Types of Painting Media - Overview of Medium

Types of Painting Media - Overview of Medium

1. Types of Painting Media

2. Core Elements of Paint Pigment : The granular material that provides color. Binder : Holds the pigment together and adheres it to the surface. Solvent (or Vehicle ): Controls the paint's consistency and application, evaporating as the paint dries.

3. Paint can be applied to various supports like paper, wood, canvas, plaster, or concrete. To prevent the paint from damaging porous surfaces over time, a ground like gesso is typically used. This primer forms a protective, non-porous layer between the surface and the paint. Gesso being applied to a board to prepare it for painting.

4. Key Painting Media

5. Encaustic Made of pigment mixed with heated beeswax. Used since ancient Egypt (notably in Fayum funerary portraits). Durable with vibrant colors, forming a tough surface as it cools. Modern tools extend the time artists can manipulate the heated wax. Mummy portrait of a young woman, Antinoöpolis , Middle Egypt, 2nd century, Louvre , Paris .

6. Tempera Combines pigment with egg yolk, thinned with water. Dries quickly to a matte finish and allows for detailed work. Built up in thin layers (glazes) for intricate textures. Used extensively in medieval and early Renaissance art. Lawrence, Jacob. The Wedding. 1948. Egg tempera on hardboard, 50.8 × 61 cm. Purchased with funds provided by Mary P. Hines in memory of her mother, Frances W. Pick. Reference Number: 1993.258. © 2018 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

7. Fresco Painted directly onto plaster walls or ceilings. Two types: Buon Fresco (Wet Fresco): Pigment applied to wet plaster, becoming part of the wall through a chemical reaction. Extremely durable. Secco Fresco (Dry Fresco): Pigment applied to dry plaster with a binder, often used for repairs or modifications. Iconic examples include Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling (buon fresco) and Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper (secco fresco).

8. Left: By Antoine Taveneaux - File:Sistine_Chapel_ceiling_02.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=117824241 Right: By W. Hochauer - fotografiert durch W. Hochauer, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23985835

9. By Leonardo da Vinci - Unknown source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24759

10. Oil Pigment mixed with linseed oil, sometimes diluted with turpentine or mineral spirits. Versatile, allowing for thin glazes or thick impasto layers. Known for rich textures, depth, and slow drying time, enabling blending and adjustments. Common in Renaissance and Baroque art. By Jan Brueghel the Elder/ Joos de Momper the Younger - Hohenbuchau Collection, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39733106

11. Acrylic Developed in the 1950s, acrylic paint uses pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Water-soluble when wet but water-resistant when dry. Durable, fast-drying, and adaptable to various surfaces. Offers the vibrancy of oils without the toxicity of solvents. Zucker, Joe. Joe's Painting #125 . 1965. Acrylic on canvas, 177.8 × 177.8 cm. Gift of Jay and June Messinger.

12. Watercolor Combines pigment with gum arabic, a water-soluble binder. Transparent watercolor relies on the white of the paper to reflect light, creating luminous effects. Opaque watercolor ( gouache ) includes an additional white pigment for stronger color. Techniques include washes (diluted pigments for smooth transitions) and dry brush (minimal water for texture). Portable and ideal for small-scale works, it demands precision and control. Albright, Ivan. Brieve, France . 1960. Watercolor and gouache, with brush and black ink, on off-white wove paper, 40.9 × 32.8 cm.

13. Other Painting Media

14. Enamel F orm hard skins typically with a high-gloss finish. They use heavy solvents and are extremely durable. Wojnarowicz, David. Untitled. 1983. Spray enamel, ink, and paper collage on board, 121 × 182 cm.

15. Powder Coat D iffer from conventional paints in that they do not require a solvent to keep the pigment and binder parts in suspension. They are applied to a surface as a powder then cured with heat to form a tough skin that is stronger than most other paints. Powder coats are applied mostly to metal surfaces. O'Brien, William J. Untitled . 2009. Powder-coated steel, 86.4 × 38.1 × 30.5 cm.

16. Epoxy P olymers, created mixing pigment with two different chemicals: a resin and a hardener. The chemical reaction between the two creates heat that bonds them together. Epoxy paints, like powder coats and enamel, are extremely durable in both indoor and outdoor conditions. Campana Brothers. Corallo Chair . 2006. Bent steel wire and epoxy paint, 90.2 × 139.7 × 99.9 cm .