NYSTCE Visual Arts UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Drawing in the Middle Ages - CORRECT ANSWER - -Mostly used as preparation for
paintings
-Done on animal skin, wood, wax, or slate
-Some artists used drawings as a record instead of working from a live model
-Some artists would complete finished drawings as illuminations for manuscripts
Drawing during Pre-history - CORRECT ANSWER - -Used on cave walls as early as
10,000 BCE
-Cave paintings used to express ideas and scenes
Drawing during the Renaissance - CORRECT ANSWER - -Drawing became more widely
used due to the increase in the availability of paper
-Students were taught how to draw before painting or sculpting
-Used to study nature, record anatomy
-Drawing materials used: pen and ink, black and red charcoal
Drawing in Baroque period - CORRECT ANSWER - More expressive and less exact than
Renaissance drawings
Pencils - CORRECT ANSWER - -First manufactured in the 1800's, became a widely used
drawing tool
-Range in hardness from 10H to 10B
-Greater detail than charcoal
Origins of Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - - Prehistory: used on cave walls as early as
10,000 B.C., expressed ideas and scenes
,- Middle Ages: used to prepare for paintings; completed on animal skins, wood, wax, or stone;
kept as a record; come were completed as illuminations for manuscripts
- Renaissance: became a more widely used art form as paper become more readily available;
artists would learn to draw before other media; considered a preliminary step; used to study and
record nature and anatomy; used pen and ink, black and red charcoal
- 1500-1600s: artists began creating drawings as finished works; Dürer, Holbein the Younger,
Rembrandt; drawing became an accepted medium
Charcoal - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made from slowly burned wood
- Used for cave drawings
- Lightweight
- Found in stick or pencil form
- Compressed - hard
- Vine- soft, delicate
- Often used for large gesture drawings or as underdrawing
Red Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made from iron oxide pigment
and refined clay
- Popular in the 16th and 17th century
- Used by Da Vinci in the Renaissance
Black Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made of carbonaceous shale
- Softer than red chalk
- Used in 15th century Italy for underdrawings for ink and metalpoint
- Used by Dürer and van Dyck
White Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Made of calcium carbonate or soapstone
- Used to make highlights
,Conté Crayons - CORRECT ANSWER - - Developed in the 1800's
- Traditionally made in red, black, and white
- Harder than chalk and produce smoother lines
Graphite - CORRECT ANSWER - - Form of carbon
- Discovered in the 1500s
- Later encased in wood to make pencils
Ink - CORRECT ANSWER - - Liquid pigment
- Used with a pen or brush
- Commonly used for writing
Pen - CORRECT ANSWER - - First made from bird feathers and reeds; quills
- Later created with metal tips
Tortillon - CORRECT ANSWER - A tightly rolled paper stump that is used for blending
drawings
Maulstick (or Mahlstick) - CORRECT ANSWER - A stick with a padded head used to rest
and support the hand while drawing or painting to keep it steady
Kinds of Erasers - CORRECT ANSWER - - Kneaded: can be manipulated and rolled into
small sizes, will not leave crumbs, lifts pigment to lighten value
- Gum: yellow/tan, crumbles, best for large areas
- Pink: firmer and more precise, still leaves crumbs
Dry Cleaning Pad - CORRECT ANSWER - A fabric bag filled with pieces of eraser that
can be used to clean up fingerprints, smudges, and dust from larger areas on the paper
, Parchment - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing surface made from animal skin
- Used in the Middle Ages
Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - - First created in China 105 AD but wasn't widely used
until the 1800's
- Comes in hot pressed or cold pressed
Hot-Pressed Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Smooth, allows for more detail and better
control of pencil marks
Cold-Pressed Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Textured, better suited for looser
drawings/mediums
Sketch Paper / Newsprint - CORRECT ANSWER - Thinner than drawing paper, used for
sketching
Illustration Board - CORRECT ANSWER - Thicker cardboard with a hot-pressed or cold-
pressed surface
Archival Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Acid-Free, should not deteriorate or discolor over
time
Contour Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - A line drawing that defines the outer and inner
shapes of forms; does not include any shading
Blind Contour Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - A contour drawing created without
looking at the paper; used to strengthen hand-eye coordination
Gesture Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - Technique used to capture the action and form
of a model or subject; completed in 30-60 seconds
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
Drawing in the Middle Ages - CORRECT ANSWER - -Mostly used as preparation for
paintings
-Done on animal skin, wood, wax, or slate
-Some artists used drawings as a record instead of working from a live model
-Some artists would complete finished drawings as illuminations for manuscripts
Drawing during Pre-history - CORRECT ANSWER - -Used on cave walls as early as
10,000 BCE
-Cave paintings used to express ideas and scenes
Drawing during the Renaissance - CORRECT ANSWER - -Drawing became more widely
used due to the increase in the availability of paper
-Students were taught how to draw before painting or sculpting
-Used to study nature, record anatomy
-Drawing materials used: pen and ink, black and red charcoal
Drawing in Baroque period - CORRECT ANSWER - More expressive and less exact than
Renaissance drawings
Pencils - CORRECT ANSWER - -First manufactured in the 1800's, became a widely used
drawing tool
-Range in hardness from 10H to 10B
-Greater detail than charcoal
Origins of Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - - Prehistory: used on cave walls as early as
10,000 B.C., expressed ideas and scenes
,- Middle Ages: used to prepare for paintings; completed on animal skins, wood, wax, or stone;
kept as a record; come were completed as illuminations for manuscripts
- Renaissance: became a more widely used art form as paper become more readily available;
artists would learn to draw before other media; considered a preliminary step; used to study and
record nature and anatomy; used pen and ink, black and red charcoal
- 1500-1600s: artists began creating drawings as finished works; Dürer, Holbein the Younger,
Rembrandt; drawing became an accepted medium
Charcoal - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made from slowly burned wood
- Used for cave drawings
- Lightweight
- Found in stick or pencil form
- Compressed - hard
- Vine- soft, delicate
- Often used for large gesture drawings or as underdrawing
Red Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made from iron oxide pigment
and refined clay
- Popular in the 16th and 17th century
- Used by Da Vinci in the Renaissance
Black Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing material made of carbonaceous shale
- Softer than red chalk
- Used in 15th century Italy for underdrawings for ink and metalpoint
- Used by Dürer and van Dyck
White Chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - - Made of calcium carbonate or soapstone
- Used to make highlights
,Conté Crayons - CORRECT ANSWER - - Developed in the 1800's
- Traditionally made in red, black, and white
- Harder than chalk and produce smoother lines
Graphite - CORRECT ANSWER - - Form of carbon
- Discovered in the 1500s
- Later encased in wood to make pencils
Ink - CORRECT ANSWER - - Liquid pigment
- Used with a pen or brush
- Commonly used for writing
Pen - CORRECT ANSWER - - First made from bird feathers and reeds; quills
- Later created with metal tips
Tortillon - CORRECT ANSWER - A tightly rolled paper stump that is used for blending
drawings
Maulstick (or Mahlstick) - CORRECT ANSWER - A stick with a padded head used to rest
and support the hand while drawing or painting to keep it steady
Kinds of Erasers - CORRECT ANSWER - - Kneaded: can be manipulated and rolled into
small sizes, will not leave crumbs, lifts pigment to lighten value
- Gum: yellow/tan, crumbles, best for large areas
- Pink: firmer and more precise, still leaves crumbs
Dry Cleaning Pad - CORRECT ANSWER - A fabric bag filled with pieces of eraser that
can be used to clean up fingerprints, smudges, and dust from larger areas on the paper
, Parchment - CORRECT ANSWER - - Drawing surface made from animal skin
- Used in the Middle Ages
Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - - First created in China 105 AD but wasn't widely used
until the 1800's
- Comes in hot pressed or cold pressed
Hot-Pressed Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Smooth, allows for more detail and better
control of pencil marks
Cold-Pressed Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Textured, better suited for looser
drawings/mediums
Sketch Paper / Newsprint - CORRECT ANSWER - Thinner than drawing paper, used for
sketching
Illustration Board - CORRECT ANSWER - Thicker cardboard with a hot-pressed or cold-
pressed surface
Archival Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - Acid-Free, should not deteriorate or discolor over
time
Contour Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - A line drawing that defines the outer and inner
shapes of forms; does not include any shading
Blind Contour Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - A contour drawing created without
looking at the paper; used to strengthen hand-eye coordination
Gesture Drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - Technique used to capture the action and form
of a model or subject; completed in 30-60 seconds
