NYSTCE Visual Arts 167: Artistic Processes
& Materials UPDATED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Origins of drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - -first was created on cave walls as early as
10,000 B.C.
-by Egyptians starting in 3,000 B.C.
-originally used to express ideas and scenes in cave paintings
-In the Middle Ages, drawings were mainly completed on animal skins, wood, wax, or slate
Drawing in the Renaissance Era - CORRECT ANSWER - -became more widely used due
to availability of paper
-artists would learn to draw before painting or sculpting
-used to study and record nature and anatomy
-artists used pen and ink, as well as black and red charcoal
Charcoal - CORRECT ANSWER - an early drawing material made from slowly burned
wood. Charcoal was used for cave drawings, when burnt sticks were rubbed on cave walls
Red chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -made from iron oxide pigment and refined clay
-popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Leonardo da Vinci used it for many sketches
Black chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -carbonaceous shale, and it is softer than red chalk
-used in 15th-century Italy for underdrawings for ink or metal point artwork
-Albrecht Dürer and Anthony van Dyck used black chalk for portraits
White chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -calcium carbonate or soapstone
-used for highlights on drawings
,Conté crayons - CORRECT ANSWER - -developed in the early 1800s
-made in red, black, and white
-harder than chalk and produce smoother lines
Ink - CORRECT ANSWER - -liquid pigment that can be used with a pen or a brush
-commonly used for writing
Pens - CORRECT ANSWER - -first made with bird feathers (quills) and reeds, and later
they were created with metal tips
Pencils - CORRECT ANSWER - -made from graphite encased in wood
-available in a range of hardnesses, from 10H to 10B
-10B pencil has the softest lead, and it will wear down quickly, leaving the darkest mark on the
paper
-in the middle are F and HB, which are a medium hardness and darkness
Mahlstick - CORRECT ANSWER - stick with a padded head used to rest and support your
hand to keep it steady while drawing or painting
Kneaded rubber eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - can be manipulated and rolled into
smaller sizes to erase small areas, and it will not leave eraser crumbs behind
Gum eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - -yellowish and will crumble quickly
-best for larger areas
Pink eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - -firmer and more precise, but it will still leave
crumbs on the paper
, Parchment - CORRECT ANSWER - -commonly used drawing surface used in the Middle
Ages
-animal skin
Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - -first created in A.D. 105 in China
-wasn't widely used as a drawing material until it was produced more quickly and more
inexpensively in the 1800s
-comes in hot-pressed and cold-pressed surfaces
-Hot-pressed paper will be smooth, whereas cold-pressed paper will have a texture
-A smooth surface will allow for greater detail and better control of pencil marks, whereas a
rough surface is better suited for looser drawing and sketching or for a drawing with a rough
texture
Archival (paper) - CORRECT ANSWER - acid-free, doesn't yellow or deteriorate over
time. should be used for finished drawings, whereas any paper can be used for preliminary
sketches
Hatching - CORRECT ANSWER - -technique that uses closely placed parallel lines to
create shading and tones
Crosshatching - CORRECT ANSWER - -when hatching is used perpendicular to itself,
creating heavier shades and tones
Critique - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Describe visual facts
2. Analyze (Recognize the elements of art and how they are arranged (the principles of design).
3. Interpret (What is the artist is trying to say? What is the mood of the artwork? What does the
subject matter tell you?)
4. Judgment (Does the artist successfully convey the feelings, mood, and ideas they were aiming
for? Do you see ways that the artwork can be improved?)
& Materials UPDATED ACTUAL Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Origins of drawing - CORRECT ANSWER - -first was created on cave walls as early as
10,000 B.C.
-by Egyptians starting in 3,000 B.C.
-originally used to express ideas and scenes in cave paintings
-In the Middle Ages, drawings were mainly completed on animal skins, wood, wax, or slate
Drawing in the Renaissance Era - CORRECT ANSWER - -became more widely used due
to availability of paper
-artists would learn to draw before painting or sculpting
-used to study and record nature and anatomy
-artists used pen and ink, as well as black and red charcoal
Charcoal - CORRECT ANSWER - an early drawing material made from slowly burned
wood. Charcoal was used for cave drawings, when burnt sticks were rubbed on cave walls
Red chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -made from iron oxide pigment and refined clay
-popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, and Leonardo da Vinci used it for many sketches
Black chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -carbonaceous shale, and it is softer than red chalk
-used in 15th-century Italy for underdrawings for ink or metal point artwork
-Albrecht Dürer and Anthony van Dyck used black chalk for portraits
White chalk - CORRECT ANSWER - -calcium carbonate or soapstone
-used for highlights on drawings
,Conté crayons - CORRECT ANSWER - -developed in the early 1800s
-made in red, black, and white
-harder than chalk and produce smoother lines
Ink - CORRECT ANSWER - -liquid pigment that can be used with a pen or a brush
-commonly used for writing
Pens - CORRECT ANSWER - -first made with bird feathers (quills) and reeds, and later
they were created with metal tips
Pencils - CORRECT ANSWER - -made from graphite encased in wood
-available in a range of hardnesses, from 10H to 10B
-10B pencil has the softest lead, and it will wear down quickly, leaving the darkest mark on the
paper
-in the middle are F and HB, which are a medium hardness and darkness
Mahlstick - CORRECT ANSWER - stick with a padded head used to rest and support your
hand to keep it steady while drawing or painting
Kneaded rubber eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - can be manipulated and rolled into
smaller sizes to erase small areas, and it will not leave eraser crumbs behind
Gum eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - -yellowish and will crumble quickly
-best for larger areas
Pink eraser - CORRECT ANSWER - -firmer and more precise, but it will still leave
crumbs on the paper
, Parchment - CORRECT ANSWER - -commonly used drawing surface used in the Middle
Ages
-animal skin
Paper - CORRECT ANSWER - -first created in A.D. 105 in China
-wasn't widely used as a drawing material until it was produced more quickly and more
inexpensively in the 1800s
-comes in hot-pressed and cold-pressed surfaces
-Hot-pressed paper will be smooth, whereas cold-pressed paper will have a texture
-A smooth surface will allow for greater detail and better control of pencil marks, whereas a
rough surface is better suited for looser drawing and sketching or for a drawing with a rough
texture
Archival (paper) - CORRECT ANSWER - acid-free, doesn't yellow or deteriorate over
time. should be used for finished drawings, whereas any paper can be used for preliminary
sketches
Hatching - CORRECT ANSWER - -technique that uses closely placed parallel lines to
create shading and tones
Crosshatching - CORRECT ANSWER - -when hatching is used perpendicular to itself,
creating heavier shades and tones
Critique - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Describe visual facts
2. Analyze (Recognize the elements of art and how they are arranged (the principles of design).
3. Interpret (What is the artist is trying to say? What is the mood of the artwork? What does the
subject matter tell you?)
4. Judgment (Does the artist successfully convey the feelings, mood, and ideas they were aiming
for? Do you see ways that the artwork can be improved?)
