What is a "medium" in art?

Question

I am applying for art summer 2007 and they want me to make, "One creative drawing of two unrelated objects from your childhood in any medium" and I have no idea what a medium is. If you can possibly help me any more than I have asked, then thank you very much!

Answer 1

In the most general sense, a 'medium' is "an intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication" (link 1). In other words, it is the physical stuff on which your communication is stored.

A tape cassette is a recording medium. Clay and stone are mediums for sculpting. In your case, for drawing, they're just saying that they don't much care if it was drawn with crayons or pixelated on a computer. Just so long as it was you who did it!

Answer 2

I have a degree in Fine Arts and the medium is whatever you choose to transmit your visual idea. Traditional mediums are pencils, chalks, oil pastels, water or oil colours, acrylics, inks. Non-traditional mediums can encompass anything that makes a mark on any surface whatsoever and even the surface itself can be the intended work of art. Art or the visual arts are any idea that is communicated from a visual standpoint. That's where art diverges into the stratosphere and the artist has full artistic license to communicate his or her vision with what materials will best translate that vision. If you are being asked to submit a "drawing" in whatever medium, I'd say use traditional drawing mediums, which are simple paper and pencil, conte crayons, oil pastels, chalks, or ink and brush work or ink with nib or fountain pen. A drawing would be any work of art that does not include paint, usually, but you could "draw" with paint, to a degree. But basically, if you are a beginner, I'd stick to the tried and true and most simple: pure pencil and paper. Your talent will show through no matter what medium you choose. However, to be asked to submit a drawing, will showcase your drafting ability. They will be looking for the quality of your "line" and the feelings and abilities you reveal through such. An artist with superior draftsmanship would bring to mind the artist Albrecht Durer. Check out his works and that will give you a good idea on how to present through drawings. Even sketches by Da Vinci and Michelangelo, whose drawing mediums were often just sepia ink on parchment paper. Good luck in your artistic renderings! It's a great journey to embark on! I had a blast learning the art of art!

Answer 3

In this use medium is the material and method required by that material to create the art. Pencil, charcoal, water colors, oil colors, construction paper, macaroni, even human feces are examples of different mediums. A lesser meaning is what surface you create the art on; butcher paper, canvas, metal etc.

Usually the material that you create your art on or with will decide what medium is used. For example watercolors won't stick to steel, you would need to use a blowtorch and some powerful vices and grips to work with steel. Pencil and paper is the simplest medium to work with. Children are often engaged in creating artwork with macaroni and glue. Clay is an excellent medium that can be molded into shape. The lost wax casting method is one way to make bronze statues. The image is first sculpted in clay then a mold of that image is used to create a wax image. Then a mold is made for the bronze. As the bronze is poured into the mold it displaces (burns off) the wax leaving a bronze image.

The idea is to use a material or method that you are comfortable with; often this is drawing and painting because they are so simple to do (when compared to casting bronze or working with iron). In this case they are looking for a pencil or charcoal drawing, but you can use colored pencils, colored markers, chalk or anything similar. You could even cut out shapes in construction paper and create an image with that. You want something that you can send through the mail, so you will want to spray a fixative on charcoal or chalk work, or maybe use a spray lacquer.

You will be judged on how well you use the selected medium, how good the base drawing is, your selection of subject matter, your composition and several similar options. It is assumed if you have talent then you can learn to use other mediums, and they may teach you how to use some of those new mediums, or they could specialize in a particular medium. The idea is that they won't accept you until you show that you have talent.

The difference between a field of interest and a profession is the language. Terms like medium, positive and negative space, perspective and many others are specialized terms unique to the profession of art. They could have said "with the materials of your choice," but medium sums it up (and more) with only one word.

Answer 4

In art, the medium used for rendering the product.

Since you are only having to deal with "drawing", then the media types include (but are not limited to):
- pen
- pencil
- watercolor pencils
- charcoal
- pastels (hard or soft)

If considering rendering using a computer, I would check to make sure this was an acceptable medium.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Examples of "mediums" in art:
Oil
chalk
acrylic's
watercolor
pencil/sketch
... types of materials used in a general sense.

Answer 6

A medium is what you use to create your picture. If you are to draw your you picture you could use, pencil, charcoal, pastels
anthing that you can draw with(ink). If you were to paint ,your
medium would be the type of paint, example,oils or acryllics and so on.

Answer 7

Medium is the material you use to make your art. Medium could be oils, arcrylics, pastels, etc.

Answer 8

The "medium" is what type of art - charcoal sketch, acrylic paints, clay sculpture, so on.

Answer 9

It is the material used. Clay, ink/paint/pencil/charcoal on paper, video (multimedia), canvas, etc. Good luck!

Answer 10

A medium is the style... oil on canvas, watercolors etc..