Media: Painting Why is painting still the medium of choice for so many artists? In the western world there is a built in cultural bias in the language that equates artists with painters. This bias is reinforced in most university art departments, so it's little wonder that young artists gravitate towards painting as the medium of choice. Beyond that, painting is a highly flexible and expressive medium that takes few tools to work with. Contemporary painters have unprecedented resources at their disposal: centuries of tradition and experimentation in painting styles and techniques to draw upon, plus a vast repertoire of painting materials and tools. The seemingly infinite variety of methods, styles, and materials allows painters many options to develop a distinctive, personal approach to art. The main types of painting are: Acrylic  Encaustic  Gouache  Oil  Sumi  Tempera  Watercolor  Mixed Media The power of painting Painting dates back 30,000 years to the caves of Southern France and Northern Spain. The earliest paintings are still a mystery — we don't know why they were done, who did them, or exactly how they were painted. The pigments used were earth tones — ochres, browns, and black — that were locally available. Some scholars think these pigments were mixed with water and blown onto the walls through hollow bird bones. One thing is certain, though: these paintings have the power to speak to us across the centuries. It's more than goo Paint is made by mixing pigment (a fine, dry colored powder made from natural or artificial substances) into a vehicle. The vehicle binds pigments together, allows the pigment to be spread and otherwise manipulated, attaches pigment to the surface of the painting, and often brings out the intensity of the colors. Putting paint in its place Paint is applied to a support, which is usually cotton or linen canvas stretched onto a frame, wooden panels, or paper — but may also be animal skin, bark, leaves, glass, or (in the case of fresco) plaster. The support is often covered with layers of a ground — usually gesso, which is a mixture of chalk and glue. Here is newly stretched linen canvas before the ground is applied: A feast for the eyes When we consider the many variables in the painting process, we can appreciate the many decisions painters face every time they start to paint. We know painters have limitless choices of subjects, styles, sizes, and media — but they also have limitless choices of ingredients and recipes for paint to choose from. Painters are like master chefs: they have to determine the appropriate recipe of pigment and vehicle, ground (if any), and support. A gifted artist makes all these decisions with great care and confidence — and in the process, creates a painting that is a feast for the eyes. The main types of painting are: Acrylic  Encaustic  Gouache  Oil  Sumi  Tempera  Watercolor  Mixed Media