It is natural for beginners in the field of art to wonder if there is a difference between drawing and painting.
So are drawing and painting the same thing? No, not at all. The main difference is that drawing is a technique where pictures are depicted by lines and painting is a technique where pictures are depicted by applying color to a surface.
Not merely in their meanings and definitions but also in the different types of each and the methods of approach.
Different types of paintings and drawings and the differences in the techniques of the two play a fundamental role in elaborating on the differences between the two terms.
What is the Definition of Drawing?
Drawing is a technique whereby pictures are depicted on a surface through lines.
However, drawings can also comprise of tonal regions nonlinear marks and washes.
The primary materials used in drawing are ink, charcoal, pencil, chalk, and crayon. Drawings can also be made with a combination of paint and other wet and dry media or either.
Also, there is a digital drawing, which involves doing the technique on a computer.
The main methods of this type of drawing consist of using a finger or stylus on a touch screen device and in some instances, a mouse.
There are numerous digital drawing programs.
What is the Definition of Painting?
Painting refers to the application of colors to a surface that creates an image, decoration, or design.
In the field of art, painting describes both the process or act and the result. A large number of paintings are made with pigment that is generally in liquid form, and it is applied using a brush.
The only exceptions to this are observed in Tibetan mandala painting and Navajo sand painting.
In the two cases, powdered pigments are applied. The act of painting has survived for many years, and it is among the most ancient creative media.
Should I learn both?
If you are passionate about both painting and drawing, then you should go for it.
However, you have to learn and master the art of drawing first before venturing into painting.
Learning to draw first gives you a framework to work on or build upon your painting.
Drawing also comes in handy as a vital part of a person’s creative process.
It connects an individual’s brain to the body, and it cannot be compared to any other activity. The act of drawing prompts cognitive development. This development, which is linked with aesthetic and spatial thinking, is vital for the success of an artist.
However, in some cases, drawing skills do not play a significant role, like in particular abstract works that are more characterized by non-object things.
It is good to learn both because it increases opportunities for generating income when a person is considering as a career or as a way of life.
Other benefits are associated with drawing and painting. One of the main ones is that it increases creativity.
This is because the two activities use a person’s imagination. Equally, it improves the ability of a person to remember things.
When people who deal with the challenge of memory loss engage in painting and drawing, their recalling skills improve.
The imagination and thinking sharpen their minds hence improved memory.
Other benefits are the two help in the expression of hidden memories; stress relief as well as enhanced problem-solving skills.
What Techniques are Used in Drawing?
First, drawing can be termed as dry for the reason that it does not entail the use of brushes, colors, and paint of any sort.
The technique of drawing encompasses more of measurements and scale to a specific accomplish a specific result.
For that reason, a doodle cannot be termed as drawing. Similarly, a doodle cannot be considered to be a painting.
What Techniques are used in Painting?
Painting is wet art as it uses brushes and colors.
When preparing to paint, it is a requirement to prepare the surface to be painted carefully.
Once this is done, other steps, like selecting the tone of colors to be used in the artwork, follow.
The painter experiments with different techniques like glazing with paint, layering along with others.
What are the Different Types of Drawings?
Portraits
Portraits are a common type of drawing.
They entail the depiction of a person and in most cases, are only up to the shoulder level.
Technical Drawing
Another type is technical drawing. This one is famous among students who do architecture, fashion, and interior design.
It is mostly used in academic fields, and it aims at establishing a rough sketch of the characteristics of the study subject.
Line Drawing
Line drawing is equally typical. This style uses contours and does not involve shading to generate great designs.
Practicing a lot of line drawing significantly improves the drawing skills of an artist.
When line drawing, the pencil or pen usually does not leave the surface used to ensure that the final art is from one line.
Doodling
Additionally, there is doodling.
It is proven that this type of drawing is a fantastic way of allowing the subconscious mind to flow.
Although many people consider this style as a waste of time; many great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci have earned their fame through doodles.
Doodles are meant to be drawn fast and with simple flawless lines.
They are beautiful and immediate imitations of the real world.
Pointillism
Pointillism is an equally popular type of drawing. It is done by joining many tiny dots to build up shadows and light.
The result of this artistic work is regularly shockingly realistic, and it is hard for viewers to notice that dots were used and not lines.
Hyper-Realistic
Another incredible type is hyper-realistic, which is also known as photorealistic. Patience is a quality needed by artists using this style.
For a drawing to look like a photograph, a lot of time is required for polishing.
An example of an artist who uses this style is CJ Hendry, who uses pencils to create colorful blobs on drawings.
Cartoon
The last type I choose to explore is the cartoon.
Cartoons have existed for many years, and they dated back in the 19th century.
Back then, they were used as hilarious and sarcastic illustrations. This type of drawing has evolved over the years. There are various types of cartoons, which include classic Disney, anime, and caricature.
Cartoon drawings free a person from hyper-realistic illustrations and at the same time, captures the importance or role of a figure in a semi-realistic way.
What are the Different Types of Paintings?
Watercolor
Watercolor painting is a stand out among the paintings.
Watercolors are generated from colors that are suspended water-based solutions.
They make clear layers, and the paint stays soluble even after drying. Watercolor allows an artist to edit his work even after the artwork is dry but mandates that the work remains protected.
The watercolors are done on surfaces such as water, leather, fabric velum, and wood.
Acrylic
Acrylic is also a significant style.
Acrylic paints exist in numerous types in terms of the period they take to dry and the texture.
They are water-soluble and very advantageous because they dry fast and they are economical, which makes them a preference for artists of all skill levels.
Acrylic also endures better compared to oil paint because it is not susceptible to yellowing or cracking.
There are many techniques used in this type of painting, and through combining varying mediums with paint, painters achieve flexibility in their final artwork.
Pastel
Another essential kind of painting is pastel.
It is equally known as dry painting. This style originated back in the 19th century.
Their stick nature and no drying period make them an ideal and portable solution for painters.
The most famous pastels, which are called soft pastels, have chalk in them. They are different from oil pastels, which are equally popular and have a waxy constancy.
Colors are usually mixed directly onto the surface. Paste paintings are delicate because the pigment can lift from the support.
This calls for the pastels to be framed under glass.
Encaustic
Encaustic is an intricate painting style that originated in Egypt and entailed adding color to hot beeswax.
The product paste is then basically painted on carefully prepared wood or sturdy canvas.
Distinctive tools are later used with the goal of sculpting and shaping the liquid before it cools.
Modern artists habitually use heat guns to make working with paint easier.
Although this type of painting can be tough to learn, it is possible to fashion sophisticated paintings that are full of color and dimension.
Oil
Oil painting is also widespread.
For hundreds of years, oil paint has been used by artists to develop masterpieces.
An example is a Night in Venice by Leonid Afremov.
The paint dries slowly, and it is generated from color pigments put in oil. Since they take a lot of time to dry, artists spend long periods to finish their work.
Oil paint is mostly used to generate brilliant textured effects due to its thick nature.
Although oil painting can turn to be quite untidy and needs attention when working on surfaces that have toxic components, artists love it because it produces vibrant colors.
Other types of painting are gouache, glass painting, and architectural, among others.
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