Art and Design A comprehensive guide for creative artists - Aaltodoc

He breaks them down to their basic shapes and exploits
their decorative value by arranging them in contrasting
colours in compartments of squares and rectangles, a
technique that creates a vivid visual impact. The perfection
of line, the balanced colour arrangement as well as the
proportion of motifs in relation to the overall ...”
Here we see that, by helping learners to familiarise with
available well known collage artworks, discuss the material,
technique used to execute the art work and talking about
the artist who made the collage. All this will add to the
possibility of increasing the learners' creativity and search
for new ideas.
Materials and tools
The types of materials and tools used to create mosaic
artworks are numerous. Dierk (1997) says, “Despite the
apparent complexity of the finished designs, the tools
and techniques for making a mosaic are simple.” The most
important thing is the medium in which a designer or artist
has chosen to execute the final design.
Here below is a brief list of what might be required:
Pieces of unwanted broken ceramics or glass,
Found objects metal, bones, sticks, stones, tiles, bottle tops,
grains, papyrus, cardboard papers.
Everything
else
Cement or grout, cutters, wood blocks, wax,
buttons, bricks, cassava paste, soil/clay, glue,
coconut shells, tweezers, a twig brush, cloth,
table tops, used photo frames, nails and keys.
Kennedy & Pompilio (2005, 10) remind us to “be aware of
weathering and ageing on the tesserae you choose and
know what adhesive will be necessary to secure it ...” For the
reason that mosaic artworks stay permanently in one place
for very long time. As a consequence of this, the artist is
required to always find durable materials.
Let us try to make a brief analysis of basic characteristics of
mosaic art:
a) Mono-media is another characteristic of mosaics.
Whereby, the executed artwork is usually made by
using a single (hard) material like glass, small bricks,
stones, tiles—alone.
b) Tesserae are principle materials used for the time of
constructing a mosaic artwork. Such materials exist
in types of small bricks, stones, wood, shells, tiles and
glass. Tesserae are generally meant to be of various
sizes, colour and shapes.
c) Interstices are small spaces caused by tesserae during
the process of constructing a mosaic artwork. King
(2006, 107, 250) asserts, “the tesserae are positive and
the spaces (or interstices) in between are the negative
... The space or joint between tesserae” in which grout
or any other joining material is filled up to build a
mosaic artwork.
d) Colour pronounces the purpose of a design on
mosaics, for it plays a significant part of revealing artful
arrangements of well-composed tesserae to become
visually recognised as images or patterns. “Sometimes
the prettiest colour combinations are found while
rummaging through glass and china scraps.” As well
as “... leftovers from previous projects.” (Kennedy &
Pompilio 2005, 79)
Setting up a mosaic artwork can be done in different ways.
That is to say, artworks of mosaics are almost always done
by using a direct or an indirect method.
Here is how it can be done;
Characteristics of mosaics
As Digolo & Mazrui (1988, 33) assert, “Another characteristic
is that a mosaic uses one material at a time and places
The direct method of making a mosaic artwork is done
by setting a surface of the support and then a single
material of tesserae like stone, tile, or glass is carefully
arranged directly on the surface top—grout is added
at or soon after this stage. Kennedy & Pompilio (2005,
16) say, “In the direct method tesserae is placed directly
emphasis on colour.” Thereby, mosaic artworks are for the
on the mosaic surface. They can be placed in drying
most part created by using a single material like stone or
concrete, or glue on a prepared surface ... the method
broken tiles in different colours and sizes. And, apart from
allows you to easily make adjustments to the mosaic as
that, some types of materials are put to use after painting
you work.” However, the outcomes of a direct method
them.
are not always flat or even thus making it suitable for
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wall mosaics (vertical) than floor (horizontal) mosaics.
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