The most amazing thing about the work of the Ancient Egyptian painters, potters, weavers, and many others is how their artwork survived until today. Scraps of linen have been found that are up to 6,000 years old. The best-preserved Egyptian pictures have been found on walls of pyramids. How did these people make these beautiful things?
Potters
The Potters made their clay pots out of river clay. First they made a bottom to their pot. Then they made long clay rope and coiled it into the shape they wanted their pot to be. The coils were then smoothed down to where you couldn’t see that they were separate anymore. Then special techniques were used to make the pot unique. A Potter might rub a flat stone against the pot to give it a reddish look and a smoother surface, they might run a comb through it to give it a wavy look, or they might paint a design on it. Then the pot would go to a beehive shaped kiln, an oven to dry pottery. The kiln was made out of mud bricks and needed constant attention to make sure it was the right temperature.
Metal vases, bowls, and containers were made of gold, bronze, or copper. These were made by hammering sheets of these metals around a hard heavy object.
The Potters made their clay pots out of river clay. First they made a bottom to their pot. Then they made long clay rope and coiled it into the shape they wanted their pot to be. The coils were then smoothed down to where you couldn’t see that they were separate anymore. Then special techniques were used to make the pot unique. A Potter might rub a flat stone against the pot to give it a reddish look and a smoother surface, they might run a comb through it to give it a wavy look, or they might paint a design on it. Then the pot would go to a beehive shaped kiln, an oven to dry pottery. The kiln was made out of mud bricks and needed constant attention to make sure it was the right temperature.
Metal vases, bowls, and containers were made of gold, bronze, or copper. These were made by hammering sheets of these metals around a hard heavy object.
Weavers
Weavers had to supply the city with fabric not only to make clothes but for other things like canopies for boats. Weaving was a very important Egyptian craft and the weavers had to carry on the tradition. Linen was a very important fabric because it was what most of the Egyptians’ clothes were made from. Linen was made by soaking flax plant stems in water until only fibers were left. Then the fibers were combed into fine strands and spun together making string to weave into linen.
Weavers had to supply the city with fabric not only to make clothes but for other things like canopies for boats. Weaving was a very important Egyptian craft and the weavers had to carry on the tradition. Linen was a very important fabric because it was what most of the Egyptians’ clothes were made from. Linen was made by soaking flax plant stems in water until only fibers were left. Then the fibers were combed into fine strands and spun together making string to weave into linen.
Painters
Painters had a very important job. They had to paint pictures of people, maybe even a picture for the Pharaoh’s pyramid if they got lucky. The hard part about the painter’s job was that they had to make it so the person had something about them that was instantly recognizable. They always drew in profile because that made it easier to recognize their subject. Men were usually drawn with dark skin working out in the sun. Women were usually shown with fair skin inside of a house. Different things were used to make different colors. Here are most of the colors the Egyptian painters used for their paintings and the materials they used to create the colors:
Painters had a very important job. They had to paint pictures of people, maybe even a picture for the Pharaoh’s pyramid if they got lucky. The hard part about the painter’s job was that they had to make it so the person had something about them that was instantly recognizable. They always drew in profile because that made it easier to recognize their subject. Men were usually drawn with dark skin working out in the sun. Women were usually shown with fair skin inside of a house. Different things were used to make different colors. Here are most of the colors the Egyptian painters used for their paintings and the materials they used to create the colors:
Color Chart
|
Color
|
Material Made From
|
|
Black
|
Charcoal
|
|
White
|
Powdered Limestone
|
|
Red
|
Ochre
|
|
Yellow
|
Iron Oxide
|
|
Blue
|
Copper
|
|
Green
|
Malachite
|
No comments:
Post a Comment