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Painting Media

Art Education

Useful for: OSSC Art Education Instructor

Overview

Painting media differ in binder, drying time and transparency; choosing the right medium shapes technique and effect.

Key points

Watercolour is transparent; gouache is opaque watercolour.
Tempera uses egg yolk as binder.
Buon fresco is painted on wet lime plaster so pigment bonds as it dries.
Oil paint (often in linseed oil) dries slowly and allows blending.
Acrylic is water-based and dries quickly.
Supports include paper, canvas, wood and walls.

Explanation

Many Indian murals use tempera or fresco-like techniques.
Oil paints need solvents and ventilation.
Acrylics suit schools because they clean with water.
Natural pigments come from minerals and plants.
Paper weight matters for watercolour.

Step by step

Identify the art concept, medium or movement asked.
Recall the definition, artist, period or technique.
Choose the option that matches the visual or pedagogical principle.

Examples

Egg-yolk binder → tempera.
Painting on wet plaster → fresco.
Fast-drying water-based paint → acrylic.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Calling gouache transparent.
Trap: Mixing fresco and tempera.
Trap: Using oils without ventilation.

Quick revision

Watercolour transparent; gouache opaque.
Tempera egg; fresco wet plaster.
Oil slow; acrylic fast.

Practice MCQs

Painting on wet lime plaster is called
1. fresco
2. tempera
3. gouache
4. encaustic
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Answer: (a) fresco. Pigments bind as the plaster dries.
Traditional tempera paint uses which binder?
1. Linseed oil
2. Egg yolk
3. Gum arabic only
4. Wax
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Answer: (b) Egg yolk. Oil paint uses linseed oil.
In transparent watercolour, highlights are usually made by
1. adding white paint
2. leaving the white of the paper
3. using black ink
4. scratching with a knife only
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Answer: (b) leaving the white of the paper. Watercolour relies on paper for its brightest whites.
Opaque watercolour is called
1. gouache
2. tempera
3. fresco
4. encaustic
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Answer: (a) gouache. Gouache has more pigment and chalk.
Which water-based paint dries quickly and becomes water-resistant when dry?
1. Acrylic
2. Oil
3. Encaustic
4. Pastel
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Answer: (a) Acrylic. Acrylic uses a polymer binder.
Painting with hot wax mixed with pigment is
1. tempera
2. gouache
3. encaustic
4. fresco
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Answer: (c) encaustic. It is an ancient technique.

More topics in this chapter

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.