Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting Essay Example for Free

Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting Essay There are different ways on how to make exquisite two-dimensional masterpieces. It can be in the form of a drawing, printmaking or painting. All of these methods may seem identical because of their common dimensions. However, there are some specific components and characteristic that each form of visual art has that sets them apart from one another. Drawing is considered to be the foundation of all pictorial representation. More so, it is in this stage where almost all art activities start. The utilization of lines to represent various forms and shapes serve as the guidelines or foundation of more advanced or elaborate art depictions such as paintings. Though it may seem that drawing is part of other visual art forms, its emphasis on the use of line is its most distinguishing factor. Furthermore, drawing also makes use of shadings and color to create an illusion that it has mass and more dimensions. However, it all depends upon the artist’s choice of medium and tools of whether the drawing will have a linear or painterly quality. Linear is a technique in the visual arts wherein lines and curves are highlighted meanwhile painterly is the exact opposite technique of linear because it uses colors to create shapes and forms (Delahunt). A famous example of a linear drawing is the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci. In this illustration, Da Vinci showed the human anatomy and ideal body proportions. Da Vinci used pen and ink to draw the lines and curves that perfectly generated an accurate depiction of a human body. Meanwhile, printmaking is more complex in terms of execution compared to drawing because it uses an object, which can either be made from metal, plastic or wood with carvings of any design to create an artwork. The process of producing prints is quite complicated than drawing because in drawing, an artist can produces a work of art with just the use of pencil and a piece of paper while printmaking requires more apparatus. After the block is made which will be used as a stamp, the next step is to dip the engraved block on a container of wet colored inks so that when it is pressed down on a flat surface whether wood, cloth or paper, the engraved design will appear on it. There are many techniques involved in printmaking but they all follow the basic processes. It is the materials and tools that make the difference in the output (Delahunt). During the Renaissance period, printmaking became an instant success with the people. It was used â€Å"for all manner of illustrations, including topographical survey, and for portraiture. † One of the famous artists who used prints was Albrecht Durer who made several religious prints and the Knight, Death, and the Devil was the most popular. This print symbolized the status of moral value (Cartage. org). On the other hand, painting is another form of visual art which is the exact opposite of drawing. It is far more sophisticated and more complex than drawing and printmaking. Painting uses a variety of visual elements including lines, shapes, perspectives, space, light and others. More so, these elements are combined in accordance with the principles of design specifically unity, balance, proportion, and emphasis. Usually artists use either oil or water colors on a canvas to make a painting. Furthermore, the content of the painting is dependent on the technique of the artist and the materials used. Overall, drawing, printmaking and paintings are all used to express the creativity and craftsmanship of an artist. Though they have similar purposes, each form of visual art has its own features not present with the others. Drawing is seen as a portable and simple way of generating artworks. Meanwhile, printmaking is the most precise way of making aesthetic designs. Moreover, out of the three, painting is the most glorified form because of its versatility and sophistication. Works Cited Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Drawing. † 2008. Artlex. com. 8 September 2008 http://www. artlex. com/ArtLex/d/drawing. html. Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Printmaking. † 2008. Artlex. com. 8 September 2008 http://www. artlex. com/ArtLex/p/print. html. â€Å"Printmaking and prints. † Cartage. org. 8 September 2008 http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/arts/Graphicartists/generalities/Historyofprintmaking. htm