What Is...?
Fine Art Terminology
Acrylic
A clear plastic used as a medium or as a vehicle
for pigments. Many artists prefer acrylics over
oils because the end result tends to be brighter,
and the paint dries much quicker which gives
creative latitude for many painters. Acrylics
give off fewer noxious fumes. There is an
indication that acrylics hold up over time better
than oil.
Aquatint
An intaglio method in which areas of color are
made by dusting powdered resin on a metal plate
and then letting acid eat the plate surface away
from around it.
Artist Proof (AP)
Additional proofs from a print run that are not
included in the regular edition, usually a/10th.
of an edition. Pulled for the artists’ approval
and for their personal use.
Bas-Relief
Relief is the form of sculpture that comes
nearest to painting, both having composition,
perspective, and the play of light and shadow. A
sculpture executed upon and attached to a flat
surface. Between three-dimensional and two-
dimensional art combining both sculpture and
drawing/painting.
Bronze
Bronze is and alloy of copper and tin which is
used for sculpture.
Cast Paper
Cast paper art provides added dimension to flat
art with sculptured forms that extend out above
the initial surface. Abstracts cast paper pieces
take on a topographic quality.
Cast paper art it typically made from handmade
paper fiber that are suspended in solution until
the model is ready for application. Layers of
these fibers are applied to the model to build up
the forms.
Drypoint
An intaglio technique like engraving in which the
image is drawn on a metal plate with a needle,
raising a ridge which prints a soft line.
Dyptich
Diptych (Pronounced dip-tick)is a painting in two
parts, sometimes attached
panel. Triptych is composed of three parts, a
tetratych, four.
Egg Tempera
A painting process that uses egg yolk to bind
pigments. The artist must manufacture the paints
him or herself by the simple process of mixing
finely ground pigment, water and diluted egg
yolk. The paint is then applied in a method
where the optical laws of egg tempera are obeyed
thus the unique surface of egg tempera will be
achieved. In addition to making the paint, the
artist also has to prepare the ground on which to
paint on.
Encaustic
Pigment is mixed with melted wax and resin and
then applied to a surface while hot.
Etching
A form of intaglio printing where a metal plate
is coated by a material which resist acid, called
the ground. The artist then draws the design on
the ground with a sharp tool which removes the
ground where it touches the plate and, when the
plate is put in an acid bath, the exposed parts
are etched or eaten away. This produces the
sunken line that will receive the ink.
Giclee (zhee-clay)
Print artwork made using a specialized ink spray
process (Giclee is French for “to spray”). The
Giclee print is unmatched in print standard for
museums, galleries, publishers, and artists.
First captured digitally and then refine by the
artist and master printer through a series of
proofs to ensure the color and clarity, the
Giclee print is the closest possible reproduction
of an original artwork afforded by technology.
Both the ink and the archival paper onto which
the image is transferred offer up to 70-year
light-fastness and UV-resistance under proper
storing conditions.
Gouache
A watercolor medium which is mixed with finely
ground white pigment to provide an opaque paint.
Intaglio
An all-metal plate engraving and etching process
in which the printing areas are recessed. The
lines that form the design are cut into the
surface. The plate is inked and the wiped so
that the paper receives the ink from the incised
lines and not form the surface of the plate.
Lithograph
A reproduction of a painting using the
lithography print making method. Lithography
does not rely on surface elevation or indentation
as does relief print. Instead it relies on the
incompatibility of grease and water. The artist
draws or paints with a greasy substance called
tusche (pronounced toosh) on stones, aluminum or
zinc plates. The surface is chemically treated,
sponged with water and then inked. The greasy
images drawn or painted on the surface accept the
oil-based ink while the untouched areas moistened
with water reject it. The ink is transferred to
a paper by the pressure of the lithographic press.
Mezzotint
Mezzotint “black manner” is the technique
which, contrary to the other methods in use,
works from black to white rather than white to
black. This is achieved by laying down a
texture on a plate by means of a pointed
roulette wheel or a sharp rocker. The burrs
thus created trap a large quantity of ink and
give a rich black. The mezzotint artist then
scrapes away the burr in areas he wants to be
grey or white. The process produces soft,
subtle gradations and is usually combined with
etching or engraving which lend clean-lined
definition. Historically, the technique has been
associated with England, and is often referred
to as “The English Method”.
Monoprint
One-of-a-kind print made by painting on a sheet
of glass or metal, and transferring the still-wet
painting to a sheet of paper. Enough of the
original paint remains on the plate after the
transfer so that the same or different colors can
be applied to make subsequent prints, but no two
prints will be exactly alike.
Monotype
Originating in the Renaissance era, a monotype is
one image painted on a Plexiglas, copper or other
non-porous surface with oil or water based inks
and then transferred to paper with a press. A
monotype is considered an original work of art.
Oil Paint
A powdered pigment which is held together with
oil, usually linseed oil.
Pastel
Pastel is not colored chalk. It is pure pigment –
the same pigment used in making all fine art
paints. It is the most permanent or all media
when applied to a permanent ground and properly
framed. The word pastel comes from the French
work “pastische”. The pure, powdered pigment is
ground into a paste, with a small amount of gum
binder and then rolled into sticks.
Watercolor
A pigment mixed with a binder and applied with
water to give a transparent effect.
Gallery A
6652 NDCBU
Taos, NM 87571
505-737-9410
gallerya@gallerya.com








