Mediums of the Visual Arts

A. Mediums Used in Paintings

There are different mediums in paintings that are used nowadays. Artists use different
kinds of mediums such as oil, tempera, watercolor, pastel, fresco, and acrylic. 

1. Oil- it's a type of slow-drying paint. It consists of particular pigments suspended in a

drying oil. This kind of medium does not dry quickly, thus, it can withstand temperature
changes and not crack the pigment on it. Furthermore, oil blends into the surroundings
and allows the blending of color. It produces vivid colors with a natural sheen and
distinct context. Therefore, it provides a surface translucency similar to the skin making it
ideal for portrait painting. 

2. Tempera- it's a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment

mixed soluble binder. Tempera paints dry rapidly and it allows for great precision. When
dry it produces a smooth matte finish. Moreover, in tempera, the colors are mixed with
egg yolks, and since the paint dries rapidly there is little blending or fusing of colors. 

3. Watercolor- its pigments are mixed with water and applied to the fine white paper. Good
watercolor paintings are not easy to make, it requires a high degree of technical dexterity.
Furthermore, in pure watercolor painting, all light comes from the ground. Paper is the
most commonly used ground. Other materials like parchment, ivory, silk, and cambric are
also used as ground. 

4. Pastel- it's the most recent medium. It possesses only surfaces of the light, gives no
glazed effect, and most closely resembles dry pigment. Moreover, in pastel, pigments in
the form of powders are compressed lightly in sticks which are applied directly to the
surface, usually paper but it can also be used in pasteboard and canvas. Its color is
brilliant and it is a very flexible medium, one in which very rich and varied effects may
be produced. 
 5. Fresco- it is the most popular type of painting. Colors are mixed with water and applied
to fresh plaster which absorbs the color. Thus, since the pigment has been incorporated
with the plaster, it lasts until the wall is destroyed. Moreover, fresco means "fresh" in
Italian and it flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries. 

6. Acrylic- it is the newest medium and one that is used widely by painters today. Synthetic
paints using acrylic emulsions as binders. Combine transparency and quick-drying
qualities of watercolor and are as flexible as oil. Furthermore, acrylic is completely
insoluble when dry and can be used almost on any surface. They do not tend to crack and
turn yellow with age. 

B. Mediums Used in Sculpture

In choosing a subject for the sculpture, the most important thing to consider is the
material. Substances available for sculpture are limitless. Moreover, different materials require
different methods of handling. 

1. Stone- it's the most commonly used for sculpture. It is durable, resistant to elements, fire,
and other hazards. However, it is heavy and breaks easily. Marble us the most beautiful
stones. It has a high gloss when polished. 

2. Bronze- it's the most traditionally used metal. It may be solid in small statues. Large ones
are heavy and very expensive. Furthermore, bronze tends to crack when cooled. Its rich
color and smooth texture make it one of the most beautiful media for sculpture. 
3. Wood- it is the cheapest, readily available medium in sculpture. It polishes well and
color. Moreover, it is relatively light and can be easily made into a variety of shapes. 

4. Ivory- usual carvings in ivory are small, the reasons being the great expense of ivory and
the difficulty of securing it in large pieces. The color of ivory is a rich, creamy yellow.
Like wood, ivory cracks. 
 5. Terra Cotta- is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to
glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red. The term terra cotta means
"baked earth". 

C. Mediums Used in Architecture

It is the art of designing and constructing buildings. Materials used and the methods of
assembling them are among the factors contributing to architectural style. 

1. Wood- it is the common building material today. Its advantage is its abundance, relative
durability, and high tensile and compression strength. However, it is easily destroyed by
moisture, insects, and fire.

2. Steel- it is still in demand today. It is a tough alloy of iron in variable amounts. It is

malleable under proper conditions and greatly hardened by sudden cooling. It has tensile
strength. Moreover, the use of structural steel makes it possible for the architect to build
many of the present-day structures without worrying about the problem of space and the
wight of the other materials. It has also made possible the building of the high-rise
structures which are very popular these days. 

3. Stone- it's the material used in most of the great architecture of the world where
permanence is desired. It is defined as " any material manufactured with aggregate and
cement binder, intended to resemble in appearance, and which may be used in a similar
way to, natural stone." 

4. Concrete- it's a building material made of sand and gravel mixed with cement. Like
stone, it has high compressive strength. Furthermore, it doesn't easily crumble or break
down when subjected to heavyweight. It does not corrode and is fire resistant.