Chapter 3. Lesson 2. Medium and Technique

Summary

This lecture covers a wide range of visual arts mediums and techniques, including painting, mosaics, stained glass, tapestries, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture, interior design, and landscaping. It provides explanations and examples for each art form, such as Amorsolo's painting reflecting the desire for simplicity, and Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel. The lecture also includes reflective questions, encouraging students to think about the role of art in expressing emotions and ideas, and their personal connections to these art forms. It concludes with a discussion on the recognition of Filipino artists through awards like GAMBA and the National Artists Award.

Takeaways

• 🎯 The upcoming midterm exam will cover Modules 1 to 3 (Chapters 1–3), and students were informed about the scope and types of questions in advance.
• 🎨 Visual arts have 11 main media, including painting, mosaics, stained glass, tapestry, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, architecture, interior design, and landscaping.
• 🖌️ Painting involves applying pigment to a surface to create meaningful arrangements of shapes, lines, and colors that express ideas, emotions, or stories.
• 🏞️ Fernando Amorsolo’s painting *Planting Rice* reflects Filipino idealism, simplicity of life, and historical context during the American period.
• 🔥 Encaustic painting is one of the earliest painting techniques, using hot wax mixed with pigments, historically used by Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans for durable portraits.
• 🥚 Tempera painting uses earth or mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk or egg white and was widely used in medieval religious art and manuscript illustration.
• 🧱 Fresco painting applies pigments on damp plaster, making the artwork a permanent part of walls or ceilings, famously seen in Michelangelo’s *Creation of Adam*.
• 💧 Watercolor and acrylic are popular painting media today, with watercolor known for its transparency and acrylic for its fast-drying, flexible, and durable qualities.
• 🧩 Mosaics and stained glass are decorative art forms commonly found in churches, using small pieces of colored stone or glass to create images and patterns.
• 🖨️ Printmaking is an original art process involving duplication techniques such as relief printing, intaglio, planographic (lithography), and stencil printing.
• 📷 Photography is a modern visual art medium that captures reality using light and technology, requiring knowledge of cameras, composition, and basic techniques.
• 🏛️ Architecture, interior design, and landscaping focus on functional and aesthetic transformation of spaces, highlighting why professionals are still hired despite high costs.
• 🏆 Philippine national art recognitions include the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) for traditional folk artists and the Order of National Artist for broader artistic excellence.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of painting as an art form?

The primary purpose of painting is to apply pigment to a smooth surface to create an interesting arrangement of forms, lines, and colors. This arrangement aims to express ideas, emotions, or tell a story, making the artwork visually engaging and meaningful.

How did the painting 'Planting Rice' by Fernando Morsolo reflect historical events?

'Planting Rice' by Fernando Morsolo reflects the arrival of Americans in the Philippines and symbolizes the Filipino people's desire to escape a complicated reality for a simpler life. The painting expresses idealism and nostalgia for simplicity.

What is encaustic painting, and which civilizations used it?

Encaustic painting is a technique where a mixture of hot wax, resin, and ground pigments is applied to a surface and heated to bind the colors. It was widely used by ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, primarily for creating lasting portraits.

What makes tempera painting unique, and what was it historically used for?

Tempera painting uses earth or mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk and egg white. Historically, it was used for painting on vellum (animal skin) and later on wooden panels, often for religious works and illuminated manuscripts.

How does the fresco technique differ from other painting methods?

Fresco painting involves applying earth pigments mixed with water onto a damp plaster wall. The color sinks into the surface, becoming an integral part of the wall, making it a permanent feature. Unlike other methods, fresco creates a bond between the paint and the surface.

What are the unique qualities of watercolor as a medium?

Watercolor is a transparent paint made from ground pigments bound with gum arabic. It creates a delicate and luminous texture on paper, allowing the surface to show through. Watercolors are often used for their light and translucent qualities.

What is the significance of acrylic paints in modern art?

Acrylic paints are synthetic, made with acrylic polymer as a binder. They combine the transparency and quick-drying characteristics of watercolor with the flexibility and durability of oil paints, making them a popular choice for contemporary artists.

What are mosaics, and how are they created?

Mosaics are wall or floor decorations made of small, irregularly cut pieces of colored stone or glass called tesserae. These pieces are arranged to form patterns and then affixed to a surface with plaster or cement, creating durable and aesthetically pleasing designs.

What is the role of stained glass in architecture, and how is it made?

Stained glass is a major art form used in architectural settings like cathedrals. It is made by adding metallic oxides to molten glass or by fixing them onto clear glass surfaces, creating vibrant, translucent panels often used in windows.

What is printmaking, and what are its key techniques?

Printmaking is the process of creating graphic images through duplication. Key techniques include relief printing (where a block is carved and inked), intaglio (where a design is etched into a metal plate), and lithography (where a chemically treated surface is used to transfer ink).