African Rock Art Was And Is A Very Important Part Of African Culture
African Rock Art was and is a very important part of African culture. These paintings have been found in such exotic locales as Libya, the Sahara Desert, Algeria and South African sites. Most of these paintings were made at about the beginning of the 5th millennium BC into the 2nd.These pictures were painted in caves or on rock walls of cliffs, hence the name Rock Art. Although people admire rock art, the design techniques, usage, and preservation of this unique artform help the viewer understand the lifestyles of these prehistoric artists.
The two main types of rock art were paintings and engravings. Paintings were usually made in rock shelters in mountain ranges. Paintings were made by mixing pigments with binders such as blood or egg albumen and applying this mixture to the wall. The colors selected for rock paintings came from the earth. All tribal painters used devised methods to portray different tones of color in their paintings. Minerals and colored stones were grounded into powders and mixed with animal fat. The color black was made from soot or charcoal. Naturally these artists needed tools, so they made workable brushes from hollow bones. Others used feathers, brushes, and sticks to make their paintings more detailed.
In South Africa, paintings varied in three main styles: monochrome, bichrome, and polychrome. Ancestors of the San or Bushmen tribes performed most of their work in polychrome styles. These were the hunter-gatherer peoples of the region. Works in the polychrome style produced some of the finest achievements of rock art. The San incorporated the use of linear patterns within their paintings to show carefully composed groups. The engravings, on the other hand, were found on boulders and rocks on the interior plains of South Africa. Pecking was one of the most used techniques in engraving. This technique involved the use of a sharp object to puncture the rock surface and create dotted images. Incising was also used although not as
The two main types of rock art were paintings and engravings. Paintings were usually made in rock shelters in mountain ranges. Paintings were made by mixing pigments with binders such as blood or egg albumen and applying this mixture to the wall. The colors selected for rock paintings came from the earth. All tribal painters used devised methods to portray different tones of color in their paintings. Minerals and colored stones were grounded into powders and mixed with animal fat. The color black was made from soot or charcoal. Naturally these artists needed tools, so they made workable brushes from hollow bones. Others used feathers, brushes, and sticks to make their paintings more detailed.
In South Africa, paintings varied in three main styles: monochrome, bichrome, and polychrome. Ancestors of the San or Bushmen tribes performed most of their work in polychrome styles. These were the hunter-gatherer peoples of the region. Works in the polychrome style produced some of the finest achievements of rock art. The San incorporated the use of linear patterns within their paintings to show carefully composed groups. The engravings, on the other hand, were found on boulders and rocks on the interior plains of South Africa. Pecking was one of the most used techniques in engraving. This technique involved the use of a sharp object to puncture the rock surface and create dotted images. Incising was also used although not as