Media (arts)

In the arts, media (plural of medium) are the materials and techniques used by an artist to produce a work.

Drawing

In drawing, "media" refers to the type of held dry tool used and the base onto which it is transferred. The "held dry tool" normally means a pencil, or stick medium, referred to as a "crayon". Small particles of broken-off stick medium are transferred to a base or plane of production on which the artwork is produced. A typical base is paper, but canvas and other surfaces can also be used.

Common drawing media

*Chalk pastel
*Charcoal
*Colored pencil
*Conté crayon
*Graphite and graphite pencils
*Marker
*Oil pastel
*Pen and ink

Painting

In painting, "media" refers to both the type of paint used and the base (or ground) to which it is applied. A paint's medium refers to what carries a paint's pigments, and is also called a "vehicle" or a "base". A painter can mix a medium with solvents, pigments, and other substances in order to make paint and control its consistency.

Common paint media

*Acrylic paint
*Enamel paint
*Gesso
*Glaze
*Gouache
*Ink
*Latex paint
*Magna paint
*Oil paint
*Primer
*Sumi
*Tempera
*Vinyl paint
*Watercolor

Common ground media

*Architectural structures
*Canvas
*Cloth
*Glass
*Metal
*Paper
*Wood

Application tools and methods

*Action painting
*Aerosol paint
*Airbrush
*Batik
*Brush
*Finger painting
*Muralism
*Palette knife
*Stick

Muralism techniques

Muralists use many of the same media as panel painters, but due to the scale of their works, use different techniques. Some such techniques include:
*Cartoon
*Overhead and slide projection
*Pounce (technique)

culpture

Materials

*Beads
*Clay
*Edible material
*Found objects
*Glue and other adhesives
*Ice
*Jewels
*Marble
*Metals
*Paperboard
*Papier-mâché
*Plaster
*Plastics
*Sand
*Stone
*Textile
*Wax
*Wire
*Wood

Tools

*Bristled brush
*Ceramic wheel and kiln
*Chisel
*Clamps
*cutting torch
*Hammer or mallet
*Knife
*Pliers
*Power tools
*Sandpaper
*Saw
*Scraper
*Snips
*Wirecutters

Printmaking

In the art of printmaking, "media" tends to refer to the technique used to create a print. Common media include:
*Engraving
*Etching
*Inkjet printing (sometimes called Giclée printing)
*Laser printing
*Linocut
*Lithography
*Moku hanga
*Offset printing
*Plate printing
*Photographic printing
*Screen-printing
*Woodcut

ee also

* Plastic arts
* Art materials
* Recording medium
* Digital media
* Mixed media
* multi media

External links

* [http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=media&logic=AND&note=&english=N&prev_page=1&subjectid=300163343 Media (artists' materials)] definition from the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus