Local Materials Used in Creating Art

As an artist conceptualizes his or her artwork, he or she does not only foresee the final product
of his efforts. He or she would also mull over the kind of art materials that will be used in
realizing the artwork. An artist would give much thought to the art materials that he or she can
get and access from where he or she is situated. The considerations taken in choosing the
appropriate kind and amount of art materials that will be used in executing the artwork are
crucial for the success of the artist's effort. The artist will acquire the necessary materials that
are available within the immediate surroundings, not necessarily those that can be bought as
expenses can limit the acquisition of art materials, this limiting creativity as well.

An artist has to conceptualize the artwork he or she will create. The choice of art materials is
dependent on the art form that will be created. After conceptualization, the process of selecting
and acquiring the art materials in mind is considered a crucial step in creating a work of art. The
artist bears in mind that the conceived artwork will be created from choice materials deemed
appropriate for the art form.

Considering the wide and varied range of possibilities in creating contemporary art, the choice
of local or indigenous art materials are as wide and varied as well. The potential source of art
materials coming from the different regions of the country will be discussed. These local art
materials can be used to create art forms wherever they are suited. The way these materials are
used in creating art will determine the outcome of the artwork.

An artist must be sensitive in selecting the right kind of art material and should have a
discriminating eye in choosing what should be and should not be used. This is the ability to see
or make fine distinctions as to what is the right and proper art material to use.

What is it

The choice of art materials is a vital part of the artist's approach to his or her work and it is
important to pick the right kind of materials. As a new or budding student-artist, any artwork that
you will be creating is considered as contemporary art provided that it is an original concept. It
should be conceived by the artist him or her self. Call it reproduction or personal rendition,
copying somebody else's work is short of making some kind of artistic plagiarism. It's duplicating
an original artwork with or without insignificant changes.

In creating a unique and original contemporary artwork, many artists rely on the appropriate and
adequate supply of art materials. Local art materials are locally available materials from the
region, province, city or town. The availability and accessibility of local art materials make them
convenient and easy to use in creating art. Local art materials in combination with the tools and
equipment used to create art are referred to collectively as art media. For example, paint and
brush, paint is the material, and brush is the tool, together they make art media.

Local and Indigenous Art Materials

It is important to distinguish the difference between indigenous art materials and local art
materials. Anything indigenous naturally comes from the place or locality. It is not introduced to
the place or imported from somewhere else. Whereas, anything local also comes from the place
or locality but may or may not be originally part of that place or locality. It could have been
introduced to the place or locality by colonists or settlers from other places.

Indigenous art materials are materials that are natural or inherent from the place or locality. It
has been there right from the start. All indigenous art materials are local materials but not all
local art materials are indigenous. Local art materials could be a mix of indigenous art materials
and introduced art materials

Kinds of Local Art Materials

The use of local art materials in creating various types of arts has become the showcase of
Filipino creativity, resourcefulness, and artistry. The following are kinds of local materials that
can be found in the different regions and provinces of the country:

1. Abaca, also called manila hemp, is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of
the abaca plant known scientifically as Musa textilis, which is related to the banana plant.
Initially used as material for rope, the abaca found its way in the arts. The plant can be
found in plantations in the Bicol Region and in the different regions of Mindanao.
2. Coconut Shells or bao, are actually used for wood carving, improvised cooking utensils
and myriads of other uses. Laminated coconut shells are considered as almost the same
as the quality and appearance of turquoise shells or ivory. Coconut shells are bountiful
anywhere in the country where coconut palm trees, scientifically known as Cocos
nucifera, are planted. These shells are byproducts of coconut fruit processing.
3. Bamboo or kawayan, mistakenly identified as a tree, is actually a kind of grass.
Classified scientifically as a plant of the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family
Poaceae. It is found almost throughout the archipelago. The bamboo stem has plenty of
uses and one of its prominent use is in creating art.
4. Capiz or kapis shells come from the windowpane oyster, a bivalve marine mollusk in the
family of Placunidae. They are abundant in the Philippines, commonly found along the
coastal waters. Cleaned and processed capiz shells are used for various artistic
applications like windows, lanterns, and walling.
5. Rattan is a naturally renewable palm belonging to the subfamily Calamoideae of
climbing palms. It is widely used as furniture, handicrafts, and building material. It is
grown in plantations in Western Visayas and Mindanao.

6. Small or Cowrie shells or sigay, scientifically named Cypraea chinensi, measure about
2 centimeters each. They are often used in shell jewelry and shell craft work. They are
 popular for their vibrant color. They are found on sandy seafloor around the Philippine
islands.
7. Junk, which are old or discarded articles, are considered useless or of little value but for
the creative eyes of an artist they are essential in creating a well-known art form called
junk art. The discarded materials stored or hidden away inside homes or thrown in
garbage bins are usually made up of plastic, wood and metal.
8. Dried leaves falling off from branches of trees and plants are inexhaustible.Ranging
from pale yellow to dark brown, dried leaves are plentiful throughout the year. Dried
leaves art is already considered a craft of its own. Palm, pandanus, or sea grass leaves
are used to create artistic mats or banig.
9. Plant seeds can be acquired from farms and rural areas. Others can be bought
commercially like corn, sorghum, mung beans, sunflower and the like. Seed art can be
found in certain localities. They are distinct for their creative and colorful designs.
10. Rocks and sand of various types are abundant. They vary in size and color, allowing for
varied art forms.

Local art materials can be classified as traditional and non-traditional.

Traditional art materials available locally are those that are usually bought from department
stores and bookstores. They include crayons, oil pastel, watercolor, colored pencils and other
usual materials used in school. Non-traditional art materials are materials that are not usually
used in creating art like coffee, plastic bottles and recyclable materials that are similar to those
used in junk art.

Critiquing Available Materials and Appropriate Techniques

An artwork is not just a work good enough for an artist. It is more than just doing and producing
something. An artwork is an expression of the being of the artist who created it. In the truest
sense of being an artist, beyond fame and money, an artist takes into personal consideration
what goes into his or her artwork. The artist will take into careful and scrutinizing account the
kind and quality of art materials that will be used and the art techniques that will be applied in
creating art.

Being choosy with and discriminating in the choice of art materials cannot regarded as an
overzealous act of meticulousness on the part of the artist. This is proof of the artist's dedication
and sincerity in creating art. A dedicated and sincere artist takes his or her choice of art
materials and artistic technique seriously.

The artist makes a thorough evaluation and assessment of the art materials available at his
disposal as well as the art technique he or she will be applying using these available art
materials. The artist has his or her personal criteria in evaluating the kind, quality and amount of
the art materials at hand. The artist, as an aesthete, shows special appreciation of art and
beauty. This is expressed in the careful preparations the artist makes before embarking on the
creation of the artwork. These show the need to critique the available art materials and the
appropriate art techniques.

The way an artist critiques the available art materials and the appropriate techniques as one of
the tasks in creating an artwork gives a purposeful interest and sense of direction to what the
artist is doing. With this understanding, critiquing imparts value on the effort of the artist to come
out with a worthwhile artwork.

However, critiquing should not be relegated to criticizing which entirely different and potentially
discouraging as it imparts disapproval. It is important to know the difference between critiquing
and criticizing. The artist critiques, not criticizes.

Critiquing Versus Criticizing

Taking note of the process of creation, paying attention to the kind art materials and the way
they were used, considering the art technique that was applied, are some of the ways of
critiquing.

However, relying on feelings for evaluation, depending heavily on the visual appeal of the
artwork, judging the finished product of the creation as either beautiful or ugly, nice or not nice,
are some of the gauges used for criticizing.

Critique is taken from the Greek kritike tekhne, which means "the critical art". It is somewhat a
formal word that typically refers to a careful judgment. It refers to the detailed analysis and
assessment of something. On the other hand, criticism refers to a sharp or severe disapproval
of something, generally based on perceived faults or errors. It is judging with disapproval. It is
negative in nature.

Critiquing Criticizing

● Thought more than felt ● Felt more than thought

● Concerned with the process of ● Concerned with what is perceived
creating art through the senses
● Considered the artist's technique ● Considered the artist as good or not
● More objective than subjective good
● More subjective than objective

Critiquing Available Materials

In using available art materials, they have to undergo evaluation for them to be deemed really
useful. The usefulness of these art materials is dependent on
certain factors. Each art material has to be examined in certain ways. Some of the basic
considerations in critiquing available art materials are availability, accessibility, and affordability.

Availability. An art material has to be obtainable, ready for use, at hand. Simply put, the art
material exists or is physically present for the artist to use. It is already there; this is the quality
of being able to be used or obtained.

Accessibility. An art material has to be within the artist's reach, easily acquired without much
effort or difficulty for the artist. It is the quality of being acquired or used easily.

Affordability. An art material has to be within the financial capacity of the artist to be purchased
or bought. The artist can bear or meet the expense of acquiring the needed art material. Though
a cheap good quality art material is good but an art material acquired for free is still the best.

Critiquing Appropriate Techniques

Art Technique is the manner and ability by which an artist employs the technical skills of a
particular art. It is the means, process or methods of using art materials in a manner that the
artist wants to use in order to create an artwork. It is also important to assess art technique that
is going to be used in creating an artwork.

Some of the considerations in critiquing the appropriate art technique are appropriateness,
mastery and practicality.

Appropriateness. The manner by which the artist is going to apply in creating an artwork
should be suited to the kind of art materials that will be used as well as suited to the kind of art
technique.

Mastery. It is expected that the artist is skilled and highly knowledgeable of the art technique.
The right art materials are there and the suited art technique is appropriate to the art form but if
the artist is not adept with the use of the specific technique to be applied, the outcome might run
contrary to what is expected.

Practicality. Art technique should be functional and sensible for the objectives or purpose set
by the artist for the creation of the artwork. Practicality makes the art technique truly appropriate
when it is indeed useful for the artist and when it is understandably fit for the kind of art
materials and for the conceived artwork.