Lesson Two

Focusing on the Many Forms of Art

When most people think of art, they picture a few forms, when in reality there are numerous kinds of art. As we discussed in the last lesson, art takes many forms like architecture, paintings, pottery, decorated masks, etc...

Paintings

Paintings are perhaps the first thing most people think of when art is mentioned. Since we all know what painting is, let's move onto different forms of painting. People paint in all different ways. Some do oil paintings (using pigments with a medium of drying oil), while others prefer using acrylic paints (fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion). Watercolor painting is a popular form of painting using pigments that have been suspended in a water based solution. Digital Painting (the art of painting online), Spray Painting (using spray paints to create a painting), Ink Wash painting (using black inks in various concentrations to paint), and Action Painting (dribbling and splattering paint on a canvas instead of carefully applying it) are also all forms of painting among others.

Here is a slideshow with examples of the forms of painting:

Lesson Two: Welcome

The spray painting shows six palm trees with pink spray painting outlining them and a sky of blues,

Lesson Two: Image

Drawings and Sketches

From sketches on cave walls to drawings hanging in museums, this form of art has been around a long time, since around 30,000 to 10,000 B.C. The earliest forms were sketches and carvings painted on tools. We’ll discuss various drawing tools in lesson three.

Masks

I mentioned in Lesson One that masks were common in the Americas and Africa. They were used in many cultures including Egypt as well. Masks were decorated to mimic various animals and people as well as gods. They are a form of ancient art as people spent a lot of time decorating and designing them.

Pottery

Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions and is an art that dates back to before the Neolithic Period. Beautifully and craftily decorated pottery is seen throughout history and is a form of art. From patterns to battle scenes, people have carved all manner of decorations into their vases, cups, bowls, and plates. Pottery was made out of clay and then later heated and glazed which added color. When people figured out how to decorate their pottery by carving designs into it and then glazing it, it brought out the different cultures of people way back. We can tell by looking at a piece of pottery some of what may have been taking place in that time like with a piece depicting a battle scene.

Lesson Two: About

Ancient Pottery with lines, curves, and patterns on the three holding pots

Lesson Two: Image

Photography

The invention of photography greatly influenced art. Scenes that would otherwise be painted, drawn, etc… could now be accurately recorded by the use of photography. It became a form of art, capturing the most beautiful images. Furthermore, images can be changed by using different lenses, cameras, and film which made it more of an art form to find the right combination to produce the perfect image. Eventually, photography led to films and full-length movies. Photographers would manipulate their images to match their artistic expression.

Architecture

The art of architecture is seen throughout history in many civilizations. It takes the form of decorated exteriors, ornate pillars on grand buildings, mosaics inside of important structures, etc. The definition of architecture even is 'the art and science of designing buildings and other physical structures', further proving that it is an art. Below is an example of ancient architecture in the form of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Lesson Two: About

Parthenon in Athens, Greece shows the ruins of a building with tall pillars

Lesson Two: Image

Dance

Another form of art that's been around for quite a while is dance. Dance comes in many forms from ballet to hip hop, modern to contemporary. It falls into the category of the performing arts which are all arts in which artists use their bodies to convey artistic expression.

The other forms of art we've been covering are referred to as visual arts which are when artists represent their artistic expression through the use of physical materials to create art objects. While this class mostly focuses on the visual arts, it's important to note that other art forms exist.

While we covered many forms of art, there are countless more examples in history and today that we didn't talk about. The definition of art is subjective and can mean different things depending on a person's individual ideas.

Now onto the assignment!

Lesson Two: About

Lesson Two

Drawings and Sketches

From sketches on cave walls to drawings hanging in museums, this form of art has been around a long time, since around 30,000 to 10,000 B.C. The earliest forms were sketches and carvings painted on tools. We’ll discuss various drawing tools in lesson three.

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Masks

I mentioned in Lesson One that masks were common in the Americas and Africa. They were used in many cultures including Egypt as well. Masks were decorated to mimic various animals and people as well as gods. They are a form of ancient art as people spent a lot of time decorating and designing them.

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Pottery

Photography

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Architecture

Dance

Another form of art that's been around for quite a while is dance. Dance comes in many forms from ballet to hip hop, modern to contemporary. It falls into the category of the performing arts which are all arts in which artists use their bodies to convey artistic expression.

The other forms of art we've been covering are referred to as visual arts which are when artists represent their artistic expression through the use of physical materials to create art objects. While this class mostly focuses on the visual arts, it's important to note that other art forms exist.

​

While we covered many forms of art, there are countless more examples in history and today that we didn't talk about. The definition of art is subjective and can mean different things depending on a person's individual ideas.

​

Now onto the assignment!