such as bread, beverages or cheese. Many of these have traditionally been handmade, rural
or pastoral goods but are also now commonly made on a larger scale with automated mechanization in
factories and other industrial areas. An artisan is a producer of craft. He is motivated to produce a tangible
or intangible representation of art. The very reason an artisan produces a craft is for practical use like
furniture, pottery, weaving, woodcraft, plastic craft, among others. Artisans were the dominant producers of
consumer products before the Industrial Revolution.
The main difference between Artisan and Artist is that the Artisan is a skilled craft worker who
makes or creates things by hand and Artist is a person who creates, practices and/or demonstrates any art.

RELEVANT PEOPLE IN THE ART WORLD

1. Managers = Every organization has managers who are entrusted with the responsibility of guiding
and directing the organization to achieve its goals. Managers are required in all the activities of
organizations. Their expertise is vital across departments throughout the organization.
2. Curators = A curator is in charge of a collection of exhibits in a museum or art gallery, and is
responsible for assembling, cataloguing, managing, presenting and displaying artworks, cultural
collections and artifacts.

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
3. Buyers = Buyers find and purchase artwork to suit their distinguished taste. A buyer is well-versed
in all types of art, techniques and development processes, keep up to date on art theory and
criticism, and use this knowledge to evaluate the quality and worth of a piece of art within an
economic framework.
4. Collectors = Collectors are different than donors who support the cultural production by giving
money. Collectors are totally involved in the art market and have generally important artistic
knowledge; they often are specialized in a specific sector. The collection is very personal, it reflects
what you like, and it reflects who you are. Buying art provides a rush, an adventure, a feeling of
being alive and a chance to express individuality. The different things which drive a collector are
the knowledge, the art interest, the financial aspect, the collecting strategies and some others
personal motives. But the collectors are not simply a buyer, they are more implicated, they create
a universe around their acquisitions. They support the artistic creation, develop the art market.
5. Art Dealers = An art dealer typically seeks out various artists to represent, and builds relationships
with collectors and museums whose interests are likely to match the work of the represented
artists. Some dealers are able to anticipate market trends, while some prominent dealers may be
able to influence the taste of the market. Many dealers specialize in a particular style, period, or
region. They often travel internationally, frequenting exhibitions, auctions, and
artists' studios looking for good buys, little-known treasures, and exciting new works. When dealers
buy works of art, they resell them either in their galleries or directly to collectors.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

Preproduction refers Production refers to the Postproduction. This is

Post-production Phase
Pre-production Phase

Production Phase

to the work done actual production or the final phase of the

before the actual manufacturing process of production processes. This
production of an an artwork. In a film, it is refer to activities that are
artwork. This phase the actual recording of done after the actual
includes planning and scenes and different production process. In film,
preparation. In the film events. In sculpture, it is this includes the editing of
making, it includes the actual carving of wood videos, adding effects, and
storyboarding, or stove using the mallet producing it in the desired
scheduling and setting and the chisel until the digital format.
up everything before desired image is formed.
the actual film
production.

MEDIUM OF ART
The word medium refers to the means by which an artist communicates his idea. It is the stuff
out of which the artist creates a work of art. Medium is essential to art, there can be art without a subject,
just as there can be art without a function, but there can be no art without a medium. A work of art could not
be known if it did not exist in some medium.
On the basis of medium, art works can be classified as visual and auditory arts. Painting,
sculpture, tapestry, architecture, ceramics and glassware are visual arts. Music and literature are auditory
arts. On the basis of medium, arts are classified as time arts and space arts. The visual arts are the space
arts while the auditory arts are the time arts. The theater and opera are called as the combined arts, being

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
both auditory and visual and existing in both space and time. Also, dance, though it is being both visual and
auditory, is classified as combined arts for it employs both time and space.
When an artist uses a medium, he selects which he can express, what he wants to say or convey.
The choice of medium is part of the meaning and it signifies the context of the work’s total meaning. Thus, it
is not neutral or merely incidental to the work. Listed below are the medium of arts:
1. Shape = Shape is an element of art that refers to an area clearly set off by
one or more of the other elements of art. Shapes are limited to two
dimensions – length and width.
a. Geometric Shape = They are to be made with a ruler or drawing
tool. The square, the circle, the triangle, the rectangle and the oval
are the five geometric shapes.
b. Organic = They are also called free form. Organic shapes are not regular or even. Their
outlines may be curved or angular or may be a combination of both.
2. Form = Like shapes, forms have length and width. They also have a third-
dimension depth. Form is an element of art that refers to an object with three
dimensions. With forms found in the works of art, such as sculpture, one can
actually experience the three dimensions by walking around or perceive
directly through these art works.
3. Space = Space refers to the distance between around, above and
within things. In both two and three-dimensional works of art, the
shapes or forms are called the positive area. The empty spaces
between the shapes are called negative shapes. The relationship
between the positive and the negative spaces will affect how the
artwork can be interpreted.
4. Texture = Is generally used as the tactile element or the use of the sense of touch; run your finger
over the top of your desk or worktable and you feel the surface’s texture. Texture refers to the way
things feel or look, as though they might feel, if touched.

MEDIUM FOR PAINTING

 Acrylic paint dries rapidly, serves as a vehicle for any kind of pigment, and is capable of
giving both the transparent brilliance of watercolor and the density of oil paint. It is less affected
by heat and other destructive forces than is oil paint.
 Encaustic painting refers to a mixed medium process that requires the use of colored
pigments utilizing heated beeswax. Then, the liquid / paste is applied to a surface — usually
prepared wood, although it often uses canvas and other materials.
 Fresco painting, a method of painting pigments using water, is usually on wall surfaces, on
freshly applied plaster. The colors made by grinding dry-powder pigments into pure water
become permanent parts of the wall by drying and putting them together with the plaster.
 Gouache is a painting technique in which a gum or an opaque white pigment is added to
watercolors to produce opacity. In watercolor the tiny particles of pigment become enmeshed
in the fiber of the paper; in gouache the color lies on the surface of the paper, forming a
continuous layer, or coating.

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
 Magna Paint was made by Bocour Artist Colors, Inc. in 1947 and is a brand name for the
acrylic resin paint developed by Leonard Bocour. The pigments in an acrylic resin are created
by using solvents to emulsify it and are very different from modern acrylic paint.
 Oil painting, painting in oil colours, a medium consisting of pigments suspended in liquid,
which is usually linseed oil. The outstanding facility with which fusion of tones or colour is
achieved makes it unique among fluid painting mediums; at the same time, satisfactory linear
treatment and crisp effects are easily obtained. Opaque, transparent, and translucent painting
all lie within its range, and it is unsurpassed for textural variation.
 Pastel, dry drawing medium executed with fragile, finger-size sticks. These drawing crayons,
called pastels, are made of powdered pigments combined with a minimum of nongreasy
binder, usually gum tragacanth or, from the mid-20th century, methyl cellulose.
 Tempera is a technique of painting in which an emulsion consisting of water and pure egg
yolk or a mixture of egg and oil is used as a binder or medium, characterized by its lean film-
forming properties and rapid drying rate.
 Watercolor paint is created by combining pigments with a binder, usually gum arabic, and
then applying it with water to a support such as vellum (fine animal skin) or paper. The water
evaporates and the binder fixes the pigment to the support.
 Crayon, an implement for drawing made from clay, chalk, plumbago, dry color, and wax. There
are two types of crayons, the coloring crayon and the chalk crayon.

MEDIUM FOR SCULPTURE

 Marble refers to a metamorphic calcareous rock in which a sculptor can effectively work. When
marble grows, it is long-lasting and stronger, giving it a lasting impact. The tougher, the more
weather-resistant a marble is; hence, making it useable for your outdoor sculpture.
 Stainless Steel - Because of their hardness and corrosion resistance, sculptures made of
stainless steel are durable. It suggests even that as opposed to other materials, the work is
very strong and solid. Despite its durability, the steelworks may be more valuable. The models
of stainless steel are marine, and they are corrosion resistant.
 Wood- Woodcarvers use knives or chisels to design wood for a bust. In contrast with products
such as copper and marble, wood doesn't survive well in a natural setting and is more
susceptible to harm from fire and decay.
 Bronze has been used for centuries to produce sculptures. Bronze is created by melting both
copper and tint, blended to make it less brittle, a natural combination for bronze sculptures.
 Corten Steel - This resistant weather steel makes it the perfect outdoor sculpture candidate.
Without the paint of corten steel, it will be rough like ordinary steel when it is exposed to the
atmosphere. Yet, corten alloy elements quickly allow fine-textured rust protecting surface layer
to develop, which reduces the risk of corrosion.

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
GAWAD SA MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN (GaMaBa) AND NATIONAL ARTISTS

GINAW BILOG (+ 2003) SAMAON SULAIMAN (+ 2011) MASINO INTARAY (+ 2013)

Poet Musician Musician and Storyteller
Hanunuo Mangyan Magindanao Pala’wan
Panaytayan, Oriental Mindoro Mama sa Pano, Maguindanao Brookes Point, Palawan
1993 1993 1993

LANG DULAY (+2015) ALONZO SACLAG FEDERICO CABALLERO

Textile Weaver Musician and Dancer, Kalinga Epic Chanter
T’boli Lubuagan, Kalinga Sulod-Bukidnon
Lake Sebu, South Cotabato 2000 Calinog, Iloilo
1998 2000
UWANG AHADAS DARHATA SAWABI (+ 2005) EDUARDO MUTUC
Musician Textile Weaver Metalsmith
Yakan Tausug Kapampangan
Lamitan, Basilan Parang, Sulu Apalit Pampanga
2000 2004 2004

HAJA AMINA APPI (+ 2013) TEOFILO GARCIA MAGDALENA GAMAYO

Mat Weaver Casque Maker Textile Weaver
Sama Ilocano Ilocano
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi San Quintin, Abra Pinili, Ilocos Norte
2004 2012 2012
AMBALANG AUSALIN ESTELITA BANTILAN YABING MASALON DULO
Textile Weaver, 2016 Mat Weaver, 2016 Ikat Weaver, 2016
(born 4 March 1943) (born 17 October 1940) (born 8 August 1914)

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Name: ______________________________ Course & Section: __________________
A. Directions: Differentiate artist and artisan using Venn Diagram.

B. Directions: Write the role of the following persons in the art world.

JOB ROLE ROLE DESCRIPTION

Manager

Curator

Buyers

Collectors

Art dealer

C. Directions: Using the table below, research on the definition, strengths and weaknesses of each
medium of art.

MEDIUM DEFINITION STRENGTH/S WEAKNESS/ES

Acrylic paint

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Fresco

Gouache

Encaustic

Magna paint

Pastel

Oil paint

Watercolor

Directions: Write the gist of the lessons that we have tackled. Write your answer on the space provided
below. Focus on the following topics:
a. Artist and Artisan
b. Relevant Persons in the Art World
c. Medium of Art
d. GaMaBa and National Artists
__________________________________________________________________________________
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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Name: ______________________________ Course & Section: __________________
Directions: Cite one example of the notable works of the following National Artists. Write your answers on
the space provided below.
1. Fernando Amorsolo = ___________________________________
2. Francisca Rees-Aquino = ___________________________________
3. Virgilio Almario = ___________________________________
4. Levi Celerio = ___________________________________
5. Lino Brocka = ___________________________________
6. Nick Joaquin = ___________________________________
7. Apoleon Abueva = ___________________________________
8. Amado Hernandez = ___________________________________
9. Honorata ‘Atang’ dela Rama = ___________________________________
10. Lucio San Pedro = ___________________________________

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 Art Appreciation
The Artist and the Artisan: Mediums and

COL006
Techniques in Art Production

GE3
Name: ______________________________ Course & Section: __________________
Directions: Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Who is Magdalena Gamayo?
A. Epic Chanter B. Musician C. Poet D. Textile Weaver
2. What do you call the medium for sculpture that is created by melting both copper and tint?
A. bronze B. corten steel C. marble D. wood
3. What do you call the element of art that refers to an area clearly set off by one or more of the
other elements of art?
A. Form B. Shape C. Space D. Texture
4. What is the term referring to the distance between around, above and within things?
A. Form B. Shape C. Space D. Texture
5. What is the art specification of theater and opera?
A. Auditory Arts B. Combined Arts C. Space Arts D. Visual Arts
6. What is the art specification of dance?
A. Auditory Arts B. Combined Arts C. Space Arts D. Visual Arts
7. Who is in charge of a collection of exhibits in a museum or art gallery?
A. Art Dealers B. Buyers C. Collectors D. Curators
8. What phase in production process refers to the work done before the actual production of an
artwork?
A. Finishing B. Post-production C. Pre-production D. Production
9. What do you call the skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand that may be
functional or strictly decorative?
A. Artisan B. Artist C. Curators D. Managers
10. Who among the following is a National Artist for Dance?
A. Atang dela Rama C. Lino Brocka
B. Fernando Amorsolo D. Francisca Reyes-Aquino

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