Photography
What is Photography?
Photography is the art of capturing real images through photographic film. This is made possible by recording UV radiation, or light, onto a radiation-sensitive medium. The light from the life image is reflected onto the film, allowing a picture to be captured from the the moment the photo is taken. The image is then usually placed on paper, creating a photograph, or a print. The 1st photograph was created in 1826, and since this moment in history photography has had a large impact on our world.
Different types of Photography
There are several different types of photography. Most common types include Commercial, Conceptual, and Portraits.
Commercial
Commercial photography is used in advertising. It often displays a product or image that is being advertised for a business or company. An example of this is a photograph of a model wearing Chanel earrings. Chanel is the the company displaying the product, the earrings, which is being displayed and therefore advertised in the photograph that people will see. Commercial photography is an advantage in modern society for business and corporations.
Conceptual
Conceptual photography is a form which displays an idea or theme. It generally has a message the artist is attempting to display to its viewers, much like a theme in a book or movie. It is possible to turn several photographs into conceptual forms of art. For example, a photograph of the twin towers burning down could display several messages to a viewer, including unity, societal chaos, or fear.
Portraits
A photographic portrait is a picture of a person, animal, or figure. Today, most protraits are done for personal use of the person being photographed. The intent of the photographer is to display a unique characteristic about the figure in the photograph. The expression of the figure is highly important in how he or she will be portrayed. One famous portrait that has circulated heavily in the past few years has been the "Hope" photograph of President Barack Obama. His portrait certainly portrays him as an image for hope because of his smiling expression in the photograph.
Illustration
What is Illustration?
An illustration is a drawing created with a certain medium that displays an image to a viewer. The mediums illustrations are generally created with include charcoal, pencil, pastels, and crayon. Illustrations have been created since the dawn of time. They are usually created on paper.
Different types of Illustration
There are several different types of illustration. Some interesting ones include Surreal, Landscape, and Still Life.
Surreal
A surreal illustration is a drawing that has a characteristic that makes it appear odd or bizarre to the viewer. An example of surrealism is when an artist makes an image appear as if part of it is lifted off the page and is popping out at whoever is looking at it.
Landscape
Landscape drawings are any forms of illustration that include scenery. These are generally drawn from real life. An example of a landscape drawing could be a river bank embellished with flowers or weeds that grow nearby. Landscape drawings depend heavily on proper shading, as natural light from the sun is a large factor in perfecting this form of art.
Still Life
Still Life illustrations display inanimate objects arranged in a certain way. The objects that are drawn can be essentially anything, but are most commonly fruit, flowers, glasses, and other objects that reflect light well or hold a beautiful characteristic to them. The way objects are arranged in a still life drawing is pertinent to the piece. For example, if you were to draw a still life of fruit, you would want to arrange the fruit in a way that displays order or makes sense in the entire scheme of the picture.
Paintings
What are Paintings?
Paintings are forms of art which display a picture by applying paint to
a base, usually a canvas. Paintings, like photographs and drawings, can
display a theme or symbol to the viewer, or can represent concrete ideas
as well, such as still life. They are used to manifest the expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner.
Paintings are usually created with oil paints, acrylic paints, or watercolor paints. The art of painting has been part of our history
for almost 32,000 years. Famous painters include Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and
Andy Warhol. Different forms of paint include acrylic, oil, & watercolor.
Different types of Paintings
There are several different types of paintings. Some interesting types of paintings include political, Cubism, and watercolor.
Political
Political paintings are forms of art that display a message in politics. This can be done with any paint medium and on any surface that paint can be applied to, however must represent a political issue or message in the image that is displayed. An example of this includes a painting of Uncle Sam with money pouring out of his hat, indicating that America uses the representation of this figure to take money from its citizens.
Cubism
Cubism is a movement that was prevalent in paintings in the 20th century. Utilized by Pablo Picasso, it is a form of painting that involves displaying objects in block-like forms despite their natural form. The image displayed in the painting usually is made up entirely of cubes. An example of this is an oil painting by Picasso called Le guitariste.
Watercolor
If you like using H20, then you will probably enjoy watercolor paints. Watercolor is a method of painting in which the medium used is water soluble. Watercolor paintings usually come out splotchy and are usually created on paper. One famous advocate of watercolor painting is French artist Eugene Delacroix. An example of a watercolor painting is a picture of a lake in which the shades of blue in the water mold into each other.