Medium

Description

In general, a substance that surrounds and fills an area.

In art terms, the word 'medium' has been used as follows:

1. The binding material that holds together pigment particles in paint (Gettens and Stout 1966). However, Mayer discounts this definition and states that the binder should be called a vehicle rather than a medium (Mayer 1969).

2. A fluid used to dilute or thin a paint without decreasing it film-forming properties. This does not include solvents, such as turpentine or water. Examples of mediums for an oil paint are unpigmented stand oil or an oil-modified alkyd. For watercolor or tempera paints, gum arabic or acrylic based mediums may be used to increase workability or make the color more transparent. (plural = mediums)

3. A tool, material, or technique used by an artist, such as the medium of photography. (most often used in plural form as media)

Synonyms and Related Terms

Plural: mediums or media (according to Websters Unabridged Dictionary); médio (Port.)

Resources and Citations

• R. J. Gettens and G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966.

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)