Art mediums are tools that artists use to achieve their vision, which is the way that they want their art to look. Different mediums can produce hugely different effects and there is no “right” or “wrong” medium to use, just what works best for the individual artist and their particular artwork.
Artists carefully choose their materials as they know that the right choice will give them the desired result. The medium you choose is critical for your art to look how you want it. Let’s look at today’s most common art mediums.
- Painting
Painting is one of the most popular art mediums. There are many variations on painting, including oil painting, watercolor painting, and acrylic paintings.
Painting can be done using numerous tools, but some are brushes, roller brushes, and spray paints.
- Drawing
Drawing is probably one of the oldest forms of art and this medium has inspired numerous other art forms such as cartoons, manga, and comic books.
Drawing can be done using a variety of tools, including graphite pencils and colored pencils (for color drawings).
- Sculpture
The sculpture is probably one of the most misunderstood art mediums. For whatever reason, people tend to understand drawings and paintings but don’t seem to grasp how three-dimensional solid objects can be considered a work of art.
The sculpture is all about three dimensions and can be done out of anything that has mass: stone, metal, glass, wood, even plastic.
- Mixed Media
Mixed media is an art form that combines two or more different mediums to create a unique piece of artwork. An example of this would be using oil paints on top of acrylic paints (which would not normally mix).
This can allow artists to use the benefits of different mediums, such as the longevity of oil paints or the vibrant colors of acrylic. Mixed media is very popular among many artists who use it to create unique artwork that reflects their vision.
Which medium will you use to create your next piece of art? Give each try and see which one feels right for you!