ART Materials & Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which binder is used in traditional egg tempera paint?
- Linseed oil
- Egg yolk (Correct answer)
- Gum arabic
- Beeswax
Correct answer: Egg yolk
Egg tempera uses egg yolk as a binder, creating a fast-drying, luminous paint favored in medieval panel painting.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of sizing a canvas before painting?
- To add texture
- To seal the surface and prevent oil absorption into the fabric (Correct answer)
- To whiten the canvas
- To stiffen the stretcher bars
Correct answer: To seal the surface and prevent oil absorption into the fabric
Sizing seals the canvas fibers so that oil from paint does not rot the fabric and creates a better painting surface.
Question 3: Encaustic painting uses which medium as its base?
- Acrylic polymer
- Heated beeswax (Correct answer)
- Linseed oil
- Egg white
Correct answer: Heated beeswax
Encaustic painting involves pigments mixed into heated beeswax, which is applied hot and then fused with a heat source.
Question 4: In printmaking, what does 'intaglio' refer to?
- Printing from a raised surface
- Printing from ink held in incised grooves (Correct answer)
- Printing with a flat stone surface
- Printing using a stencil
Correct answer: Printing from ink held in incised grooves
Intaglio processes like etching and engraving transfer ink from incised lines or grooves cut below the surface of the plate.
Question 5: Which clay body is fired at the highest temperature?
- Earthenware
- Stoneware
- Porcelain (Correct answer)
- Terra cotta
Correct answer: Porcelain
Porcelain is a high-fire clay body, typically fired between cone 6 and cone 10, higher than earthenware or stoneware.
Question 6: What is a 'grisaille' technique in painting?
- A painting executed entirely in gray tones (Correct answer)
- A technique using metallic pigments
- A method of applying gold leaf
- A type of watercolor wash
Correct answer: A painting executed entirely in gray tones
Grisaille is a monochromatic painting method using only shades of gray, often used as an underpainting or decorative trompe-l'oeil.
Question 7: In sculpture, what does 'lost-wax casting' (cire perdue) produce?
- A ceramic fired object
- A metal cast from a wax model that is melted away (Correct answer)
- A carved stone relief
- A resin reproduction
Correct answer: A metal cast from a wax model that is melted away
Lost-wax casting creates a mold around a wax model; the wax is melted out and replaced with molten metal to form the final sculpture.
ART Materials & Techniques 2
Which binder is used in traditional egg tempera paint?