Painting

Ralph Larmann

Art Department

University of Evansville

ART H340 Painting
Fall 2005

Instructed by Ralph Larmann
GLOSSARY OF PAINTING TERMS

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Painting Information

  • ABSTRACT
    imagery that has been derived from a natural form, but chnged so that it is not easily associated with the original form.
  • ALLA PRIMA
    a painting done in one layer while the paint is still wet.
  • BINDER
    the material that holds the color or pigment to a support. Also called the vehicle.
  • CHIAROSCURO
    a method of using darks and lights to create an illusion of naturalistic depth.
  • DRY BRUSH
    literally the application of paint using an "almost" dry brush. The paint is applied in a thin manner.
  • ENCAUSTIC
    paint that has a binder of beeswax with pigment.
  • FUGITIVE
    refers to the tendency of some pigments to fade. Pigments that are fugitive fade quickly.
  • GRISAILLE
    a black, gray, and white painting usually used as an underpainting.
  • HARD EDGE
    an area in a pinting where there is a sudden change in value or color.
  • IMPASTO
    thickly painted surface that has a noticeable physical depth.
  • LIGHTFASTNESS
    the strength of pigment to hold its color. The better the lightfastness the less fade over time.
  • MONOCHROMATIC
    a painting that uses only one color in a variety of values (including black and white).
  • NATURALISTIC
    realistic, or appearing like something from the natural world.
  • NON-REPRESENTATIONAL
    an image that has been derived from a non-visual source and makes no association to visual forms.
  • OPTICAL COLOR
    color created through physiological perception. It occurs when we see a color that is not present, i.e., when there are thin lines of red and yellow near each other we sometimes see orange.
  • SGRAFFITO
    the process of scraping into a layer of paint to reveal the what is underneath.
  • SCUMBLING
    the addition of paint to a surface in such a way as to leave parts of the previous layer revealed.
  • SFUMATO
    in Italian it literally means "vanished in smoke." A process of softening edges in a work to create a soft atmoshperic depth.
  • SUPPORT
    the surface that the painting is done upon.
  • TENEBRISM
    a process used to create great contrasts in a painting. It relies on heightened lights and darks to give a dramatic feel to a work. Used by Caravaggio and other Baroque painters.
  • VERDE GRIS
    a green underpainting used by artists in an effort to accentuate the reddish tones of flesh.

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© copyright 2004 by Ralph M. Larmann, all rights reserved.