Tole Painting: Answer Key

Overview & requirementsAnswer Key

1. What is tole painting?

The word tole means “painted enameled or lacquered tinplate used to make decorative domestic objects.” Today it is used as a category of folk art and decorative painting, typically on metal or wood used for household items such as utensils chairs, chests, toy boxes, tables, etc.

2. Explain the difference between decorative art and fine art.

In the strictest sense, Fine Art is considered a visual object with no functional purpose except to be admired and contemplated as an aesthetic object. Decorative Art, however, is also visual and aesthetically pleasing but serves a useful function such as a piece of furniture, tableware, textiles and so on.

3. Name the types of surfaces tole painting is found on.

Wood, metal, glass, walls, any surface which will hold paint.

4. Name three European countries which have tole painting heritage. List what it is called in those countries.

Norway - Rosemaling

Sweden - Kurbits

France – Tole Peinte

Germany - Bauernmalerei

England – Roses and Castles

Russia – Khokhloma, Gzhel, Zhostovo, Mezen, Gorodet

Switzerland – Bauernmalerei

5. Identify what types of objects are usually tole painted.

Furniture and tools.

6. Find five pictures of tole painted objects, one in each of the listed categories:

6a. Rosemaling

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6b. Kurbits

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6c. Japanning

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6d. Russian Black Lacquer

6e. American Tole

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7. What types of paint are used in tole painting?

The paint appropriate for the surface to be painted and for how the item is to be used.

8. Make a sample sheet/board of basic decorative painting strokes. Include Comma Stroke (right and left), Tear Drop (Slider Leaf Stroke), U Stroke (C Stroke), Flat Stroke and S Stroke. At least two of the strokes should use two paints side loaded on the brush.

It is best to practice with a flat and a round brush. For the flat a ½ inch or larger is better for practice. Make up a practice sheet for each Pathfinder.

9. Make two of the following, using one or more of the basic decorative painting strokes (including preparing the surface and the final finish):

9a. Tole painted cutting board

Cutting board

9b. Tole painted tray

9c. Tole painted box

9d. Tole painted furniture

9e. Tole painted household item of your choice

Clipboard

References

Adapted from AY Honors/Tole Painting/Answer Key on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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