Art Encyclopedia - Medium

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Medium
In art, medium is the means in which a painting or sculpture is executed, for example, oil, water, bronze. Medium also refers to the liquid into which the powdered pigments are ground to make paint. It can also be the liquid that makes the colour fluid with binder and adhesive, to hold the pigment to the support when te paint is dry.

The handling of the medium is not entirely and only a technical matter. It is an active part in the totality of the painting and in its effect on the spectator. What is generally called a good technique is in fact the exact marriage of the artist's use of his medium and his particular vision.