Tools and mediums used for painting

Have you ever wondered what makes a painting unique? Why is no painting like another? What makes a painting better in comparison to other paintings?

You might think that its the artist's capability and perception that makes the difference but its not just this. The painting tools and mediums opted by the painter also majorly impact how a painting finally turns out to be. Painting tools are the instruments without which a work of art isnt possible. Infact these seemingly trivial and unacknowledged things make beautiful pieces of art what they are.Some of the painting tools are:

1) Paints- The primary and obvious thing required to make a painting. Paints are basically a combination of pigments and a binder, which is oil or water based. The proportion of the pigment to the binder determines how glossy the paint is. Ther are 3 basic finishes, depending on this proportion: matt, glossy and something in between which is referred to as semi-gloss, eggshell, silk, satin.

2) Canvas- Canvas is a heavy-duty fabric usually made of cotton. It has a simple weave and is ideal as a base of paintings. A gesso coated canvas is stretched across a wooden frame before it is used for paintings.Earlier linen canvas was popular but by the turn of the 19 th centuy cotton canvas gained popularity. However linen is still preffered by professional artists because cotton stretches more than linen. 

3) Paintbrushes- Paintbrushes are integral to any painting. They are needed for applying colors on the canvas. They come in different sizes.Paint brushes are made from stiff or soft hair, which can be either natural hair or synthetic fibres. Soft brushes are ideal for thin paint which spreads easily, and for detailed work as they form a sharp point which allows for precision in painting. Robust, hard brushes are ideal for pushing around thick paint and for creating brush marks in the paint.Modern synthetic brushes are excellent and have the advantage of being cheaper than natural hair.

4) Palette- A palette in the original sense of the word, is a rigid, flat surface on which a painter arranges and mixes paints. ther are numerous types of palettes available in the market, namely- plastic and acrylic palettes, porcelain palettes, aluminium palettes, wooden palettes, disposable palettes and palette cups.

5) Palette knives- A palette knife is a long, straight blade or spatula that is used for mixing paints and scraping a palette clean, and at times for applying paint onto a canvas. A palette knife can be made from metal, plastic, or wood and will either be completely straight or have a slightly cranked (bent) handle, which takes your hand away from the painting surface and helps keep your knuckles out of the wet paint you've just applied.

6) Scrapers and sandpapers- Both Scrapers and Sandpapers are used to remove small amounts of material from surfaces of paintings, either to make them smoother or to remove a layer of material.

 Different mediums used in painting:-There are different mediums in paintings that are used today:

Acrylic- Acrylic is a fast drying paint. It contains pigments suspended in polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints are usually diluted with waters.

Pastel- Another medium that is being used is the Pastel. Pastel comes in three different types, the soft pastels, the hard pastels and the pastel pencils. The soft pastels are the most widely used; it has a higher portion of pigments and less binder. The hard pastel has a higher portion of binder and less pigment. The pastel pencils are pencils with pastel leads.

Fresco- Fresco paintings can often be seen on walls and ceilings. The word fresco came from the Italian word fresco (fresh). There are three types of fresco, the Buon fresco, which consist of painting pigments mixed with water on a thin layer of plaster. Secco, which is done on dry plaster. The pigment requires a binding medium such as egg (tempura, glue or oil to attach pigments). The Mezzo-fresco,In this type, the pigment should only penetrate slightly on the plaster.

Gouache- derived from Italian guazzo, water pan, splash or body color. This medium is also dilute in water. It differs from water color considering that its particles are larger, the ratio of pigment to water is much bigger and white pigment such as chalk is present on it.

Oil -oil is a type of slow drying paint. It consists of particular pigments suspended in a drying oil. This kind of medium does not dry quickly. It blends into the surroundings and allow the blending of color. It produces vivid colors with a natural sheen and distinct context. It provides a surface translucency similar to human skin making it perfect for portrait painting.

Tempera -another medium is the Tempera. It is a permanent fast drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with water soluble binder. Tempera paints dry rapidly and it allows for great precision. When dry it produces smooth matte finish. Tempera painting has been found on early Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits.

Water Color- in water color the pigments are suspended in a water soluble vehicle. The art of water color began in the cave paintings of the Paleolithic Europe, used in the manuscript illumination by the Egyptians and continued to flourish in the renaissance period. Water color paint consists of four principal ingredients; colorant (commonly pigment), binder, the substance that holds the pigment in suspension and fixes the pigment to the painting surface, additives, substance that alter the viscosity, hiding, durability or color of the pigment and vehicle mixture, lastly, the solvent, the substance use to thin or dilute the paint for application and that evaporates when the paint hardens or dry.

Examples: 1) Acrylic painting 2) Water color painting 3) Fresco 4) Oil painting