Mediums of the Visual Arts

Visual arts- are those arts that are perceived with our eyes. The most common visual arts are painting,
sculpture, and architecture. Their mediums are discussed as follows.

Painting- Painting is that art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use of pigments.
Different mediums are used in painting. Each medium exerts a pronounced effect on the finished
product, is capable of varied treatment, and determines its own stroke. The materials of the painter are
pigments applied to wet plaster, canvas, wood, or paper.

Watercolor Watercolor as a medium is difficult to handle because it is difficult to produce warm and rich
tones but it invites brilliance and a variety of hues. Simple and clear spontaneity is its principal essence.
While changes may be made once the paint has been applied, such changes normally tend to make the
color less luminous. These defects, however, are rendered by watercolor artists through some
techniques. An example is the method of gouache, an opaque watercolor painting the major effects of
which are caused by the whitepaper itself. The gouache is done by mixing zinc white with the regular
watercolor paints to tone them down giving the appearance of sobriety suitable for dramatic purposes.

Fresco. This is painting on a moist plaster surface with colors ground in water or a limewater mixture.
The colors dry into plaster, and the picture becomes a part of the wall. Fresco must be done quickly
because it is an exacting medium- the moment the paint is applied to the surface, it becomes an integral
part of the wall. The image becomes permanently fixed and almost impossible to remove. An example of
fresco painting is Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Tempera. Tempera paints are mineral pigments mixed with egg yolk or egg white and ore. They are often
used as binder due to its film forming properties and rapid drying rate and corrections are difficult to
make. It is more deliberate and technique than oil because it does not possess the flexibility of oil.

Throughout the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, tempera was one of the favorite mediums of many
painters before oil was adopted. Tempera painting is usually done in wooden panel that has been made
very smooth with plaster called "gesso" (chalk and gum).

Since this medium dries quickly, corrections are difficult to make. Thus, the artist must be precise and
exact in his work. It is a well-designed medium for careful detail. One distinguishing advantage of
tempera is its luminous tone-the colors being clear and beautiful.
Pastel. This is a stick of dried paste made of pigment round with chalk and compounded with gum water.
Its colors are luminous, and it is

a very flexible medium. In spite of its richness and varied effects, it has never won a prize, because it is
difficult to preserve the finished product in its original freshness. Some artists use a fixing medium or a
protesting surface such as glass, but when the chalk rubs, the picture loses some of its brilliance.

Encaustic. This is one of the early mediums used by the Egyptians fo the painted portrait on mummy
cases. This is done by painting with war colors fixed with heat. Painting with wax produces luster and
radiance in the subject making them appear at their best in portraits.

Oil Oil painting is one of the most expensive art activities today because of the prohibitive cost of
materials. It is the heaviest of painting media. It admits a great deal of corrections and working over. In
oil painting, pigments are mixed with linseed oil and applied to the canvas One good quality of oil paint
as a medium is its flexibility. The artist may use a brush, palette knife, or even his bare hands when
applying paint in his canvas. In some cases, we do not even notice the artist's strokes because the paint
is applied very smoothly. One distinctive characteristics of oil paints, compared with other mediums, is
that they dry slowly and the painting may be changed and worked over a long period of time. Painting
done in oil is glossy and lasts long.

Acrylic. This medium is used popularly by contemporary painters because of the transparency and quick-
drying characteristics of watercolor and the flexibility of oil combined. This synthetic paint is mixed with
acrylic emulsion as binder for coating the surface of the artwork. Acrylic paints do not tend to break
easily, unlike oil paints which turn yellowish or darker over a period of time.

Mosaic Mosaic art is a picture or decoration made of small pieces of inlaid colored stones or glass called
"resserae," which most often are cut into squares glued on a surface with plaster or cement. Mosaic is
usually classified as painting, although, the medium used is not strictly pigment. Mosaic art is an
important feature of Byzantine churches. A prominent religious artwork in Manila done in mosaic is
found in the altar of Sta. Cruz Church showing a wounded white lamb, symbolizing Christ, with a stream
that flows down directly to the tabernacle.

Stained Glass, Stained glass as an artwork is common in Gothic cathedrals and churches. This is made by
combining many small pieces of colored glass which are held together by bands of lead. It is also a kind
of patchwork. In large windows, the lead is reinforced by heavy iron bars that make heavy black lines in
the picture. The pictures in the stained glass reflect the lives of saints and in effect, also serve as a means
of

religious instruction among Christians, Beautiful stained- glass windows showing scenes from the Bible
are commonly found in the Philippine churches.
Tapestry. This is a fabric consisting of a warp upon which colored threads are woven by hand to produce
a design, often pictorials, wall hangings and furniture covering. During the Middle Ages, they were hung
on the walls of palaces and in cathedrals on festive occasions to provide warmth.

Drawing, Drawing is usually done on paper using pencil, pen and ink, or charcoal. It is the most
fundamental of all skills necessary in arts. Drawing has always been considered as a very good training
for artists because it makes one concentrate on the use of line. Shading can also be used to make
drawing more life-like and realistic. Some of the world's best-known drawings are by the Italian artist
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). He drew everything from animals and birds to ideas for flying machines.

Drawing can be done with different kinds of mediums and the most common is pencil which comes in
different degrees of hardness or softness, with the pencil lead (graphite) depending on the kind of
drawing the artist will undertake. For linework, hard pencil lead is applied. When working on a granular
surface, soft pencils are used because they invite effects of mass and a texture of gray. Ink, one of the
oldest mediums still in use, offers a great variety of qualities, depending on the tools and techniques
used in applying the ink on the surface. India ink, which comes in liquid form, is the favorite medium of
comic strip illustrators and cartoonists. Chinese ink, meanwhile comes in solid sticks that are dissolved in
water before they are used.

Bistre. Bistre is a brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood, and often used in pen and wash
drawings.

Crayons Crayons are pigments bound by wax and compressed into painted sticks used for drawing
especially among children in the elementary grades. They adhere better on paper surface.

Charcoal. These are carbonaceous materials obtained by heating wood or other organic substances in
the absence of oxygen. Charcoal is used in representing broad masses of light and shadow. Like drawing
pencils, soft charcoal produces the darkest value, while the darkest produces the lightest tone.

Silverpoint. In this medium, the artist has a technique of drawing with silver stylus on specially prepared
paper to produce a thin grayish line that was popular during the Renaissance period.

Printmaking A print is anything printed on a surface that is a result from duplicating process. Ordinarily,
the painting or graphic image is done in black ink on white paper and becomes the artist's plate. Some
calendar pictures and Christmas cards are reproduced through printing One of the advantages of
printmaking is the process of making many copies of the original drawing. Today, printmaking maybe
categorized as painting because it has long been acknowledged as an independent art. A direc

There are five major types of prints-woodcut, engraving, relief, intagho and stencil process. Each print
can be distinguished by the plate made. Woodcut. As the name implies, this is made from a piece of
wood. The design stands as a relief, the remaining surface of the block being cut away A woodblock
prints just as do the letters of a typewriter. The lines of the design are wood, so they are not very fine.
Woodcuts can be identified because of their firm, clear and black lines.

Engraving. This is the art of forming designs by cutting, corrosion by acids In engraving, the lines of the
design are cut into a metal plate with ink and transferred from the plate to the paper. The lines of an
engraving are cut by hand with an instrument called burin, a steel tool with an oblique point and
rounded handle for carving stone and engraving metal. Since the copper plate is hard to cut, the
resulting lines are very fine, much finer than the lines of a wood cut

Etching is a development of engraving A copper or zinc plate is covered with a "ground" a smooth
coating of wax mixed with pitch and amber. The artist scratches the picture into the ground and puts the
plate in acid, which "eat" the picture into the plate. The ground is scraped off and the plate is then used
to print the picture.

Relief Relief printing involves cutting away from a block of wood or linoleum the parts of the design that
the artist wants to be seen, leaving the portion of the third dimension. Color prints are made by
preparing a separate block for each color to be used. It is important that only the

parts to be printed with precision are on the proper area.

Intaglio. Intaglio is a printing process in which the design or the text is engraved into the surface of the
place and the ink is transferred to paper from the groover. The design is engraved or etched into at metal
plate. The incised line is then filled with ink and under considerable pressure, leaves a sharp impression
on paper surface

Stencil Printing Stencil printing is a very common art activity done by high school students these days as
a part of their practical arts courses. It is a process which involves cutting of the design on special paper
cardboard or metal sheet in such a way that when ink is rubbed over it, the design is reproduced on the
surface. The printing is done through a silkscreen which is made of a fine silk or nylon stretched tightly
over a wooden frame. Parts of the nylon mesh are blocked our with a stencil and the areas to be printed
are open. The screen is placed over the paper or cloth to be printed. Thereafter, the paint is squeezed
through the open portion of design to penetrate to the paper or cloth underneath. For the multicolor
prints a separate screen is used for each color.

Sculpture

In choosing a subject for sculpture, the most important thing to consider is the material. The materials
available for sculpture are limitless. Each of these materials presents interesting motivation to challenge
the sculptor's creativity:

1. Stone is the hard and brittle substance formed from mineral and earth material. The finished product
is granular and dull in appearance. These are normally used for gravestones in cemeteries. Stones
include sandstone, granite, basalt, marble, and limestone. Granite is a granular igneous rock composed
of feldopars and quartz, usually combined with other minerals and is quite difficult to chisel. This is good
for large works with only a few designs. The Egyptian sculptures of Pharaohs were mostly done in
granite. Marble is limestone in a more or less crystalline state sufficiently close in texture and capable of
taking a high polish, occurring in many varieties. Breciated marble is composed of angular fragments
while serpentine marble is prized for its variegated patterns and is often used in large flat planes. It is
easier to carve than granite because it is relatively softer character. Sculptors have used marble for
detailed carving of figure. Sandstone is a soft stone. Basalt is hard and black. Limestone has a fine and
even texture. Its color range from light cream to buff, and from light gray to a darker, bluish gray. It lends
itself very well to carving.

2. Jade is a fine, colorful stone, usually green, and used widely in Ancient China. It is highly esteemed as
an ornamental stone for carving and fashion jewelry. Today, it is one of women's fashion accessories
because it carries certain social significance. It is believed to symbolize certain virtues such as
faithfulness, wisdom, and charity.

3. Ivory, which comes from the main parts of tusks of elephants, is the hard white substance used to
make carvings and billard balls. In the home of some well-to-do families in the Philippines, faces and
hands of images of saints are made ivory. The bodies are made of wood, carved and painted

4. Metals include any of a class of elementary substances such a gold, silver, or copper all of which are
crystalline when wild and many of which are characterized by capacity, ductility conductivity and peculiar
luster when freshly fractured. Being ductile, it can be transformed into fine wires or threads. It main
quality is that it can be shaped into any direction or formed under great pressure without breaking
Traditionally the metals that have been the medium for sculpture are copper, brass, bronze, gold, silver,
and lead. Aluminum is a recent addition to the list.
5. Bronze is one of the oldest alloys of metal composing chiefly of copper and tin with color and is one of
the most universally popular metals for sculpture. It is cast into shape. Bronze as a material is strong,
durable and resistant to any atmospheric corrosion. It is best suited for sculptures in open or outdoor
places like parks and plazas as well as for large-scale modeling. The sculpture may be polished to give it
excellent brilliance and splendor. 6. Bru, an alloy of copper and zinc, is not popularly used by artists
because of its limitations as a medium. Although it has many practical uses, brass does not rust and it
takes a brilliant polish.

7. Copper, which has a peculiar brilliance, is used as a costing medium. This is basically shaped by
hammering. It can be fashioned into relief forms. The rich reddish color and strength offer many
possibilities to the sculptor and the craftsman. One characteristic of this medium is its resistance to
atmospheric corrosion.

8. Gold and silver are used as casting materials for small objects like medals,coins, and pieces of jewelry
Because they are quite expensive, they are used for either personal accessories or religious adornments.

9. Lead, a bluish-gray metal, flexible and permanent material, is used for casting and forging. With the
help of a welding torch iron, it can be worked into a variety of unique and exciting forms.

10. Plaster is a composition of lime, sand, and water. Plaster is worked on an armature of metal wires
and rods in addition to various materials and fibers. This is applied on walls and ceilings and allowed to
harden and dry. The medium is used extensively for making manikins, models, molds, architectural
decorations, and other indoor sculpture.

11. Clay is a natural earthy material that has the nature of plasticity when

wet, consisting essentially of hydrated silicates of aluminum used formaking bricks and ceramics. Clay is
generally fragile so it becomes necessary to cast it in another durable material. The surface of the
finished product made of clay may be painted or glazed. Earthware which is "baked earth" is commonly
referred to as terra cotta, which is cheap compared with stone or bronze. Brilliant cloves are made
possible by glazing. Like all pottery, terra cotta is easily broken. As a medium for sculptor, it has been
used during the early times.

12. Glass is a medium that is hard, brittle, non-crystalline, more or less transparent substances produced
by fusion, usually consisting of mutually dissolved silica and silicates and contains soda and lime. This is
used to make beautiful but fragile figurines. It can be molded in various colors and shapes.
13. Wood as a medium is perhaps easier to carve than any other mediums available because it can be
intricately carved and subjected into a variety of treatment not possible with stone. It is lighter and
softer to carve despite having greater tensile strength than stone; hence, it can be used in long pieces
without breaking. The character of the grain and the color of the wood are the most important qualities
that the sculptor considers. Wood should be treated to preserve its quality Common wood used for
sculpture are dapdap, white lauan, oak, walnut, mahogany, narra and dao. They are selected for beauty
and permanence.

14. Terra cotta is the tenderest of sculptural materials. Most oriental sculpture deals in this medium. This
is used in vases, figurines, and in small thins.

Architecture

Architecture is an art. In its strictest meaning, it is the art of designing a building and supervising its
construction. It may also be regarded as the procedure assisted with the conception of an idea and its
realization in terms of building materials. In its broader meaning, architecture is shelter to serve as
protection of all activities of men-work, recreation, and sleep. One of the primary purposes of
architecture is to fulfill man's needs that led to its These man's needs include:

1. Physical needs-shelter (for self-preservation and reproduction) These shelters must have the
necessities (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) and comfort (heat, ventilation, furnishing).

2. Emotional needs-endowed with rich beauty and interest. 3. Intellectual needs-a building for science,
education, government etc.

4. Psychosocial needs

a. for recognition, prestige, civic, and personal-man build palaces, skyscrapers, cathedrals, public
buildings, monuments etc.

b. for response-due to love, friendship, and sociability (fraternal buildings, city clubs, banquet halls,
ballrooms, living rooms)
C. for self expression theaters, museums, cultural censo stadiums, gymnasiums, bowling alleys, etc.

To identify the style architecture is a comples undertaking. The style o accommodate and express the
function of the structure. It must also address the future, providing for adaptability and capacity to
survive the loss of t original function. It must also provide for functions which are unknown at the
moment of construction.

Factors in the Choice and Use of Architectural Materials

Folk Arts Theatre

There are various factors to be considered in the choice and use of architectural materials. These are: 1.
structural property workability with tools when used as construction materials.

1. compressive strength

2. tensile

3. porosity

4. lightness

5. durability

6. rigidity

7. gracefulness

8. flexibility of use
2. physical property-aesthetic use of the material for beauty

1. texture

2. tonal quality

3. color

3. weakness of the material

1. rotting

2. corrosion due to moisture

3. susceptibility to infection by "bukbok," termites and other pests

4. discolorization

5. solar radiation.

6. fungus growth

4.longevity of the material-lifespan of the material

1. To years

2. 20 years
3.half a centurys.

4.more than a century

5.other inherent properties

1.weight

2.Water resistance

3. Heat resistance

4 acoustic values

6. others (non-inherent properties)

1. Availability

2. Economy

Classification of Architectural Materials (Salvan, 1999)

The material used in architecture are classified into three: (1) the materials of nature (direct product of
nature); (2) materials manufactured or made by man; and (3) indigenous materials.

Materials of Nature

These are direct product of nature, as a gift to man from the forests and quarries and require only
shaping and minor conditioning for the place they are to occupy in the building. Often, these materials
may be used directly without preliminary work of any kind. Examples of these materials are stone
(granite, sandstone, marble, limestone) and wood.

1. Stone is one of the oldest and perhaps the most permanent material. Stone is the material used
in most of the great architecture of the world. Concrete is a building material made of sand and
gravel mixed with cement. Like stone, it has high compressive strength. It doesn’t easily crumble
or break down when subjected to heavy weight. It does not rot or corrode and it is fire resistant.
For stronger structures, ferro-concrete or reinforced concrete is used. It is concrete reinforced
with steel.

A. Lime stones- This type of stone has a fine even texture and its colors range from a light
cream to a buff from a light gray to a darker, bluish gray. It is most useful in walls,
exterior parts of the building and lends itself very well to carving.

b. Granite—This is a coarse-grained stone and useful for large, bold forms with little carving. It is the
hardest and the most durable of the types of stones. It is often applied to base courses where protection
is desired. It is polished, it is frequently used as shafts of columns with limestone or terra cotta capitals
and bes The nature of the materials makes it very adaptable t monumental work.

C.Marble It is a type of limestone sufficiently close in texture to admit of being polished. There are two
types of this material (Obreciated marble which consist of angular fragments, and (2) serpentine marble
which is useful for variegated patterns and often used in larger flat planes.

d. Sandstone- It consists of various colors from white to different tints of red, brown, blue or gray.
Sandstone is widely used in buildings which have informal character than formal ones. They give variety
and interest, and the textures of their walls have found flash in different structures.

1. Wood is not a permanent material but with proper care, it will last for a century Wood is the
common building material before the 90’s In advantages are its abundance, relative durability,
and high tensile and compression strength. However, it is easily destroyed by moisture, insects,
and fire. A new material, plywood, has greatly improved the structural possibilities of wood. In
relation to its weight, plywood, which comes in thin sheets, is probably stronger than any known
material

Materials Manufactured by Man

These classification of materials constitute the majority of building materials and require the
manipulation of man before they acquire their finished form, Clay is a product of nature but as a new
product, it must be processed so that it could be a usable commodity in architecture. Examples of these
materials are ceramics (bricks, tiles, terra cotta, glass), metal (bronze. Wrought iron, copper, lead,
chrome-nickel steel, aluminum monel steel, nickel silvers), concrete (hollow blocks, washout stones,
synthetic cement, gravel and sand) and plastics.

1 Ceramic materials. These materials can be manufactured in different ways Clay can be used to make
bricks, roofing tiles, toilet tiles, and clay pot Various forms of bricks and tiles and glasses are available in
the market as to texture, color, and design.

Glass. It is a hard, brittle, smooth, and usually transparent ceramic substance manufactured by fusing
together some form of silica and a base of lime or lead oxide through the powerful element of fire. Glass
admits light while it keeps out rain and cold.

Glass has assumed many forms and shapes for many architectural uses. Combined with metal, it is made
into furniture and equipment It is used for coverings and paneling. Its black shining surface may assist in
producing a mantel, a fountain, or trim of a door. For exterior purposes, it can be used for enclosing
medium, glass blocks which admit light but retain privacy and safety. For a more romantic point of view,
it can be colored as stained glass which were used in the beautiful windows of basilicas and cathedrals,
for dining and restaurants. Metals At an early stage, objects of iron and other metals were cast in form.
Today, rolling and pressing are considered as the most important

Manufacturing methods. These metals are as follows.

a. Bronze-Its permanency and beauty are very prominent in

Architectural features. This material is popularly used for banking

Screens, doors and grills, hardware and lighting features. It is capable

Of receiving numerous textures and colors.

 b. Wrought iron-It is elastic and fibrous. Cast iron is brittle. Wrought iron is worked upon the anvil
while it’s hot or cooling, Iron bars, rods, and plates are heated and then hammered and twisted
into the attenuated forms. Wrought iron is used for brackets, grills, hinges, locks, gates,
balconies. It can have a wood as a backdrop for its design.

c. Copper- This metal is ductile and is adaptable for cornices. Spandrels, and roofing. It has a
protective green carbonated upon its surface which gives an interesting quality to the material.
D. Chrome-nickel steel-It is a hard, non-corrosive metal which can

Lend itself to welding, stamping, and forging. It may be polished or

Left dull. It is used in interiors for doors, panels, grills or railings. E. Aluminum-This is a white metal and
noted for its lightness. It is non-corrosive and non-staining. It can be cast or forged into various shapes to
produce a desired design. Aluminum is used in sculpture and architecture. In architecture, it is used for
shop fronts, doors, grills, hardware, and exterior covering.

F. Monel Metal-This metal is a mixture of nickel and copper with an addition of iron, silica, and
manganese, giving a surface resembling that of a nickel. It is a non-corrosive metal. It is generally used
for doors and grills, balustrades, and screens.

g. Nickel silvers-This metal is characterized as soft and has dull textures and combines well with marble
and wood for stylistic types of architecture. It is most ideal for interior work.

3 Concrete Materials. These materials are more and more dominant in architectural building materials in
design today because of their availability, durability, fluidity, and other physical properties. Concrete has
strength, and a surface and texture capable of contributing to the aesthetic quality of a building. It is a
very popular building material. Some masonry finishes which come from concrete are washout finishes
which utilize cement mortar mixed with pebble stones, broken glass, etc. and synthetic stones. In
synthetic stones, broken stones are hammered to pieces and mixed with plastic. After the plastered
finish is dry and hardened, it is chiseled or pounded with an axe to expose the stones and give it a rough
texture

3. Plans open up new architectural form and designs in the field of architecture Plastics may be
sowed, cut, bent, drilled, and treaded These materials are smooth, hard, permanent, light, or
opaque, and durable. They can be molded, cast, extruded, and laminated depending upon their
composition or use. Cast plastics may come as sheets, rods, s cylinders, and cones and can be
 used for walls, ceilings, and doors. Strips of the materials can be bent into table legs, chair backs,
or light reflectors Laminated plastics are thin sheets of synthetic materials vencered to a
plywood or fiberboard vase-for decorative or purposes. They are capable of resisting water, acid,
fire, or wear. Resin bonded plywoods are strong, light, and durable plastic material. Functional
strips,

4. Indigenous Materials These materials are found in the locality and are widely used for sculpture
and architecture. Some of the indigenous materials are sawali, coco coir (trunks, leaves, husk),
bagasse, abaca, bamboo, palm frond stems, earth and mud bricks, cane wood (rattan), rice husk,
cogon, etc.

A awali-These materials are the outer covering of bamboo poles as a woven material for cement backing.

b. coco coir- This is a by-product material of a coconut used as sandwich panels for insulation and to
minimize the use of cement.

B. Bagase-This is a sugar cane waste used for insulation or cement backing.

d. Abaca-This is a fiber material obtained from the leafstalk of a banana plant. Most of these
materials are found in the Bicol Region e. bamboo This indigenous material has low degree of
elasticity, low concrete adhesion, wide variable moisture content and are very useful in
sculptural and architectural forms and designs. In architecture, it is used mainly to reinforce
concrete. The use of bamboo materials can lead to substantial savings and increase employment
in the locality. Bamboo materials are mostly found in Nueva Viscaya and Isabela provinces.

e. Palm frond stems-These are often certain walls, screen and base of a house. This material is
susceptible to termites and have to be replaced every 4 to 5 years. To raise its life span to 15
years and above, the material must be shielded by anti-termite chemical like solignum or by
raising the construction above the ground.

G. Mud bricks- These materials are brittle, has less strength, cannot stand up well to tension, but they
have a low thermal conductivity which have a beneficial effect in hot, dry climates.