Text 11

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PAINTING

Painting is one of the oldest and most important arts. Since prehistoric times, artists have arranged paint on surfaces in ways that express their ideas about people and the world. The paintings that artists create have great value for humanity. They provide people with both enjoyment and information.

People enjoy paintings for many reasons. They may think a painting is beautiful. People may like the colours that the painter used or the way the artist arranged the paint on the surface. Some paintings interest people because of the way the artists expressed some human emotion, such as fear, grief, happiness, or love. Other painting are enjoyable because they skillfully portray nature. Even paintings of such everyday scenes as people at work and at play and of such common objects as food and flowers can be a source of pleasure.

Paintings also teach. Some reveal what the artist felt about important subjects, including death, love, religion, and social justice. Other paintings tell about the history of the period during which they were created. They provide information about the customs, goals, and interests of the people of past societies. Paintings also tell about such things as the buildings, clothing, and tools of the past. Much of our knowledge about ancient times comes from painting and other arts, because many early societies left few or no written records.

Each new style of painting in some way grows out of the styles that went before it. Each great artist adds to the achievements of earlier painters and, in turn, influences later painters. Many different factors have shaped the history of painting. These include geography, national characteristics, religion, historic events, and the development of new materials. Throughout history, painting has reflected our changing world and artists have given us some of the best records of the growth of civilization.

Do the exercises below.

Exercise 1. Answer the questions below.

1. What value have the paintings?

2. Why do people enjoy the paintings?

3. How can paintings teach?

4. What does each new style grow out of?

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences from the text.

1. Painting is one of ... . 2. Since prehistoric times, artists ... . 3. The paintings that artists create have ... . 4. People enjoy paintings for ... . 5. They may think a painting is ... . 6. People may like the colours that ... . 7. Some paintings interest people because of ... . 8. Paintings reveal what ... . 9. They provide information about ... . 10. Each new style of painting in some way ... . 11. Throughout history, painting ... .

Exercise 3. Find English equivalents of the following words from

the text and memorize them:

значення; гуманність; страх; печаль; джерело насолоди; показувати; соціальна справедливість.

TEXT 12

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THE ELEMENTS OF PAINTING

Paintings consist of many artistic elements. The most important elements include colour, line, mass, space, and texture. These artistic elements are as important to a painter as words are to an author. By stressing certain elements, a painter can make a picture easier to understand or bring out some particular mood or theme. For example, an artist can combine certain colours and lines in a painting to produce an intensely emotional feeling.The same artistic elements can also be combined in a different way in order to produce a feeling of peace and relaxation.

Colour can help an artist tell a story, express an emotion. Line is the chief means by which most artists build up the forms in their pictures. By combining lines of different lenghts and different directions, an artist makes a drawing. The addition of paint makes the drawing a painting.

Mass allows an artist to express the feeling of weight in a painting. For example, the bulky, solid appearance of the figures in the painting impresses the viewer.

Space. By arranging lines, colours, and light and dark areas in certain ways, painters can create an appearance of great space - even though they really paint on a small, flat surface. An artist can make an object look flat or solid, and either close or far away. In some paintings, space plays just as important a part as the solid forms.

Texture refers to the appearance of the painting’s surface. The paint of a picture may be thick and rough or thin and smooth.

Do the exercises below.

Exercise 1. Answer the questions below.

1. What are the most important elements of painting?

2. How can colour help an artist?

3. What is the value of line?

4. What does mass allow an artist?

5. What is the value of space?

6. What is texture?

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences from the text.

1. Paintings consist of ... . 2. The most important elements include ... . 3. By stressing certain elements, a painter can ... . 4. Colour can help an artist ... . 5. Line is ... . 6. Mass allows an artist ... 7. By arranging lines, painters can create ... . 8. Texture refers to ... .

Exercise 3. Find English equivalents of the following words from

the text and memorize them:

маса; простір; настрій; емoці; головний засіб; напрямок; вага; громіздкий; масивный; плоский; грубий; гладкий.