🎨 Main Techniques
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Fresco: mural painting on wet plaster (widely used in ancient times).
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Tempera: pigments mixed with egg yolk or natural binders.
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Oil painting: pigments mixed with oil (usually linseed oil), known for durability and rich tonal depth.
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Watercolor: pigments diluted in water, producing a transparent and light effect.
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Acrylic: water-soluble plastic paint with fast drying time.
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Ink: widely used in Eastern painting and illustration.
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Spray / Aerosol: urban technique, the foundation of street art.
🖌️ Common Supports
Wood, canvas, paper, walls, glass, fabric, found objects.
🧪 Pigments and Binders
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Natural (mineral, vegetal, animal) and synthetic.
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The evolution of pigments enabled new colors and visual effects.
Functions of Painting
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Religious: conveying spiritual or mythological messages.
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Narrative: telling stories or historical events.
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Decorative: embellishing architectural spaces.
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Identity-based: affirming cultural, social, or personal values.
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Critical and political: denouncing injustice or reflecting on society.
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Aesthetic and emotional: provoking sensations, moods, and reflection.
Key Artistic Styles and Movements
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Realism / Naturalism
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Impressionism / Post-Impressionism
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Cubism / Futurism
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Expressionism / Lyrical Abstraction
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Surrealism / Symbolism
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Pop Art / Minimalism / Hyperrealism
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Street Art / Neo-Expressionism / Conceptual Art
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Digital Art / NFTs / New pictorial technologies