Contemporary Arts - 04 Different Contemporary Art Techniques and Performance Practices

Dimensions Used in Materials

3D and 2D

Materials for Two Dimensional Media

i. Paper
ii. Canvas
iii. Wood
iv. Charcoal

v. Pigments and Binders

Paper

Is the most popular surface used for 2D artwork. It is an organic material from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances

It is manufactured in sheets of various sizes, thickness, textures, and colors.

Canvas

It is a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp, or cotton backed or framed as a surface of painting.

Wood

This support is known as hardboard which is a board or panel that is made from wood. It offers a more rigid surface that results in less cracking in the paint. Masonite, plywood, and laminated boards are ideal for support in the two-dimensional art.

Charcoal

Charcoal It is an organic drawing material made from burnt wood. There are two (2) types of charcoals used in drawing that is available in the market: vine charcoal and compressed charcoal.

Vine charcoals come in sticks and are easy to blend and erase. Compressed charcoal is made up of lose charcoal pressed into a stick. It creates much darker black than vine charcoal and comes in square sticks or in pencil form.

Pigments and Binders

Refers to any of a group of compounds that are intensely colored and are used to color other materials.
It may be organic (plants), natural (vegetables, insects, minerals, clay), inorganic (rocks, metallic oxides), and synthetic (derived from coal tars and petrochemicals).

Is the material that holds together the grains of pigment and allows it to stick to the painting surface. Egg yolks mixed with water, linseed oil, and wax, are some examples of it.

Materials Used for Three Dimensional Media

i. Wood
a. Molave
b. Acacia

c. Langka Wood

d. Ipil
e. Kamagong
f. Palmwood
g. Bamboo

ii. Metal

a. Steel
b. Bronze
c. Brass

iii. Stone
a. Marble
b. Alabaster

iv. Clay
v. Cement
vi. Glass
vii. Sand
viii. Food

ix. Shell
a. Capiz
b. Puka
c. Paua
d. Blacklip
e. Sigay
f. Troca

x. Fiber

Molave

It is a medium-size tree that is classified as a hardwood

Acacia

It is a hardwood found in abundance in the Philippines. Its dense and durable wood that has a high oil content is resistant to the elements, rotting, and insects.

Langka wood

It is a hardwood from the jackfruit tree. It is found locally and is best known for its fruit.

Ipil

It is a fast-growing hardwood that grows up to six (6) meters high. Its shiny black-brown colored wood is durable for furniture and other architectural construction.

Kamagong

It is a tall tree that reaches from about 25-32 meters high. Locally known as Mabolo tree, its dark wood is highly suitable for carvings and is in demand for furniture, cabinets, tool handles, violins, and drawing instruments.

Palmwood

It is a hardwood substitute known as “coconut lumber.” It has a fibrous grain and known for its resilience. The color tones of the wood range from dark brown to light gold. The coconut shell from its fruit can also be used to create beautiful and functional artworks.

Bamboo

It is a giant, fast-growing grass that has woody stems. The use of bamboo is particularly dependent on its age: a 6 to 9-month-old bamboo is ideal for making baskets; 2 to 3 years is for making baskets, and the 3 to 6-year-old bamboo is best for construction.

Types of Metal

a. Steel
b. Bronze
c. Brass

Steel

It is an alloy of iron and 1% carbon. Inox steel or commonly “stainless steel” is popular in contemporary art works because it is corrosion resistant and doesn’t rust or stain in water.

Bronze

It is an alloy consisting primarily of copper with about 12% tin and often with the addition of other metals such as aluminum, manganese, nickel, or zinc.

Brass

It is an alloy made of copper and zinc. It is more malleable than bronze and has a lower melting point.

Types of Stone

a. Marble
b. Alabaster

Marble

It is a hard, crystalline, metamorphic form of limestone with color that is capable of being polished. The Romblon province is abundant in marble. There are at least two dozen varieties and approximately 158 different shades of this stone in that place.

Alabaster

It is a fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, used for carving beautiful artworks. The Alabaster is generally white and delicately shaded and translucent.

Clay

It is an earthly material that is composed of minerals rich in alumina, silica, and water. A type of it, the terracotta clay, is normally used for sculpture, and pots, and is unique for its brownish orange color.

Cement

It is a powdery substance made with calcite lime and clay. It is mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel, and water to make it.

Glass

It is a hard brittle substance that is transparent and translucent. It is made by fusing sand, soda lime, and other ingredients and then slowly cooled.

Sand

It is composed of very tine, loose particles of rock that cover beaches, deserts, etc., and is used in mortar, glass, abrasive, foundry molds and sand sculptures.

Food

In contemporary art, the media can also be edible. In fast-growing world of culinary arts, local fruits, and vegetables are used as means of artistic expression.

Types of Shell

a. Capiz
b. Puka
c. Paua
d. Blacklip
e. Sigay
f. Troca

Capiz

It is a whitish, translucent shell found in the coastal waters of the Philippines. Once harvested, the shells are processed through cleaning, polishing, and cutting into shapes. It is made into wind chimes, tiles, lamp shades, picture frames, jewelry boxes, and Christmas lanterns.

Puka

It came from cone shells that have been tossed, tumbled in the surf and sand over time until all that remains is the cupped top. The natural color ranges from white to beige and tan

Paua

It comes from a large abalone whose shell is used to make jewelry.

Blacklip

It comes from various marine creatures whose shell have a black lip edge.

Sigay

It is a popular shell harvested to make necklaces, bracelets, and curtains.

Troca

It is a spiral or conical shells used for fancy accessories. The exterior may be smooth, glossy, or sculptured. These shells have pearly interiors.

Fiber

It is used for making textiles or fabrics. In the Philippines, fibers for making textile usually comes from plants such as pinya, abaca, banana, cotton, and buri. In basket, bag, or hat weaving, pandan (screw pine), nito, coconut, and buri leaves are used.