• Acetate – Clear plastic film used for tracing patterns.

• Acrylic – A term used to describe a type of paint that is made from pure pigment combined with a polymer binder. 

• Antique – A term used to describe a technique used over a finished painting to give ‘an old fashioned’ or ‘aged look’, also a technique to add harmony to the painting. Antiquing can be used over the entire painted surface or used in certain areas to create a toned appearance.

• ASTM – Stands for ‘the American Standards for Testing and Materials’. This organization rates pigments for durability and permanence.

• Back to Back float – (also a Flip Float) a floating technique used to create a highlight or shadow on a round or curved object, after the side load is applied, the brush is flipped over and another sideload is applied next to the previously painted area. The effect is such that the two side-loads appear to mirror each other. Also known as a ‘reverse float’.

• Basecoat – Opaque application of paint, also known as undercoating.

• Binder – The ingredient in paint that holds the pigment and other ingredients together.

• Blending – Applying two or more values of color side by side or one on to another then blending them together, resulting in a smooth transition between the values.
• Balance - This is a term used to explain the sense of symmetry and equilibrium that is found in a composition.

• Blot – To touch brush onto paper toweling to absorb excess moisture.

• Body Shadow – The area on an object where the light does not strike (dark side).

• Brush Control – The ability to use a brush with precision.

• Brush Mixing – Combining two or more colors in the brush, blending them on a palette to create another color for a shade or highlight.

• ‘Camaieu’ - This is a painting technique use to create a monochromatic image by employing only a single color in different value and intensity

• Cartouche (kar-toosh) - A scroll like ornament or tablet as an architectural feature.

• Cast Shadow – The shadow of an object that is cast onto another object, i.e. table, wall, etc. the object blocks the path of light.

• Chalk Pencil – Soft easily removed chalk used to draw on the painted surface.

• Chaco Paper – see Graphite paper.

• Choppy Strokes – Short irregular brush strokes applied using a gentle touch pull method.

• Circular Highlight – The highlight shape done on a round object.

• Color Scheme – Is a theory of color where the hues are used in predetermined schemes to create harmony.

• Color Wheel – A tool used in the application of color theory.  Color families are arranged on a circular wheel.

• Comma Stroke – A brush stroke shaped in the form of a comma using one continuous motion of the brush.

• Complimentary Colors – Two colors that sit diagonally across of each other on the color wheel.

• Contrast –Contrast is the difference between one object and another.

• Contour – The curve or line showing the shape of an object.

• Cross-Hatching - Two sets of parallel lines that intersect and used as a decorative detail.

• Cure – To allow sufficient time for paint or varnish to dry, following manufacturer’s instructions.

• Dab – Gently tapping or ‘dabbing’ in of color.

• Delft – Short for - Delftware is a particular type of pottery belonging to the class of tin-glazed ceramics. Delft, a city in the Netherlands.

• Defect – Undesirable and distracting flaws in the painting surface.

• Detail – Fine line work, or other fine detail work that is added to complete the painting.

• Design Area – Refers to the lines and spaces within a design.

• Dimension – Creating depth within a painting and/or object.

• Dirty Brush – A term used to describe a brush that still holds residue from a previous paint color – sometimes a desirable effect when blending.

• ‘Dress the Brush’ – loading the brush with paint or medium.

• Dots – Gently rounded application of paint made with brush bristle, brush handle or stylus to add a textural decorative interest.  Dots can be of equal size or in descending order.

• Double Loading – Loading a brush with two different colors one on each side then blending to merge the colors through the center.

• Dry Brushing – Technique of applying small amounts of paint using a dry brush without the addition of water. Also called a granulated stroke.

• Earth Tones – muted colors brownish in nature also referred to as Tertiary Colors. (See tertiary)

• Ellipse – An oval shape that occurs when a circle opening is viewed from the side. This is a circle in perspective.  The degree of the ellipse is determined by the height of eye level (see eye level).

• Embellishments – Decorative Details added at the end of a painting.

• Extender & Blending Medium – A medium, which can be added to the paint or on top of a dried basecoat to extend drying time of the paint.

• Eye Level – A measure of perspective in a still life or landscape where all sides of the objects are not seen at the same time.

• Faux – French word for fake.  Used to immolate stone, wood, and other textures to decorate the surface.

• Feathering – Using a light touch when blending outer under blended edges.

• Ferrule – The metal section of a brush, which holds the bristles together.

• Finishing – Protective coating over your painting.

• Floating (Floated) – The side loading of a color into a very wet or moist brush. When the color is stroked on the painting surface, the pigment “floats” out.

• Flip Float – Same as ‘back to back’ float.

• Foreground – The front plane of the painting and objects in the front.

• Form – The shape, outline or configuration of anything.  To give shape to an object through line or color.

• Fugitive Color – Pigment that will lose its color through exposure to light. Varnishing will not prevent this from happening. Rated by the ASTM class 3&4

• Gesso – An opaque slightly gritty ground paint used to seal canvases and provides tooth.

• ‘Glints’ – A term used to describe the final ‘high’ shine or ‘sparkle’ added to a shiny object.

• Glazing Medium – A medium that gives depth by allowing light to pass through the layers.  It also is used to act as a barrier coat to protect the surface between layers.

• Glaze – A term used to describe the application of transparent colored layers over the dried layer to adjust hue, intensity and value.

• Gradation – Gradual change in color or value.

• Grain – as applies to wood grain, the texture or markings on the surface of raw wood made by the growth pattern.

• Granulated Stroke – Application of dry paint to look like granulations. (See dry brushing)

• Grisaille (gree-z-eye) – A style of painting using only gray tints and giving the effect of sculpture in relief.

• Harmony – Pleasing design and color. Everything works together creating a composition that is pleasing to the eye.

• Heat Set – to dry with a blow dryer.

• Highlight – To add lighter values to an object.

• Hue – Another word for color.  The hue is red.

 

 

 

• Impasto – Commonly referred to a heavy technique creating texture.
• Intensity – The measure of how bright or dull a color is.

• Intermediate – A color that is made by mixing a primary and its nearest secondary color. Named by the primary name first, then the secondary name, e.g., Red Orange, Yellow Orange, Yellow Green, etc.

• Layering – Applying one color over another color, drying between each step see Glaze.

• Light Source – The direction the light is coming from and where it lands on an object.

• Line Work - Using a liner brush to paint thin lines or decorative lines in a design.

• Linear Perspective – A perception of depth within a painting.  Parallel lines appear to converge or get closer as they recede into the distance.

• Local Color – Body color, or mass color, of an object.

• Masonite – An artist surface made from compressed wood fiber. Can be cut to size or sold in large sheets.  Is primed or un-primed.

• Monochromatic – Mono means “one” and chroma means, “color”.  A painting using only one color in different values and intensities.

• Medium – A paint additive that works in conjunction with the binder to change or alter working properties.

• Mica – Pigments that are used in the paint making industry to replace toxic heavy metals.

• Mylar – Clear plastic sheet used for tracing a design.

• Mother Color – One color that is used to make all other colors within the paint palette.  Or a color that is used in every color to create harmony.

• Mottle – Technique used to decorate objects or a background to create subtle value and color changes using various brush techniques. Without creating a pattern.

• Mud or muddy color – This is a common descriptive word used to express what happens to an area or a color when it is either over blended or over toned.

• Multi-Loading – Loading two or more colors on the brush to perform a given technique.

• Neutral – a color made from all three primaries, having no decided color.  This color can be made from complimentary hues.

• Opaque – A solid coverage of paint with no transparencies

• Outline – This is a decorative stroke placed on an object, normally done with a liner brush. It may also be used to create the shape of the object.

• Open Time - Workable time of a product before it dries.

• Over strokes – Usually a second or multiple application of paint on top of an object that has been previously based in.

• Palette knife – A tool used to mix paints together.

• Palette Paper – A waxed paper pad used for acrylic paints.  Can be used for mixing colors, and working paint into brush, practicing strokes, etc.

• Pat Blending – Gentle tapping brush method used to disperse one or more colors on top of a wet or dry layer.

• Patina – A process of adding a pigment to a finishing coat to create an aged look.

• Perpendicular – A term used to describe whether an object is standing at a 90-degree angle from the surface. e.g. a wine glass on a table

• Perspective – The theory of representing solid objects on a two-dimensional flat surface to give the impression of depth and distance.

• Pinch Wipe – wiping paint out of brush by pinching bristles between paper toweling.

• Pickling – Staining wood with white or another light value.

• Pigment – Colored powders, which are organic, synthetic or minerals used to manufacture paint.

• Plane – A term used to describe the areas within a landscape or seascape painting.  The foreground or area nearer the viewer is referred to as the front plane, the rear or distant background is referred to as rear plane.

• Polychromatic – A color scheme using all 12 colors on the color wheel.

• Polyurethane – A chemical compound that has greater strength than many other products.  Can be acrylic or oil.  Are more durable than most other products.

• Pounce – Using an up and down stamping motion of the brush.

• Prep – A shortened version of the word ‘preparation’ meaning work done prior to decoration.

• Primer – A medium added to paint to prepare the surface for decoration.

• Primary – Red, Yellow and Blue

• Puddling - A technique used to disperse pigment on a wet surface to achieve a particular affect.

• Quill – A specialized brush for decorative line work or detailed strokes.

• Rag off – to use a rag, damp paper towel or other material to lift off paint to create texture or pattern,

• Reinforce- To add strength to weak colors or values.

• Reflective Light – The cool light on the shadow side of an object that is lower in value than the highlight.

• Rosemaling - Meaning rose painting and is a traditional style of painting traditionally from Norway.  There are many different styles of Rosemaling each style is associated with an area or region of Norway.

• Rouging – A brush technique used to deposit a small amount of soft color.  This technique is used to create harmony and carry color.

• Sandpaper – A gritty paper used to smooth and prepare the wood surface.

• Scrolls – A design element used to add interest and move the eye through the design.  There are many different types of scrolls usually associated with a style and the tradition of that style.  Scroll forms have changed throughout the periods of design.

• Scumbling – See Mottling

• Seal – A medium or procedure used to prepare or protect objects for decoration.

• Seascape – A painting that includes a scene of the ocean and or shoreline.

• Secondary – The result of mixing two primary colors together, Orange, Green, Violet.

• Shade – To add dark values to an object. Technique used to add form and interest.

• Shadow – This can refer to the shade area, or the cast shadow of one object onto another.

• Side loading – Specialized loading of a wet brush, where one side will have paint to create a smooth transition for creating a gradation of color.

• Slip-Slap – To move the brush in a criss-cross manor. Used for a casual application of color to create a ‘mottled’ effect.

• Soft Light – The light value underneath the highlight area.

• Sparkle – A high shine or ‘glint’ added to a reflected surface. i.e. Glass or metal.

• Spattering – Tiny specks of spattered paint. A technique also referred to as ‘Fly Speckling’.  Is used as a decorative detail on the surface of a finished painting.

• Sponging – A painting technique using a natural or synthetic sponge as a tool to create texture or pattern.

• S-Stroke – A brush stroke in the shape of the letter “S”.

• Staining – A transparent application of color to wood which allows the grain to show.

• Stippling – A technique using an up and down or pouncing motion of the brush.  This technique uses the cut end of the brush to create interest or depth.

• Stretched Canvas – A painting surface traditionally used in fine art, made from primed linen or cotton fabric, stretched tightly over wooden frames and secured on the outer edges.

• Strokework – To apply paint in a predetermined shape using a brush.

• Stylus - An artist tool used to transfer a design to a surface.

• Technique – The method an artist uses to paint or decorate a particular object.

• Tertiary - colors produced by the mixture of two secondary colors. This color contains all three primary colors.

• Texture – A heavy application of paint, creating interest and dimension. Commonly used in Impasto techniques.

• Tint – Adding white to another color. A technique used to carry color through a design.

• Tone - To change or alter a color’s intensity by the addition of another color that is less intense.

• Transparency - Thinning of a color allowing the colors underneath to show through.

• Triple Loading – Application of three colors or values on the brush at one time.

• Trompe l’oeil (tromp-lo’y) – Fool the eye, a realistic painting, which creates an illusion of reality.  The viewer on the first sight is in doubt as to whether the object depicted is real or not.

• Undercoating – First application of paint, also known as the basecoat.

• Value – The property of a color depicting how light or dark a color is.
  

•   Wash – A thin or watery transparent application of color.

• Wax Palette – A paper pad used with acrylic paints for mixing color, working paint into brush and practice strokes or techniques.

• Wet Sanding – A technique where a little water is used with special wet and dry sandpaper to buff or to smooth the surface.

• Wet Palette – An artist palette used to keep acrylic paints wet or hydrated while working or painting.