Traditional art techniques I
Traditional Art Week continues! This article will give you a brief overview of most commonly used physical media techniques and their characteristics, featuring beautiful examples found all over DeviantArt and tutorials. I sincerely hope this will get you inspired to try something new and experiment, why not pick a tutorial and see what you learn! Don't forget, whilst techniques has their own regulations and principles, they still can be combined, you have to be no wizard (just a little creative) to find a new way to express yourself through them. Let's take a look 
1. Drawing media
Drawing is one of the major forms of expression within the visual arts, and is generally concerned with the marking of lines and areas of tone onto paper. Traditional drawings were monochrome, or at least had little color, while modern colored-pencil drawings may approach or cross a boundary between drawing and painting. Drawing is often exploratory, with considerable emphasis on observation, problem-solving and composition. It is also regularly used in preparation for painting. A quick, unrefined drawing may be called a sketch. In fields outside art, technical drawings or plans of buildings, machinery, circuitry and other things are often called "drawings" even when they have been transferred to another medium by printing. (Wiki)
▲ Pencil, Graphite, Charcoal
We discussed these materials very closely in an Artist's Toolbox article "Pencil, Graphite, Charcoal". It seems these techniques are too simple, but pencil in hands of a dedicated artist turns into a magic wand. Tutorials to see > Basic pencil tutorial by leinef, Charcoal tutorial by variations, Basic pencil shading by Snigom
▲ Colored & watercolor pencils
Unlike graphite and charcoal pencils, colored pencils' cores are wax-based and contain varying proportions of pigments , additives and binding agents. They can be used in combination with several other drawing mediums. When used by themselves, there are two main rendering techniques colored pencil artists use - layering or burnishing. Learn more about colored pencils from our Artist's Toolbox article written by Astralseed. Tutorials to see > Color pencil tutorial by Verlisaerys, Colored pencil tutorial by emperpep, Watercolor pencils tutorials by martinacecilia
▲ Dry / Oil pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation. Pastel techniques can be challenging since the medium is mixed and blended directly on the working surface, and unlike paint, colors cannot be tested on a palette before applying to the surface. Pastel errors cannot be covered the way a paint error can be painted out. Experimentation with the pastel medium on a small scale in order to learn various techniques gives the user a better command over a larger composition. We will talk more about pastels in future Artist's Toolbox articles. Tutorials to see > Pastel tutorial by Sarahharas07, Oil pastel tutorial 1 layering by TArthurSmith, Soft pastel dust tutorial by TeaKitsune
▲ Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text or design. The reason I'm listing ink as a drawing medium is that it's most commonly used for drawing or writing, even though it's liquid form makes him suitable for painting as well. Ink can be a complex medium, composed of solvents, pigments, dyes and other materials - the components of inks serve many purposes; the ink’s carrier, colorants, and other additives affect the flow and thickness of the ink and its appearance when dry. For further reading > 9 Reasons to love your ink. Tutorials to see > Traditional Ink tutorial by kitton, Scribbly and Ink tutorial by ursulav, Coloring tutorial - ink - wash basic by judittondora
1. Painting media
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface. The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and airbrushes can be used. Painting is a mode of creative expression, and the forms are numerous. Drawing, composition or abstraction and other aesthetics may serve to manifest the expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner. Different types of paint are usually identified by the medium that the pigment is suspended or embedded in, which determines the general working characteristics of the paint, such as viscosity, miscibility, solubility, drying time, etc. (Wiki)
▲ Oil painting
is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil. Commonly used drying oils include linseed oil, poppyseed oil, walnut oil and safflower oil. Different oils confer various properties to the oil paint, such as less yellowing or different drying times. Certain differences are also visible in the sheen of the paints depending on the oil. An artist might use several different oils in the same painting depending on specific pigments and effects desired. The paints themselves also develop a particular consistency depending on the medium. For further reading > 9 Reasons to adore oil paints. Tutorials to see > Tools and tips for oil painting by Moliugele, Oil painting tutorial by ShaleseSands, How to oil paint - layering by PhilipBohlmann
▲ Acrylic painting
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with other media. The main practical difference between most acrylics and oil paints is the inherent drying time. Oils allow for more time to blend colors and apply even glazes over under-paintings. This slow drying aspect of oil can be seen as an advantage for certain techniques, but in other regards it impedes the artist trying to work quickly. For further reading > 9 Reasons to appreciate acrylics. Tutorials to see > Acrylics material Introduction by trenchmaker, Acrylic Demo - A middle ground by the-artists-cubby, Acrylic painting tutorial by miimork
▲ Watercolor painting
Watercolor is a painting method in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water soluble vehicle. The traditional and most common support for watercolor paintings is paper. Watercolors are usually transparent, and appear luminous because the pigments are laid down in a relatively pure form with few fillers obscuring the pigment colors, but can also be made opaque by adding Chinese white. Watercolor painting has the reputation of being quite demanding. Unlike oil or acrylic painting, where the paints essentially stay where they are put and dry more or less in the form they are applied, water is an active and complex partner in the watercolor painting process, changing both the absorbency and shape of the paper when it is wet and the outlines and appearance of the paint as it dries. The difficulty in watercolor painting is almost entirely in learning how to anticipate and leverage the behavior of water, rather than attempting to control or dominate it. We discussed watercolor equipment in quite a detail in our Artist's Toolbox series > Watercolor Equipment I and II, Additional Tools. For further reading > 9 Reasons to paint with watercolor. Tutorials to see > Tutorial - watercolor + Gel pen by Losenko, Walkthrough - Ozelot in watercolor by LittleMissRaven, Watercolor tutorial by cherriuki
▲ Gouache painting
Gouache is a water based paint consisting of pigment and other materials designed to be used in an opaque painting method. Gouache differs from watercolor in that the particles are larger, the ratio of pigment to water is much higher, and an additional, inert, white pigment such as chalk is also present. This makes gouache heavier and more opaque, with greater reflective qualities. Like all watermedia, it is diluted with water.
Tutorials to see > Gouache tutorial by bratkitty
What is your favorite technique? Do you like to mix different media?
Your thoughts and comments are welcome!
