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Artists use their creative abilities to visually communicate concepts in two or three dimensional forms. 

Artistic forms change and develop over time and often reflect changes in technology.  Traditional forms of art include: painting, drawing, carving, sculpting, photography, printmaking, or modelling.  Contemporary (modern) artists are using digital and graphic technologies to express themselves.

Most artists specialise in an art form that matches their skills and expressive nature.  Within each art form is a range of materials which are called "media".  Controlling the "media" is a matter of technique.

  • Painters
    A painter's media may include: oil paints, canvas, turpentine, water colour paints, plastic paints, water, paintbrushes.

    Artists become renowned for their individual techniques and in some cases have created dynamic artistic movements based on their original style.  Pablo Picasso is remembered for his cubism, and Salvador Dali began the surrealist movement.

Painter

  • Sculptors
    A sculptor's media may include: marble, sandstone, chisels, clay, wax & bronze for casting a sculpture, wood, steel and many other found materials.

    Sculpting (or modelling) is an ancient artform that dates back to stone-age times. Modern sculpting can involve complicated procedures that involve a complex knowledge of materials.

Sculptor

  • Performance artists
    A performance artist uses their own or other people's physical attributes to create a performance.

    The performance is occasionally enhanced by the use of props or visual aids to enhance the artistic impact.

  • Textile artists
    Textile artists may use fabric, glue, needle and thread, wool, cotton, silk, other fibres, weaving looms etc.

    Within the textile industry is vast array of media and techniques developed over thousands of years. Textile art is often a mix of function and aesthetics.

Textile Artist

An artist builds a reputation by displaying their artistic and creative ability. Other skills that help to promote their activities are self-discipline, promotional skills, and knowledge of business/management skills (especially important if the artist is self-employed).

Did You Know?

When young and poor, Pablo Picasso one of the world's most famous artists, kept warm by burning his own paintings!

It was lucky, then, that he produced 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints and engravings, 34,000 book illustrations and 300 works of sculpture and ceramics

Picasso on stamp