Renaissance art

• Arts
• 12th Grade

RENAISSANCE ART MEDIUMS

TIMEFRAME

14-17th c. AD

WHAT IS THE RENAISSANCE?

The Renaissance is a period following the Middle Ages  characterized by a revival in scientific, artistic, and architectural achievement.

SCIENCE AND THE ARTS

Anatomy principles started being explored in medicine and art, as seen in Leonardo Da Vinci's human anatomy sketches.

Math became even more incorporated into architecture than before as formulas and equations were used to plan complex  architectural feats.

COMMONLY USED MEDIUMS

FRESCO

Fresco is liquid pigment that is applied on wet plaster. This lasted much longer than many other painting methods. The pigment would bind to the plaster as it dried. 

OIL PAINTING 

Oil paints mixed pigment with an oil base, unlike previous paints made with egg. Oil paint dried slowly and allowed for extreme realism and detail. 

ARCHITECTURE

Proportion was emphasized producing buildings that were fitting with human proportions.  In contrast, previous eras had extravagantly huge architectural pieces.

SCULPTURE

Renaissance sculpture borrowed from Greek Classical styles, featuring idealized figures in realistic proportions.  Marble and bronze were typical sculpture materials.

Fresco

oil painting

Sculpture

Architecture

Pigment on plaster

Oil and pigment

marble

kept human proportion in mind

DRAWING

These were done with mediums like charcoal, red clay, and other items typically found in nature. They were often used to explore ideas for sculptures and paintings, in stead of copying traditional pieces.

RENAISSANCE SKETCH PORTRAITURE

EXAMPLES

MATERIALS USED- SKETCH

- parchment (thin, flat material made of animal skin)

- red clay 

- metal point (a soft metal that would leave light marks)

- quill pen and ink

TECHNIQUES: SKIAGRAPHIA/CHIAROSCURO

Shading/hatching to give the illusion of depth

FORSHORTENING

Shortening of limbs and features to give the illusion of depth

PERSPECTIVE

Altering the size of aspects of an image to give the sense of distance and layers

PURPOSE OF SKETCHES

Artists started exploring their own subjects ideas more instead of copying master works. Sketches were a way to plan, study proportion, and prepare for larger projects like sculptures and paintings. 

BODY PROPORTION

BODY PROPORTIONS

Artists had an increased interest in realistic proportions in contrast to Medieval artists.

PRACTICE

Take 5 minutes now to  do a quick self portrait sketch. Don't worry about it being perfect. This is just for fun! 

We will share these with each other, so be sure to use all 5 minutes.