The easel and brush are basic tools used by painting creators.
Painting is a term whose etymological origin is found in Latin. Specifically, it emanates from the word pigmenta , which can be translated as "dye or pigment."
It can be said that painting is a concept with various uses and meanings. The notion can be used to name the material that allows a surface to be covered with a thin layer; to the art of painting; to the canvas or sheet on which something is painted; and makeup.
Paint as a material
As a material, paint is a fluid that is applied to a surface in thin layers. When it dries, the paint becomes a solid film that covers the surface.
Among the many types of paints, varnishes , enamels , sealants , toners and lacquers can be mentioned. Its usefulness will depend on the surface on which you plan to apply the paint. It should be noted that each paint, in turn, is composed of various products , such as pigments, solvents, plasticizers and binders.
An artistic expression
Painting, on the other hand, is the art that consists of graphic representation using pigments and other substances. Michelangelo , Leonardo da Vinci , Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh are some of the most famous artistic painters in history.
The origin of this art can be found in Prehistory, and more specifically in those known as cave paintings . Those can be more than 40,000 years old, they are found in caves and were made by human beings of that time as a form of artistic representation with a marked spiritual air. They usually represent animals such as bison or horses.
Before the final version of a painting, it is common for an artist to make drawings in the form of sketches or outlines.
Issues linked to painting
When we talk about painting as art we would have to highlight that several relevant aspects must be highlighted:
- When developing it, many techniques have been used throughout history. Specifically, among the most significant are oil, watercolor, tempera, acrylic, tempera (gouache), watercolor, pointillism or fresco.
- No less important is to know that it is also divided into various genres based on the objects they represent. Thus, there are the nude, the portrait, landscape painting (landscape), the still life, the still life and the so-called historical painting.
- All this without forgetting what the pictorial currents would be; That is, the trends, fashions and styles that have prevailed within this art and that have caused the paintings to be characterized by very specific signs of identity. There are many currents that have existed, although among them impressionism, realism, tenebrism, naïve painting, surrealism, baroque, fauvism, modernism, expressionism, hyperrealism and cubism take special relevance.
The differences between the currents are given by the way in which the artists express their work. The color palette , hue , saturation and hue vary according to each group. The exponents of the different schools of painting also resort to different plays of light and shadow, contrasts and perspectives.
Composition , volume , texture , proportion and symmetry are other variables that allow us to differentiate between trends. An expert in art criticism or art history can identify the distinctive characteristics of each.
Mural painting requires a large surface for its development.
art appreciation
The appreciation of painting and art in general takes place in various places. An art gallery , for example, usually has some permanent exhibition or display. The same thing happens with many museums.
Exhibitions, in turn, can be held in other places. An educational establishment, a business or even a public street sometimes become spaces that display the creations of portraitists, landscapers and other painters.
It cannot be failed to mention that painting is also a business . There is an art market that moves millions of dollars: at an art auction, a collector can pay large amounts to access a work.
Nor should we forget that beyond the creators and critics, there are other experts who make painting their way of life. Painting restoration is a highly appreciated specialization as it allows us to recover the splendor of works created long ago.
Painting as canvases and cosmetic products
The creations of artists that are expressed on canvas or prints are also known as paintings. For example: "My aunt gave us a painting of ships to decorate the house" , "The Mona Lisa is my favorite painting" , "This afternoon I am going to accompany Juan to the museum since he wants to see the new exhibition of paintings" .
The notion of paint, finally, is used to name cosmetic products that provide a more aesthetic appearance to the skin or hair: «I have to get ready for the party but I can't find my paints» , «For my taste, Susana "He put too much paint on his face."