It started with a mark on the wall. A mark on the wall made by a caveman with a knack for interior design.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2013/07/scientists-think-cavemen-painted-while-high-on-hallucinogenic-drugs/
Cave paintings can be found all over the world, but are most common in the European countries like France and Spain. What is intriguing about a lot of the paintings are the advanced shading and colour techniques used (for caveman standard), and sometimes the depictions overall baffle even the most qualified of historians:)
A lot of the recurring themes seen in the cave paintings are as followed:
- animals look realistic (not stick figures)
- contours of the walls are used to enhance overall painting
- the pictures overlap (could that suggest proportion or depth?)
- Focused mostly on animals (could we assume they did this to tally the animal populace)
Media used:
- mosses
- mat
- hair
- sticks :)
Colors and how they got them:
Brown, red, earthly colors- granulated rock pigments
Red, white- clay
White- bird poo💩
Black -charcoal
Yellow - granulated rock
Analysis
Name of artist: "Grunt"
Name of title: Bison
Date: C15000-12000 BC
Medium: coal, clays, bird poo
Content: bull with big chest and tiny legs
Elements
Line - can be used to define the bison drawing
Shading - defines the different parts of the bison eg, the underbelly
Colour - browns and blacks used to colour the bison
Texture - rock wall has added an element of texture
Shape - the shape of the bison is naturalistic and organic, tends to be bigger in the bust area and smaller in the back.
Space - no deep landscape in the background, not trying to create a sense of depth
BISON
