Chapter 17: Branches of Visual Arts
Painter, sculptor, photographer, designer — the many branches of visual art, and the artists who grew them.
Original notes — ready CBSE (NCERT, English Medium) • Class 9 • Arts • Book: Madhurima
Chapter 17: Branches of Visual Arts — EG's own notes, in simple words
Book: Madhurima (CBSE, Class 9) | Chapter 17 | Section: Visual Arts | Medium: English
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Painting, sculpture and photography side by side — different branches of visual art. A general picture about art branches; it is not a scene from the book.
Students visiting a small exhibition of paintings, sculpture and photographs.
What the chapter is about
The visual arts comprise a broad range of art and design practices. When people say that they are visual artists, it is usually followed up with the question, ‘What kind of visual arts?’ This chapter answers that question, branch by branch.
Each branch has its own materials, techniques and masters. Exploring them — and documenting the work of artists, designers and craftspersons who practise them — is how you discover which branch pulls you, and what you would need to learn to follow it.
Drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking
Drawing and painting both involve creating pictures on two-dimensional surfaces, with mediums like pencils, pens, pastels, inks, oil paints, watercolours and acrylic paints. Painting adds colour and surface; drawing adds line and observation — but the two constantly overlap.
Sculpture involves creating three-dimensional artwork using a variety of materials. The sculptures from the Rock Garden of Chandigarh show how far that variety goes: discarded materials remade into figures and animals. Printmaking techniques allow artists to make multiples of the same artwork in editions, creating an image on a surface like a woodblock, metal plate, stone or linoleum, then printing it again and again.
Artists to explore, and your own branch
The chapter names artists to explore and document: Nandalal Bose, Amrita Sher-gil, Ram Kumar, Nasreen Mohammedi, Abanindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Ganga Devi, Jivya Soma Mashe, K. C. S. Panicker, K. M. Adimoolam, Raja Ravi Varma, Devi Prasad Roy Choudhury, Amarnath Sehgal, Ramkinkar Baij, Sankho Chaudhuri, Meera Mukherjee, P. V. Janakiraman, Mrinalini Mukherjee and Somnath Hore, among others.
For each artist, the guiding questions are the same: What kind of visual art does the artist practise? What had been their training and journey? What do their works make you notice? And the chapter's closing questions turn back to you: which branch interests you most, which appealed to you in experience, and how do the visual arts enrich dance, music and theatre when you experience them?
What you should learn
Visual art has many branches — drawing and painting, sculpture, printmaking and more — each with its own mediums, techniques and masters to explore.
Key Terms
- Visual arts — Art and design practices seen with the eye: drawing, painting, sculpture and more.
- Drawing — Creating pictures, usually in line, on a flat surface.
- Painting — Creating pictures in colour on a flat surface.
- Sculpture — Three-dimensional artwork in materials like stone, metal or clay.
- Printmaking — Making multiples of an artwork from a block, plate or stone, in editions.
- Edition — A set of identical prints made from one original surface.
- Craftsperson — A maker skilled in a traditional craft.
- Motif — A repeated design element, often from traditional designs.
Remember
- Visual arts = a broad range of art and design practices.
- Drawing and painting: 2D pictures, many mediums.
- Sculpture: 3D work, many materials (see Rock Garden, Chandigarh).
- Printmaking: multiples in editions, from woodblock, plate, stone or linoleum.
- Explore artists with guiding questions before choosing your branch.
Common mistake: saying ‘I like visual art’ without naming a branch. Name the branch, its mediums and one artist — that is how interest becomes study.
Chart / Table: Branches of visual art at a glance
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Drawing | Line and observation on flat surfaces: pencil, pen, ink |
| Painting | Colour on flat surfaces: watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel |
| Sculpture | 3D work: stone, metal, clay, found materials |
| Printmaking | Multiples in editions: woodblock, metal plate, stone, linoleum |
| Photography / Design | Images and design practices in the wider visual field |
| Crafts | Traditional making: textiles, crafts, architecture-related work |
Practice set — try it yourself
- List any four branches of the visual arts.
Hint: Use the chapter's branches, not just painting. - Explore and document two artists from the chapter.
Hint: Use the guiding questions for each. - Create a motif or personal logo in colour, inspired by Indian traditional designs.
Hint: A5 paper; at least two iterations; complementary or analogous colours. - Make a collaborative collage from your journals' ideas and sketches.
Hint: Group of 3–4; about 85 × 60 cm; agree on theme and materials. - Write which branch appealed to you most, and why.
Hint: Base it on experience, not only on fame.
Questions with Answers
- What are the visual arts?
A broad range of art and design practices — drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and more — each with its own mediums and techniques. - What is the difference between drawing and painting?
Both make pictures on two-dimensional surfaces, but drawing works mainly in line (pencil, pen, ink), while painting works in colour (watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel). - What is printmaking, and why make editions?
Printmaking creates an image on a woodblock, metal plate, stone or linoleum, then prints it many times. An edition is a set of identical prints, so one artwork can reach many people. - Give an example of sculpture made from varied materials.
The sculptures of the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, made from discarded and found materials remade into figures and animals. - How do the visual arts enrich performing arts?
Costumes, sets, masks, posters and stage pictures are visual art inside dance, music and theatre — they shape what the audience sees before and during a performance.
Extension questions — go deeper
- Imagine an arts and crafts festival is being organised in your school. Plan its branches.
Give each branch a stall, a demo and a maker: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, crafts — and one artist to study per branch. - Write about any branch of visual art that interests you, reflecting on your experience.
Which forms did you try, which appealed most, and what would you need to learn next? - Create a motif or personal logo: two iterations, then a final, with a paragraph on ideas and inspirations.
A5 paper, colour, complementary or analogous scheme, inspired by Indian traditional designs (textiles, crafts, architecture). - Make a collaborative collage: theme, materials, group roles.
Group of 3–4, about 85 × 60 cm (half a chart paper), theme and materials decided together, sketches from journals as source. - While experiencing dance, music and theatre, did visual art enrich them? How?
Name what you saw: costume, set, mask, poster, lighting design — and say what the performance would lose without it.
- Visual arts = many branches, not one skill.
- Drawing (line) vs painting (colour), both 2D.
- Sculpture = 3D; printmaking = multiples in editions.
- Rock Garden, Chandigarh: sculpture from found materials.
- Explore artists, then choose your branch with reasons.
How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.