Unit 3 Lesson 2 Mediums of Art
Unit 3 Lesson 2 Mediums of Art
Unit 3 Lesson 2 Mediums of Art
This lesson includes discussion of common coloring materials used in painting, the common
mediums used by sculptors, and the mediums of music that would help increase the knowledge
and familiarity of the students regarding mediums used by renowned painters and sculptors
around the world, and the different types of vocal and instrumental mediums used in creating
music.
Learning Outcomes
In Focus
A. Mediums of Painting
Mediums of painting generally refer to the pigments or coloring matter used by painters
in creating their art work. The following are the most common mediums used in the history of
painting.
Encaustic. In the technique known as encaustic, the medium for the powdered color is
hot wax which is painted onto a wood surface with a brush. It is then smoothed with a metal
instrument resembling a spoon, and then blended and set over a flame to soften and set the colors
into the wood. This method produces durable colors and permits sculptural modeling of the paint
surface. Because of the wax medium, the colors are semi-translucent and look fresh and lively.
This technique is rare today, but it was practiced in late Roman times; for example, we have
burial portraits from Faiyum, Egypt, 2nd century, A.D.
Mosaic. The design is created by small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic (called
Tesserae), embedded in wet mortar which has been spread over the surface to be decorated.
Their slightly irregular placement on a surface creates a very lively, reflective surface when
viewed at a distance. This was often used to decorate walls, floors, and ceilings.
Fresco. Also known as Buon Fresco or True Fresco, it entails painting on freshly spread,
moist plaster. First, layers of plaster are applied to the surface. While the final layer is still wet,
the artist applies the colors, which are earth pigments mixed with water. The colors penetrate the
wet plaster and combine chemically with it, producing a painted surface which does not peel
when exposed to moisture. As the paint must be painted on wet plaster, the amount of plaster
which may be put down at one time is limited to what can be painted at one sitting. Often lines
can be seen in frescos around an area which was one day's work. The painting must be done
rapidly and without mistakes. This technique was perfected in Renaissance Italy.
Examples: The Lamentation by Giotto, The Last Supper by Da Vinci, School of Athens by
Raphael, Sistine Chapel paintings by Michelangelo
Tempera. In this method, the pigment is mixed with egg yolk or both the yolk and white
of an egg. It is thinned with water and applied to a gesso ground (plaster mixed with a binding)
on a panel. It was also used on parchment or paper to illustrate or embellish books in the era
before the 15th century development of the printing press. This type of painting dries very
quickly and produces an opaque, matte surface. The colors tend to dry to a lighter value than
they appear when wet. The colors produced are bright and saturated. Modeling is achieved by
hatching. Egg tempera was used for panel painting until the 15th century. Examples of artists
that worked in egg tempera include Cimabue (14th C.); Duccio (14th C.); Andrew Wyeth (20th
C.). Islamic and Medieval miniature paintings in books and manuscripts are another important
class of egg tempera paintings; the celtic Book of Kells is a well-known early example, as is
the Book of Hours commissioned by the Duc du Berry in the 14th century.
Examples: Madonna and Child by Duccio, The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
Oil. Prior to the 15th century oil paints were thick and hard to control, so they were
initially used only for utilitarian purposes. In the 15th century turpentine was discovered to be an
effective thinning agent. The Van Eyck brothers were credited with perfecting the technique of
oil painting, which they initially attempted to keep secret.
Powdered colors are mixed with a fine oil, usually linseed oil. A solvent, traditionally
turpentine, is also used to thin the colors as desired, so that the paint can be applied thickly and
opaquely, or thinly and transparently. The oil paint is applied to a prepared ground, usually a
stretched canvas with a coating of neutral pigment. The earliest technique of oil painting
involved building up layers of colors, moving from darker to lighter values. Fine brushes were
used, and a glossy, smooth finish was achieved. When applied in this way, the colors are
somewhat translucent, so that the darker layers of color below added depth and
luminosity to the surface, and permitted a remarkable degree of realism.
Other artists came to discover that because of its slow drying, oil paints could actually be
re-worked on the surface to blend colors, and when applied thickly, with a larger brush or palette
knife, could also add real surface texture to the image. This technique of applying oils lent itself
to more expressive, dramatic effects in which fine detail was less important than total effect.
Artists who worked in this way include Rembrandt, (17th C); Monet (19th C), Cezanne (19th c.,
above), William de Kooning , (20th C).
Pastel. Pastels or pastel colors are the family of colors which have high value and low to
ntermediate saturation.
The name comes from pastels, art media characteristic of this color family. The colors of
this family are usually described as "soothing”, "soft", "near neutral", "milky", "washed out",
"desaturated", lacking strong chromatic content.
The 1980s saw a huge trend in the use of pastel colors in men's fashion. In particular, the
NBC television police series Miami Vice popularized what was already a growing trend even
further as its lead character Sonny Crocket (Don Johnson) all but exclusively wore pastel shirts
and suits, setting a fashion that stood popular even years after the show ended. The abundance of
pastel was also abundant in the shooting locations with Art Deco buildings around the Miami
area.
Examples: Woman Combing Her Hair by Edgar Degas, The Scream by Edvard Munch
Gouache. Gouache is a water based paint consisting of pigment and other materials
designed to be used in an opaque painting method. Gouache differs from watercolor in that the
particles are larger, the ratio of pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white
pigment such as chalk is also present. This makes gouache heavier and more opaque, with
greater reflective qualities. Like all watermedia, it is diluted with water.
Water Color. Powdered pigments are mixed with gum-arabic or a similar substance that
will help them adhere to a surface. The artist then mixes them with water and applies them to a
ground, usually paper, with a soft brush. The final effect is that of translucent washes of color.
This method was the most important method of painting in China and Japan from an early date,
but did not become popular with European artists until after the 16th century. Chinese and
Japanese painting techniques have had a great deal of influence on modern watercolorists.
Acrylic. A 20th century medium, acrylic paint has provided artists an alternative to a very
expensive oil paint, with quality which is almost the same as oil. It was first picked up by
prominent painters such as David Hockney, Helen Frankenthaler and Mark Rothko.
B. Mediums of Sculpture
Marble. It is the most beautiful stone medium; used by the Greek sculptors, by
Michelangelo in his Pieta, David, etc., by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in his Ecstasy of St. Theresa.
Granite. It is a hard, granular stone suited for bold effects, used for outdoor sculptures.
Jade. A semi-precious stone. For the Chinese, it is associated with merit, morality,
grace and dignity
Wood. It is easy to cut, carved and polished, used in making beautiful furniture, statues
of saints, etc.
Bronze. It is a common medium for casting, an alloy of copper, tin and zinc, used for
outdoor or public sculptures, used by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, etc.
Gold and silver. These are precious metals used in making jewelry, medals and coins.
Human voice is the oldest and still the most popular medium of music. It has six classes.
Three for female voice-soprano, mezzo-soprano and alto, and another three for male voice-
tenor, baritone and bass.
Soprano. Derived from the Italian word sopra, meaning “above,” it is the highest human
vocal range.
Generally, it refers to the female singing voice but it also applies to boys, also called boy
sopranos.
Soprano voice can be classified into: lyric soprano, where the tone used is lighter;
dramatic soprano, the tone is more powerful; coloratura soprano, which has a very high range,
extending higher from the second C above middle C.
A coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register and an agile high register. The
roles they sing often demand not only the use of the lower register but also leaps into the upper
tessitura with highly ornamented, rapid passages. They have a range from approximately the G
below middle C (G3) to the B two octaves above middle C (B5).
Some coloratura mezzo-sopranos can sing up to high C (C6) or high D (D6), but this is
very rare.
The lyric mezzo-soprano has a range from approximately the G below middle C (G3) to
the A two octaves above middle C (A5). This voice has a very smooth, sensitive and at times
lachrymose quality. Lyric mezzo-sopranos do not have the vocal agility of the coloratura mezzo-
soprano or the size of the dramatic mezzo-soprano. The lyric mezzo-soprano is ideal for
most trouser roles.
A dramatic mezzo-soprano has a strong medium register, a warm high register and a
voice that is broader and more powerful than the lyric and coloratura mezzo-sopranos. This
voice has less vocal facility than the coloratura mezzo-soprano.
The range of the dramatic mezzo-soprano is from approximately the F below middle C to
the G two octaves above middle C.
The dramatic mezzo-soprano can sing over an orchestra and chorus with ease and was
often used in the 19th century opera, to portray older women, mothers, witches and evil
characters.
The contralto's vocal range falls between tenor and mezzo-soprano; typically between the
F below middle C to the second F above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can
reach the E below middle C or the second B♭ above middle C (B♭5).
A lyric contralto voice is lighter than a dramatic contralto but not capable of
the ornamentation and leaps of a coloratura contralto. This class of contralto, lighter in timbre
than the others, is the most common today and usually ranges from the E below middle C (E 3) to
the second G above middle C (G5).
The dramatic contralto is the deepest, darkest, and heaviest contralto voice, usually
having a heavier tone and more power than the others. Singers in this class are rare.
Tenor is the highest male vocal range. It is lower than the alto but higher than the bass.
This type of voice is usually used mainly to play the role of a hero in an opera. During the 13th
to 16th century, the tenor voice was used for plainsongs.
The word tenor came from the Latin word tenere meaning ‘to hold." This is because
during the time of polyphony, tenors "held" the melody. Its range is from the second B below
middle C to the G above.
Bass is the lowest male voice. It ranges from the second E below middle C to F# above.
The word bass is Italian for basso meaning "low." Its types are: basso profondo is a rich and
low voice; basso cantante, also known as the "singing bass," is lighter and more lyrical; basso
buffo, also known as "comic bass" is used primarily in opera buffa, meaning a humorous or
comical opera, and bass-baritone, a voice that ranges between the baritone and bass voice.
Musical Instruments
Musical instruments are mechanisms that are able to generate musical vibrations and
launch into the air. These are the means by which the composer communicates to the listeners.
These are his mediums of expressions.
These are classified into string (bowed and plucked), wind (woodwind and brass wind),
percussion and keyboard instruments.
Bowed Strings
Bowed strings consist of the violin (smallest), viola, cello, and double bass.
Violin, the most numerous in the orchestra, is the most versatile and expressive among
the bowed string family. The soprano of the bowed string family, it has a wide range of tones
which can be sustained indefinitely.
Viola, slightly larger than a violin, has thicker strings and heavier bow. It is the alto
violin, and used more often for harmony. It has warm, rich tones.
Cello is larger than viola. It is held between knees, has thicker and heavier strings than
viola, and has shorter and heavier bow. Cello is the tenor-baritone of bowed string family. It has
a rich and romantic, deep and full tone.
Double bass is the largest member of bowed string family. It is less agile, has limited
range of expression, and is used as support supplying the bass tones for the string choir or
orchestra.
Woodwind Instruments
Woodwind instruments are used to be made of wood, which give them their names.
But today, they are made of wood, metal, plastic or some combination. They are narrow
cylinders or pipes, with holes, an opening at the bottom end and a mouthpiece at the top. They
are played by blowing air through the mouthpiece and opening and closing the holes with the
finger. Pitch of the notes are altered by shortening or lengthening the column of air the vibrating
inside the instruments.
Flute produces silvery, haunting or liquid sound. It is very agile and can play rapid,
brilliant scale passages. It produces mellow and ethereal sound in its lower register, while
thinner, brilliant sound in its upper register. It has a breathy quality.
Piccolo is a small flute, constructed like a flute. It produces shrill and piercing tones
especially in its upper range. It is an octave above the flute and the coloratura soprano of the
woodwind family.
Oboe has bell-shaped end. It is good in expressive solos, and has a reedy and penetrating
sound.
English horn is a large oboe, it has bulge in its bell, and has slightly lower range and
soft, mournful timbre.
Clarinet is the most versatile among woodwinds. It has a very wide range capable of
great expression. It takes the part of the violin in a band.
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays
music written in the bass and tenor clefs, and occasionally the treble.
Contrabassoon is a bass bassoon and a larger version of the bassoon, and an octave
lower.
Brass Instruments
Trombone is a large trumpet which can be a tenor or a bass. Its tone is rich and mellow.
It gives out an effect of nobility and grandeur.
Cornet is larger than the trumpet with a shorter body and possesses greater agility. The
tone is rounder but less brilliant than the trumpet.
French horn, or simply horn, is shaped like a long metal tube with one wide end, wound
round in a circle.
Tuba is the bass of the brass choir. Its tone is like that of the bass trombone but is fuller,
richer, and more powerful.
Percussion Instruments
The kettledrum is a hemispherical copper shell with a stretched calfskin held in place by a
metal ring. It is played with two padded sticks and produces a sound of mysterious rumble to a
thunderous roll.
The snare drum is the smallest drum in the orchestra.
The bass drum, like the double bass, is the biggest member of the percussion family and
therefore makes the lowest sounds. The bass drum is built like a very large snare drum, although
without the snare; it is also an untuned instrument. You play the bass drum by hitting either
drumhead with sticks that have large soft heads, often covered with sheepskin or felt. It can
produce a lot of different sounds from roaring thunder to the softest whispers.
The gong, also known as the tamtam, is a very large metal plate that hangs suspended
from a metal pipe. It looks similar to a cymbal and is also untuned, but is much larger and has a
raised center. To play it, you hit the center with a soft mallet. Depending on how hard you hit it,
you can make a deafening crash or the softest flicker of sound.
Maracas come from Mexico. They are rattles, often made from gourds (a kind of
squash), filled with dried seeds, beads or even tiny ball bearings that make them rattle. Maracas
can also be made of wood or plastic; the sound they make depends on what they're made of. To
play them, you hold them in your hands and shake.
Cymbals are the biggest noisemakers of the orchestra. They are two large metal discs,
usually made of spun bronze. Cymbals, which are untuned, come in a range of sizes, from quite
small to very large. The larger the cymbal, the lower the sound they make. Cymbals can be used
for drama and excitement, to accent the rhythm or create delicate sound effects. You can play the
cymbals either by hitting one cymbal against the other, or you can use sticks, mallets or brushes
to hit one or both cymbals.
A tambourine is a small drum with metal jingles set into the edges. Both the drumhead
and the jingles are untuned. To play it, you hold it in one hand and tap, shake or hit it, usually
against your other hand.
Castanets are fun wooden instruments that come from Spain and are used to punctuate
the music with a distinctive clickety-clack. These are made of two pieces of wood tied together.
To play them, you hold them with your fingers and click the two pieces of wood together. In the
orchestra, castanets are sometimes mounted on a piece of wood, and the percussionist plays them
by hitting them with his/her hands.
Glokenspiel consists of a series of horizontal tuned metal plates. The player strikes these
with mallets producing bright metallic sounds.
The xylophone is made of tuned blocks of wood which produces a dry, crisp timbre when
struck.
Chimes are metal tubes of different lengths that are hung from a metal frame. When you
strike the tubes with a mallet, they sound like the ringing bells of a church. Each chime sounds a
different pitch.
The marimba is a percussion instrument consisting of a set of wooden bars struck with
yarn or rubber mallets to produce musical tones. Resonators or pipes suspended underneath the
bars amplify their sound.
Triangle is a small metal bar that's bent into the shape of a triangle and makes a ringing
sound when you hit it. There are many sizes of triangles and each one sounds a different pitch.
You play the triangle by holding it on a string and striking it with a metal beater. The size and
thickness of the beater can change the sound the triangle makes.
Keyboard Instruments
Piano, short for Italian word pianoforte, is the most popular and widely used keyboard
instrument. It is an acoustic, stringed musical instrument invented in Italy by Bartolomeo
Cristofori around the year 1700. The strings are struck by hammers when they player presses the
key. It is usually used for home entertainment and concert.
Upright piano Grand piano
Organ has a physical property of a wind instrument. Its sound is made by air forced by
mechanical means through pipes. The term comes from a Greek word organon, meaning
instrument or tool.
Pipe organ
Celesta is like a miniature piano. It is sounded when the steel plates are struck by a small
hammer producing bell-like tones.
(Source: google.com)