CHAPTER 6

Objectives
• Identify the elements of art
• Analyze the various elements present in visual and auditory arts
• Create an artwork depicting the various principles of design

TECHNIQUE IN ARTS
Artists differ from one another in technique even if they use the same medium. A
musician’s technique is the ability to make sound the way he wants it. For instance, a
pianist may sound different from another pianist despite the fact that they handle the same
instrument and play the same musical composition.
Technique differs in the various arts. A painter may have a fine technique in
watercolor but poor in oil. The distinction between an art and a craft may be made based
on the technique used.
▪ VISUAL ARTS
✓ Medium comes from the Latin word “medius” means by which an artist
communicates his idea. These are the materials which are used by an artist to
interpret his feelings or thoughts. Many mediums have been used in creating
different works of art.
✓ The architect uses wood, bamboo, bricks, stone, concrete, and various
building materials. The painter used pigments on wood or canvas to recreate
reality of nature.
✓ A sculptor uses steel, marble, bronze, metal, and wood.
✓ A musician uses instruments to produce and communicate a message and a
literary writer uses words.

On the basis of medium, the arts are primarily classified as visual and auditory.
Visual arts are those mediums that can be seen and which occupy space.
These are grouped into two classes:
(1) The two-dimensional arts include painting, drawing printmaking, and
photography.
(2) The three-dimensional art includes sculpture, architecture, landscape,
community planning, industrial designs, and crafts like ceramics and furniture

Difference of Two and Three Dimensional Art

When a work of art is classified as being 2-dimensional, it means that the
composition possesses the dimensions of length and width but does not possess

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 depth. All 2-dimensional pieces of art, such as drawings, paintings, and prints,
are made up of shapes.
Three-dimensional media occupies space defined through the dimensions
of height, width and depth. It includes sculpture, installation and performance
art, craft and product design.

Visual arts are those arts that can be perceived with our eyes. The most common
visual arts are painting sculpture, and architecture.

MEDIUMS OF VISUAL ARTS

PAINTING
Painting is the art of creating meaningful effects on a flat surface by the use of pigments.
Different mediums are use in painting. Each medium exerts a pronounced effect on the
finished product, is capable of varied treatment, and determines its own stroke. These
mediums are apply to wet plaster, canvas, wood, or paper.

‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt ‘The Fruit Gatherer’ - José Joya

WATERCOLOR
Watercolor is difficult to handle because
producing warm and rich tones using this
medium proves to be a challenge. On the
contrary, watercolor pigments invite
brilliance and a variety of hues. Simple and
clear spontaneity is its principal essence.
While changes may be made once the paint
has been applied, such changes normally tend
to make the color less luminous. These
effects are rendered by watercolor artists
through some techniques. They are usually applied on white surfaces.

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FRESCO
Fresco is a painting method done
on a moist plaster surface with colors
ground in water or a limewater mixture.
Fresco must be done quickly
because it is an exacting medium- the
moment the paint is applied to the surface,
the color dry into the plaster and the
painting becomes an integral part of the wall. The image becomes permanently fixed and
almost impossible to remove. An example of fresco painting is Michelangelo's The
Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

TEMPERA
Tempera paints are mineral pigments
mixed with egg yolk or egg white and ore.
This egg-based emulsion binds the pigments
to the surface. Tempera is characterized by
its film-forming properties and rapid drying
rate. It requires a more deliberate technique
than oil because it does not possess the
flexibility of oil.
Throughout the Middle Ages and
early Renaissance, tempera was one of the
favorite mediums of many painters before oil
was adopted. Tempera painting is usually
done on wooden panel made very smooth
with plaster called gesso (chalk and gun).
Since this medium dries quickly, corrections
are difficult to make. thus, the artist must be precise and exact in his work. It is a well-
designed medium for careful detail. One distinguishing advantage of tempera is its
luminous tone- the colors being clear and beautiful.
Steps in Tempera Painting:
1) Separate the yolks from the whites, and drop one yolk into each of your bowls.
2) Mix water or liquid watercolors into the egg.
3) Mix well
4) Paint

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PASTEL
Pastel is a stick of dried paste made of pigment
ground with chalk compounded with gum
water. It is very flexible medium whose colors
are luminous, In spite of the richness and
varied effects it yields, pastels are less popular
than the other mediums because it is difficult
to preserve the finished product in its original
state. Some artists use a fixing medium or a
protecting surface such as glass,
but when the chalk rubs off, the image loses some of its brilliance.

ENCAUSTIC
Encaustic is one of the early mediums used by
the Egyptians for painting portraits on mummy
cases. This is done by applying wax colors
fixed with heat.
Painting with wax produces luster and
radiance, making subjects appear at their best
in portraits.

OIL
Oil painting is one of the most expensive art
activities today because of the prohibitive cost of
materials. It is the heaviest of painting mediums. In
oil painting pigments are mixed with linseed oil and
applied to the canvas. One good quality of oil paint as
a medium is its flexibility. The artist may use a brush,
palette knife, or even his bare hands when applying
pain on his canvas. In some cases, we do not even
notice the artist's strokes because the paint is applied
very smoothly.

One distinctive characteristic of oil paint,

compared with other mediums, is that it dries
slowly and the painting may be changed and
worked over for a long period. Because of this,
it is possible to apply a great deal of
corrections without much difficulty. Painting
done in oil appears glossy and lasts long.

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ACRYLIC
Acrylic is a medium used popularly by
contemporary painters because of the transparency
and quick-drying characteristics of watercolor and
the flexibility of oil combined. The synthetic paint is
mixed with acrylic emulsion as binder for coating the
surface of the artwork. Acrylic paints do not tend to
break easily unlike oil paints which turn yellowish or
darker over a period of time.

MOSAIC
Mosaic is the art of putting together small pieces of colored stones or glass called
"tesserae" to create an image. The tesserae are most often cut into squares and glued on a
surface with plaster or cement. Mosaic is usually classified as painting, although, the
medium used is not strictly pigment.
Mosaic art is an important feature of Byzantine churches. A prominent religious
artwork in Manila done in mosaic is found in the altar of Sta. Cruz Church. It shows a
wounded white lamb, symbolizing Christ, with a stream that flows down directly to the
tabernacle.

by Julie Aldridge
Sta. Cruz Church (Manila)

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STAINED GLASS
Stained glass as an artwork is common in Gothic cathedrals and churches. It is made by
combining small pieces of colored glass, held together by bands of lead. It is also a kind
of patchwork. In large windows, the lead is reinforced by heavy iron bars that form heavy
black lines in the picture. The pictures in the stained glass commonly depict the lives of
saints and in effect, serve as a means of religious instruction among Christians. Beautiful
stained-glass windows showing scenes from the Bible are commonly found in Philippine
churches. Ex. Manila Cathedral and Sto. Domingo Church

DRAWING
Drawing is usually done on paper using pencil, pen, and ink, or charcoal. It is the most
fundamental of all skills necessary in arts. Drawing has always been considered as a very
good training for artists because it makes one concentrate on the use of line. Shading can
also be used to make drawings more life-like and realistic. Some of the world's best-
known drawings are by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).

Leonardo da Vinci – The Head of Leda Realistic Eyes by Hector Gonzales

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GRANITE
Granite is a granular igneous rock composed of feldspar and quartz, usually combined
with other minerals. This medium is quite difficult to chisel. It is good for large works
with only a few designs. The Egyptian sculptures of Pharaohs were mostly done in
granite.

Colossal Seated Statue of a Pharaoh Mount Rushmore in South Dakota

MARBLE
Marble is limestone in a more or less crystalline state sufficiently close in texture, and
capable of taking a high polish. It occurs in many varieties. Marble is easier to carve than
granite because it is relatively softer. Sculptors have used marble for detailed carving of
figures.
Breciated marble is composed of angular fragments. Sandstone is relatively
soft, making it easy to work on. Basalt is hard and black. Limestone has a fine and even
texture, its color ranges from light cream to buff, and from light gray to a darker, bluish
gray. it lends itself very well to carving

Breciated marble

Sandstone Basalt Sculpture- Limestone Statue

Aphrodite

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JADE
Jade is a fine stone, usually colored green,
and used widely in ancient China. It is highly
esteemed as an ornamental stone for carving
and fashion jewelry. Today, it is made into
women’s fashion accessories because it
carries certain social significance. It is
believed to symbolized virtues such as
faithfulness, wisdom, and charity.

IVORY
Ivory which comes from the main parts of tusks of
elephants, is the hard-white Substance used to
make carvings and billiard balls. In the home of
some well-to do families in the Philippines, faces
and hands of saints are made in ivory. The bodies
are made of carved and painted wood.

METALS
Metals include any of a class of elementary substances
such as gold, Silver, of copper, all of which are
crystalline when solid and many of which are
characterized by capacity , ductility, conductivity, and
peculiar luster when freshly fractured being ductile,
metals can be transformed into fine wires or threads.
They can be shaped or deformed under great
pressure without breaking. Traditionally, the metal used
as mediums for sculpture are copper, brass, bronze, gold,
silver, and lead. Aluminum is a recent addition to the list.

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CLAY
Clay is a natural earthy material that is plastic when wet.
It consists essentially of hydrated silicates of aluminum
and is used for making bricks and ceramics.
Clay is generally fragile so it becomes necessary
to cast it in another durable material. The surface of the
finished product made of clay may be painted or glazed.
Earthware, commonly referred to as terra cotta or "baked
earth", is cheap compared with stone or bronze. Brilliant
cloves are made possible by glazing. Like all pottery,
terra cotta is easily broken. As a medium for sculptor, it
has been used during the early times. Most oriental
sculpture come in the form of terra cotta.

CRAYONS
Crayons are pigments bound by wax and
compressed into painted sticks used for drawing. It
is especially popular among children in the
elementary grades. Crayons adhere better on paper
surface.

SILVERPOINT
To produce a silver point artwork, the artist uses
a silver stylus to produce a thin grayish on
specially prepared paper. Silverpoint drawings
were popular during the renaissance period.

By Picasa

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SCULPTURE
In choosing a subject for sculpture, the most important
thing to consider is the material. The materials available for
sculpture are limitless. Each of these materials presents a
challenge of the sculptor’s creativity. Ex. Pieta

STONE
Stone is the hard and brittle substance formed from
mineral and earth material. The finished product is
granular and dull in appearance. Stones are normally
used for grave stones in cemeteries. Stones including
sandstone, granite, basalt, marble, and limestone.

WOOD
Wood as a medium is easier to carve
than any other mediums available
because it can be subjected into a variety
of treatment. It is lighter and softer to
carve despite having greater tensile
strength than stone; hence, it can be used
in long piece without breaking. The
character of the grain and the color of the
wood are the most important qualities
that the sculptor consider in choosing
what kind of wood he will use. Wood should be treated to preserve its quality. Common
wood use for sculptures are dapdap. White lauan, oak, walnut, mahogany, narra, and dao.
They are selected for aesthetic purposes and permanence.

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 ▪ AUDITORY ARTS

- The art of arranging sounds in time to produce a continuous, unified, and

evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre.
Music as AuditoryArts
■ Composed of tones and silences organized in such a manner to convey the
emotions and ideas conceived by the composer. The composers work must be
interpreted by another artist-the performer who makes the composers work come to
life.
■ Music moves through time, thus it is called temporal
■ Music appreciation is the acquired ability to listen to music intelligently
Three components:
-ability to appreciate music is not congenital or inborn
-acquired by anyone who makes up his mind to do so
-conscious effort
Functions of Music
1. An attempt to imitate the natural sound
2. Release of one’s emotions or feelings (therapeutic)
3. As signals in wars
4. Means of worship and vehicles of rituals
5. Used to accompany dance
6. A form of entertainment in community celebrations
7. Symbols of life’s cycles

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 ▪ THE COMBINED ARTS

The combined arts can be referred to events that combine variety of media or
materials which can be both seen and heard, and which exist in both space and time
(Ortiz 40).
Combined arts can mean several different things. It can refer to a collection of
different art mediums, such as painting, singing and musical performance. It can also
refer to organizations that work over multiple platforms and venues to promote artistic
endeavors.
• Performance – Requires human beings to demonstrate certain skills.
• Theater – As a combined art may put together literature or drama, music, actors
on stage where scenery, props and lighting are arranged, plus other media to complete a
production.
• Music – May include sound, spectacular impressions and video.
• Cinema – May creatively integrate elements of photography, video, film, music
and literature and other materials in its production.

The Spatial Temporal Frames in the Combined Arts

• Locus – The specific space in which Music, Film, Theater, and other Combined
Arts occur.
Space must conform to the plastic feature of the actor or the actress, and that it
must work to serve his or her moving, alive and three- dimensional character (Brockett
229).

The Display of Skills in the Combined Arts

Another integral aspect of the combined art is the performance, which consist in
the display or demonstration of the certain technical skills human beings for the public’s
pleasure or enjoyment.
In theater, this may be shown in the display of prowess by the actor or actress in
staging a literary text or simply in the display of his or her active body or his or her body
movement activities on stage (Carlson 2-3; 114).
In Music, this can be shown in the demonstration of virtuosity of a pianist who
performs a piece before an audience.

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 In Cinema, this can be shown in the display of aural and visual images to depict a
story or a fact facilitated by technology and mixed media through expertise of a director,
actor and the production crew.

The Structure of the Combined Arts

The Structure of Music
In music, what constitute its structure are the elements of:
1. Rhythm - is the element of "TIME" in music. When you tap your foot to
the music, you are "keeping the beat" or following the structural rhythmic pulse of
the music.
2. Melody - is a timely arranged linear sequence of pitched sounds that the
listener perceives as a single entity.
3. Harmony - is two or more notes played together at the same time. As
soon as there is more than one pitch sounding at a time, you have harmony.
4. Texture - is a way to describe how the music or sound is organized. It can
be thought of as how many layers a piece of music has – it’s how much stuff is
going on at once.

The Structure of Theater

In Theater, what is performed may vary. In many cultures, what has become the
major mode of theatrical performance is the enactment of literature or dramatic text.
According to specific elements such as the:
1. Plot - is known as the foundation of a novel or story, around which the
characters and settings are built.
2. Character – is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual
within the world of the play.
3. Thought – is the idea or “theme” of the play.
4. Diction – or “language” is used to depart information, reveal characters,
characterize, direct attention, reveal themes and ideas, establish mood / tone,
establish tempo / rhythm appropriate to character.
5. Music – The sound of the dialog, musicality, rhythm, pace, etc. helps
establish mood, characterize, lend variety, pleasurable.

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 6. Spectacle – it includes all aspects of the tragedy that contribute to its
sensory effects: costumes, scenery, the gestures of the actors, the sound of the
music and the resonance of the actors' voices.
The Structure of Cinema
What constitute the Structure of Cinema are the elements of:
1. Script – A screenplay, or script, is a written work by screenwriters for a
film, television program, or video game. These screenplays can be original works
or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions,
expression and dialogues of the characters are also narrated.
2. Acting – is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment
by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio,
or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
3. Production Design – is the creation and organization of the physical
world surrounding a film story.
In some cases, the production designer is almost completely responsible
for the overall look of a film; in others, particularly when working with directors
with strong visual styles, a designer's contribution tends to be much more limited.
4. Staging – It is the process of selecting, designing, adapting to, or
modifying the performance space for a play or film. This includes the use or
absence of stagecraft elements as well as the structure of the stage and its
components. In film, staging is generally called set dressing.
5. Cinematography – deals with the choices that are made for the camera –
the placement of the camera, the camera angle toward the subject, the lens choice,
and the camera movement. Each of these choices has an effect on the recorded
image and how the viewer perceives (consciously or unconsciously) that image.
6. Editing – is the sequencing of the shots in the film. Editors decide on the
order and the duration of shots, the visual transitions from scene to scene, and
visual effects.
7. Sound Design – deals with the sound components, what we hear in the
film. Dialog editing, sound effects, and music contribute to the story. Mood,
environment, character, time and place are just a few of the story aspects that can
be established or emphasized with sound.

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The Analysis of the Combined Arts
The analysis of Cinema will be generally according to Structure, which we refer to as
Form in the next part of the chapter, while Music and Theater will be analyzed according
to Subject Matter and Style in addition to Form.
A. Form
Form refers to the elements, principles of composition, conventions and techniques that
are used to organize a work of art.
B. Medium
Medium refers to the material used by the artist. There are variety of materials used in the
combined arts.
Example:
Theater uses body and voice as the principal media while music makes use of the voice
and sound. The media are the vehicles with which the artist conveys the content of his or
her work.
C. Subject Matter
Subject matter is what the artwork is about. It may be a person, nature, event, feeling
and/or idea that is central in the art piece.
D. Style
Style refers to the set of characteristics that identifies an artwork with an individual, a
historical period, a school of artists, or a nation (Sporre 14).

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 LEARNING ACTIVITIES
I. IDENTIFICATION
A. Directions: Identify what is asked on the given statement.
__________1. It is the creation and organization of the physical world surrounding a
film story.
__________2. It is a written work by screenwriters for a film, television program, or
video game.
__________3. It deals with the choices that are made for the camera – the placement
of the camera, the camera angle toward the subject, the lens choice,
and the camera movement.
__________4. It deals with the sound components, what we hear in the film.
__________5. It is a way to describe how the music or sound is organized.
__________6. It is the element of "TIME" in music.
__________7. It refers to the elements, principles of composition, conventions and
techniques that are used to organize a work of art.
__________8. It refers to the set of characteristics that identifies an artwork with an
individual, a historical period, a school of artists, or a nation (Sporre
14).
__________9. It is known as the foundation of a novel or story, around which the
characters and settings are built.
__________10. In theatre, it includes all aspects of the tragedy that contribute to its
sensory effects: costumes, scenery, the gestures of the actors, the
sound of the music and the resonance of the actors' voices.

B. Directions: Write (2D) if the given example is dimensional or two-

dimensional and write (3D) if the given example is three-dimensional art.

__________1. Sculpture
__________2. Painting
__________3. Photograph
__________4. Landscape
__________5. Architecture
__________6. Drawing
__________7. Printmaking
__________8. Furniture
__________9. Ceramics
__________10. Industrial design

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II. I AM AN ARTIST ACTIVITY
Directions: Observe and color the art canvas below. You may use any coloring
material you prefer. Please be guided by the given criteria. Enjoy and celebrate colors!

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 CRITERIA 5 Points 3 Points 2 Points
(Excellent) (Satisfactory) (Good)
1. Uniqueness and originality are presented.
2. Neatness and good use of technique are
demonstrated.
3. Rendering of colors in the activity was
greatly emphasized because of the chosen color
scheme used.
4. Quality of artistic and overall design based
on the theme.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Caslib,B.N, (2018) Garing d,c. & Casual JA, R.,

Cultural Center of the Philippines. (1994). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine

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Datuin F., Paulino R., Ramirez E.L & Marcelino L., (2016). Contemporary Philippine
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Panisan, W.K., Ipan-Bongabong, M.L., Boongaling, C.G., Trinidad, M.B., (2018).

Art Appreciation, Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Stecker R.,(2010). Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art, An Introduction,

Second Edition, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.