CA Artist Techniques & Mastery 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which drawing technique uses repeated parallel lines placed close together to build up tone and shadow?
- Cross-contour
- Hatching (Correct answer)
- Stippling
- Blending
Correct answer: Hatching
Hatching uses closely spaced parallel lines to suggest tone; crossing them (cross-hatching) deepens the value further.
Question 2: In sculpture, what does 'additive' process mean?
- Removing material from a solid block
- Building up form by adding material such as clay or wax (Correct answer)
- Casting metal in a mold
- Firing ceramic at high temperature
Correct answer: Building up form by adding material such as clay or wax
Additive sculpture builds up a form by adding material, as opposed to subtractive processes like carving.
Question 3: What is atmospheric (aerial) perspective in painting?
- Drawing objects from a bird's-eye viewpoint
- Using cooler, lighter, less detailed tones for distant objects to suggest depth (Correct answer)
- Overlapping shapes to show spatial depth
- Applying warm hues to background elements
Correct answer: Using cooler, lighter, less detailed tones for distant objects to suggest depth
Atmospheric perspective mimics how haze makes distant objects appear cooler, lighter, and less distinct.
Question 4: Which watercolor technique involves applying wet paint onto an already wet surface to create soft, diffused edges?
- Wet-on-dry
- Dry brush
- Wet-on-wet (Correct answer)
- Masking
Correct answer: Wet-on-wet
Wet-on-wet allows pigment to spread and bleed freely, producing soft transitions without hard edges.
Question 5: What is the term for the preparatory black-and-white or neutral-toned underpainting used to establish values before color is applied?
- Grisaille (Correct answer)
- Pentimento
- Sgraffito
- Scumbling
Correct answer: Grisaille
Grisaille is a monochromatic underpainting in grey tones that maps out value structure before color layers.
Question 6: In photography and art, what does the 'rule of thirds' guide?
- Using three primary colors only
- Placing key subjects along lines that divide the frame into thirds (Correct answer)
- Dividing a canvas into three equal horizontal bands
- Limiting a work to three focal points
Correct answer: Placing key subjects along lines that divide the frame into thirds
The rule of thirds suggests placing subjects at the intersections of lines dividing the image into a 3×3 grid for dynamic composition.
Question 7: What characteristic distinguishes encaustic painting from other paint media?
- It uses egg yolk as the binder
- It employs heated beeswax mixed with pigment (Correct answer)
- It requires a wet plaster surface
- It uses sand as an aggregate
Correct answer: It employs heated beeswax mixed with pigment
Encaustic paint consists of pigment suspended in molten beeswax, which is fused to the support with heat.
CA Artist Techniques & Mastery 3
Which drawing technique uses repeated parallel lines placed close together to build up tone and shadow?