LESSONLESSON 11 The Media of Art
Every work of art begins with a thought or Other art is made to be appreciated in idea. Every work ends with a realization of that three dimensions. Statues and most objects of starting concept. What happens in between is applied art fall into this category. They are a result of many choices the artist makes. made to be seen from different sides and an- Some of the most important choices are gles. The same is true of works of architecture. the tools and materials that will be used to Like art itself, the media and processes create the artwork. For some projects, the ma- used in its creation can be categorized as terials may include clay and sculpting tools. being two- or three-dimensional. For others, the tools of choice may be crayons ● Two-dimensional media and processes. and paper. A computer screen and a mouse These include tools and materials used in might be used by others. These and other the various processes of picture making. tools and materials used to create works of art are Among these tools are pencils, pens, known collectively as art media. pastels, and paint brushes. Materials, or It is worth noting that that term—art surfaces, on which the two-dimensional media—is plural. It refers to more than one image appears include paper, parch- material or tool. When referring to a single ment, and canvas. Figure 4–1, which art material or tool, you use the term art opened this chapter on page 66, was medium. made using fairly uncommon two- dimensional media. These include ART MEDIA AND PROCESSES natural pigments and eucalyptus bark. Some art, as you have learned, is created What medium was used for the two- in two dimensions. Paintings, drawings, dimensional artwork in Figure 3–10 on and photographs are examples of two- page 56? dimensional art. The images they provide ● Three-dimensional media and can be seen only when looked at directly, or processes. These include tools and head-on. materials used in the processes that