Fine Art / Visual Art · Lesson 12

Media and binders, fresco, mural, mosaic, collage, photography

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: painting (incl. mural), photography (portrait, landscape, seascape, nature, pets; photograms, distortion), mosaic, collage; Papers 1/2 (e) tools and materials, (f) terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) two-dimensional art techniques (tone, composition, colour); C 2 tools, materials, equipment (spray gun, light table, enlarger); C 2d improvisation.

WAEC: painting (incl. mural), photography (portrait, landscape, seascape, nature, pets; photograms, distortion), mosaic, collage; Papers 1/2 (e) tools and materials, (f) terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) two-dimensional art techniques (tone, composition, colour); C 2 tools, materials, equipment (spray gun, light table, enlarger); C 2d improvisation.

NECO: painting (incl. mural), photography (portrait, landscape, seascape, nature, pets; photograms, distortion), mosaic, collage; Papers 1/2 (e) tools and materials, (f) terms. JAMB Section C 1(a) two-dimensional art techniques (tone, composition, colour); C 2 tools, materials, equipment (spray gun, light table, enlarger); C 2d improvisation.

What you will learn

State the forms of picture-making in the WAEC syllabus.
Distinguish painting media by their binders and supports.
Use and care for brushes and tools; improvise local materials.
Plan and execute a painting from a theme.
Describe the processes of mural, mosaic and collage.
Explain camera parts, exposure, and darkroom processing.

Key points

Picture-making: painting, mural, photography, mosaic, collage.
Media differ by binder: gum, oil, acrylic, egg, lime, wax.
Clean brushes immediately; store handle down.
Watercolour: light to dark; opaque: block in large areas first.
Interpret the theme; use thumbnails and a colour plan.
Mural: survey, design, prepare, grid, paint top-down, seal.
Mosaic: tesserae, interstices, grout; direct/indirect methods.
Collage: irregular materials; Picasso and Braque 1912.
Photography: Niépce 1826–27, Daguerre 1839, Talbot 1841.
Exposure triangle; darkroom sequence; photograms.

Start here: Picture-making: meaning and scope

Picture-making is the creation of two-dimensional images that express ideas, record scenes or tell stories. In the WAEC syllabus it is one of the three areas of Paper 3 Section B (2-D Creative Design), beside graphic design and textile design. The six Section B questions include two on picture-making, and you answer only one question in the whole section. WAEC lists four forms of picture-making:

Painting: illustrative compositions of themes from everyday life or imagination, in a suitable medium, including murals.
Photography: producing pictures with a camera: portraits, landscapes, seascapes, nature and pets, and experimental work such as photograms and image distortion.
Mosaic: pictures made from small, regular-shaped coloured pieces of glass, paper or tile stuck to a surface.
Collage: pictures made by combining irregular-shaped materials such as cloth, paper and other objects on a surface.

JAMB tests the same ideas under Section C (two-dimensional art: techniques, tone, composition and colour application) and Section C2 (tools, materials and equipment, including the enlarger, spray gun and light table) and asks you to improvise alternative colours and brushes.

What every picture needs

Whatever the medium, a successful picture rests on the same foundations you studied in va2 to va4: a clear theme, strong composition (balance, emphasis, unity), a planned range of tones, and a controlled colour scheme. A mosaic of a Durbar horseman and a photograph of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge at dusk are judged by these same principles.

Themes for picture-making

WAEC questions usually give a theme to interpret: “Market scene”, “After the rain”, “Moonlight tales”, “Fuel queue”, “Wedding ceremony”, “Harvest”, “Flood”, “Mother and child”. Read the theme carefully, list what it suggests (people, actions, setting, time of day, mood), and choose a viewpoint that tells the story clearly. The examiner rewards interpretation of the theme, so a technically fine painting that ignores the theme loses heavily.

Picture-making and careers: illustrators, muralists, photographers, photojournalists, set painters for Nollywood productions and studio portrait photographers all build on these skills. A good portfolio of finished pictures is the key to admission into art departments and to commissions.

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Practice questions

1. Painting on wet lime plaster is

fresco (buon fresco)
tempera
encaustic
gouache

Show answer

A: fresco (buon fresco)
True fresco.

2. Egg yolk is the binder of

oil paint
watercolour
acrylic
tempera

Show answer

D: tempera
Egg tempera.

3. A picture made of small pieces of coloured glass or stone is a

mural
montage
mosaic
collage

Show answer

C: mosaic
Tesserae.

4. A picture made by gluing paper, fabric or other materials to a surface is a

etching
collage
mosaic
fresco

Show answer

B: collage
From French coller.

5. A large painting applied directly to a wall is a

mural
miniature
easel painting
etching

Show answer

A: mural
Wall painting.

Key words

Picture-making: Creating 2-D images: painting, photography, mosaic, collage.
Binder: Substance that holds pigment.
Ground: Primer layer sealing a support.
Support: Surface painted on.
Fresco: Painting on wet lime plaster.
Impasto: Thick, textured paint.
Wet-in-wet: Colour into wet paper.
Glazing: Thin transparent layer.
Mural: Painting on a wall.
Pouncing: Transferring a pricked design with dust.
Tesserae: Mosaic pieces.
Interstices: Gaps between tesserae.

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