Art Vocabulary Lesson - English with JenniferESL & ThePortraitArt

They make us see things and people in a different light.

In this lesson I'll share the work of a very popular

and talented artist here on YouTube -- ThePortraitArt.

With his help I'll teach you some words related to art.

Hi everyone. My name is Xiaonan

and I am a portrait artist.

That means I draw people's faces.

I create time-lapse videos on my channel, ThePortraitArt.

And I also get commissioned to draw personal portraits.

ARTIST refers to the person who creates something.

What he creates is ART.

This word can be countable or uncountable.

For example, a work of art...a love of art.

Visual arts...performing arts.

A portrait is an example of a visual art form

because it's not performed on stage.

It's a drawing of someone's head and shoulders,

so it's something we look at, not watch...usually.

Of course, Xiaonan creates a very special kind of portrait.

His videos allow us to watch his art take shape.

Xianonan said that he gets commissions.

That means people pay him to draw their portraits.

An artist can receive a commission.

An artist can work on a commission.

When I draw, I work mostly with pastel and charcoal pencils.

My favorite medium is charcoal because it is easy to manipulate and control.

And it provides a wide range of shades.

Artists use different tools, like pencils or brushes.

When he draws, he chooses a medium or even two mediums.

Xiaonan likes to create charcoal and pastel drawings.

Other mediums include watercolor, pencil, pen...

The plural of MEDIUM can also be MEDIA.

Often people want a portrait they can frame.

Then it is easy to hang up or display somewhere.

The frame also protects the drawing.

I have actually had my work featured on TV

and as part of a museum exhibit.

Xiaonan explained that framing a portrait helps protect it.

FRAME can be a noun or a verb.

I'd like to put my portrait in a frame.

I'd like to frame it.

Artwork is often framed and displayed in private homes or museums.

Xiaonan's work has been put on display at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.

That means it was part of an exhibit --

a collection of things to see.

A portrait like this usually takes me around 3 to 4 hours to make.

It requires a lot of detail, so it is much more time-consuming than a rough sketch.

I use different strokes and techniques and blending methods to get the right shading.

An artist can create a quick sketch

to capture the subject's main features.

But a portrait is a much more detailed work of art.

Over the course of a few hours, Xiaonan uses many strokes...

or movements of his tool to create a detailed drawing.

He mentioned his blending methods

or ways of mixing colors.

I appreciate his skillful shading.

That's the use of light and dark.

I love making art videos because it allows me to entertain

and maybe inspire others to pursue their own passion.

I also of course love to draw just for my own sake,

especially portraits because the very act of creating art is fun,

and human faces and expressions are especially challenging and interesting to me.

Being able to create art requires both talent and skill.

I envy those who can express themselves well through art.

Xiaonan deserves admiration on two accounts:

Not only does he express himself very well through art,

but he also expresses himself clearly in English.

Did you know that English is a second language for him?

To learn about his background and find answers to FAQs about his work,

Look in the video description. I'll post some links.

I also hope you'll take the time to visit his YouTube channel, ThePortraitArt.

His videos are beautiful, and they give us a bit of serenity.

And being in a peaceful, relaxed state is a great way to begin your language studies.

Maybe you'll even decide to become a patron of ThePortraitArt.

That's someone who supports the arts.

You can be a patron. You can show your patronage.

That's all for now.

Thanks for watching and happy studies!

Here are the words from this lesson.

I hope you've enjoyed talking about art in English.