Art Glossary

The area or space around or behind the subject of a work.

Lighting the subject from behind, usually creating a darker subject.

Causes blossom or bloom.

A relatively inexpensive brush, badger hair is cone-shaped, having it's thickness near the tip unlike most other natural hair brushes. A great brush for applying gesso, varnish and high-gloss coatings.

A style beginning in the 17th Century in Rome, Italy, characterized by sharp value contrasts, complex form and intense emotional, ornamental and stylistic grandeur.

Pronounced "bah relief", where the overall depth of the relief image is shallow as seen; in coins.

A prestigious school of Art in Weimar, Germany founded by Walter Gropius in 1919 and operated until 1933 (closed by the Nazi regime). Where Early Modernism experimented freely. The Bauhaus style became one of the most influential currents in modernist architecture, embracing the machine-age and methods of production and "combining all efforts towards high-quality in industrial work." Trachtenberg, Marvin & Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: From Prehistory to Post-Modernism. Prentice Hall/Abrams. 1986

Refers to the work in literature, music, visual arts and interior design between the years of 1815 and 1848 (the end of the Napoleonic Wars). The style corresponds to the Regency Style in England, the Federal Style in the United States and to the Empire Style in France. It is marked by simplicity and elegance.

An ingredient that binds pigment particles in a paint. Binders include: glycerine, gum arabic, linseed oil, acrylic resin and egg.

A paper that resists the tendency of a pigment to penetrate through to the other side.

Seeping into an adjacent color or area.

Any tool used for blending colors on a page.

To merge one with an other in such a way that one is indistinguishable from the other.

1). A space or an area in which a paint or water is introduced resulting in a blotchy area. 2). A white haze that forms upon the lead of a colored pencil.

Absorbant paper that is used to blot or dry an unwanted liquid from a painting without smudging or damanging other areas of the work.

A series of devices used to reinforce to prevent from warping.

Is a hand roller used in printmaking techniques to spread ink or to offset an image from a plate to paper.

A device that holds an artists' hand off their work to prevent smearing or smudging.

A flat paint brush with very short bristles.

A short, stiff hair from the back of a hog usually found in brushes used for oil/acrylic painting.

A fine, smooth, sturdy paper with very little to no visible tooth for drawing.

The most important part of the brush, because it carries the paint to the paper or canvas. The widest part of the head is called the "belly". The fatter the belly, the more color it will hold.

The area of the brush head near the ferrule.

Important to preserving the original quality of a brush so that it performs consistently over time.

A brush or pen that has it's own attached reservoir.

Restoring a brush to it's original state. Usually done with a starch.

Soap made especially for cleaning and conditioning the hair of brushes.

The warping or bending of material as a result of the drying process.

A substance that refuses or resists changes in pH when an acid or alkali is added to it.

A clip or clamp used to temporarily mount watercolor paper to a surface for paintning.

A small pad of felt or rubber attached to the back corner of frames to prevent them from scratching a wall.

1). To polish by rubbing. 2). A tool having hard, smooth, rounded surfaces used to polish by rubbing.

Influenced by ancient Greek art, favoring symbolism and icon painting in lieu of realism, this art form describes the period between the 4th and the 5th Century.

A hard, individual "brick" of paint meant to be rewet in order to paint.

The art of writing and/or giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner.

A strong, coarse, unbleached, woven cloth made from hemp, flax or cotton to support oil or acrylic paintings.

A strong, coarse, unbleached, woven cloth made from hemp, flax or cotton to support oil or acrylic paintings glued to a cardboard or wood backing board.

A tool with wide, toothy jaws used for stretching canvas around a frame.

A coating on a canvas in preparation for painting.

A material produced by the incomplete combustion of organic materials such as wood or bone.

A wood wrapped stick of charcoal or carbon black held together with an oily binder. Compared with regular chunk charcoal the carbon pencil is much smoother and less crumbly.

A general name for a paper made of a variety of cellulose fibers in varying thickness. Cardboard is rarely suitable for lasting artwork.

A picture, description or imitation of a person that takes distinguishing characteristics and exaggerates them to create a comic or grotesque effect.

A substance that is extracted from red and purple seaweed and used as a thickening agent.

A simple drawing showing it's subjects in a humorously exaggerated way.

Latin word for Cheese. Casein is a protein obtained through milk that is suitable for glue production.

Latin word for Cheese. Casein is a protein obtained through milk that is suitable for a binder of pigments.

Shape or form a subject by pouring a material into a mold while fluid.

A soft white limestone formed from the skeletal remains of sea creatures. It is used as an ingredient in some paints to reduce that paints' transparency.

A soft leather made from the hide of a goat, sheep or deer that is used by artists to wipe clean areas of unwanted pastel or charcoal.

A porous black solid, consisting of an amorphous form of carbon obtained as a residue when wood or bone is burned in the absence of air.

A charcoal that has been ground, added to a gum binder, and compressed into a round stick and encased in wood.

A thin piece of charcoal used for drawing. Includes vine and compressed charcoal.

A charcoal that has been ground, added to a gum binder and compressed into a square or round stick.

<p>Paper with varying degrees of tooth. Holds charcoal better than smoother surfaces. Also works very well for pastels.</p>

Created when a thin short stick of willow branch is burned into soft, medium and hard consistencies.

A white pigment ground and formed to a charcoal-like consistency then formed into a stick or pencil, but not really charcoal at all.

1). Low in price -- in no way does the "cheap" in Cheap Joe's mean anything other than the best possible quality at the best possible prices.

Started by Joe Miller, owner, in 1985 in Boone Drug Company where he was a pharmacist and part owner. Taking up an interest in art, Joe Miller, decided to offer art supplies through Boone Drug. Working with North Carolina Watercolor societies, the quality down-home, treat-you-like-a-relative services of Cheap Joe's Art Stuff were soon in high demand, leading Joe Miller to make Cheap Joe's Art Stuff a full time job!

The term is usually applied to bold contrasts affecting a whole composition, but also more technically for the use of effects representing contrasts of light to achieve a sense of volume or space within a work.

Also called a Grease Pencil, it's made of a hardened grease suitable for drawing on hard, glossy surfaces such as porcelain or glass.

A relatively opaque watercolor paint made from a special grade of zinc white, most often used to restore highlights within a painting.

A type of thick, stiff paper board made from reclaimed paper stock. Generally used in architecture and construction modelling.

Represents the "purity" of a color, with lower chorma being less pure (more washed out). A color is a fully specified saturated color one considers it's hue, value and chroma. There is no upper limit to chroma, in fact some hue-value combinations have up to 30 levels, though it is nearly impossible to make physical objects in colors of such high chromas.

The visual representation of a city or urban area; a city landscape.

An artistic and political movement that that began in Zürich, Switzerland, during World War I. It was a protest against bourgeois interests which Dadaists believed caused the war, and against the conformity in art and society that corresponded to the war.

The intermediate portion of a pedestal, between it's base and cornice.

A flourescent bulb that simulates natural daylight with the use of a yellow filiment filtered through a blue tube.

The ragged, irregular edges of a paper created by seepage of fibers beneath a wooden frame in the screening process of mould-made paper.

The decoration of an object with cut pieces of paper and glue and varnished several times.

1). A plan or drawing that is used to show the look and functionality of an object. 2). A more rigorous form of art with a clearly defined purpose. Design is more relevant to the applied arts and implies a conscious effort to create something that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

The combination of Line, Color, Shape, Value, Texture, Form that drive all intentional design.

The combination of Unity, Balance, Harmony, Contrast, Repetition (Rhythm & Pattern), Variety (Alternation), Emphasis, Proportion and Functionality that drive effective compositions.

Pronounced "Gwash" (ryhmes with squash), is similar to a watercolor with larger pigment particles and chalky fillers that make this paint more opaque and reflective. It is regarded by many people for its hiding power and quick coverage, especially plein air artists. It is most commonly used by graphic designers and illustrators on posters, illustrations and comics.

Showing different colors during and from different viewing angles.

A substance that is used to dilute another substance.

A model representing a scene with both two and three dimensional elements.

A pen, stick or other nib-like apparatus that has no permanent reservoir. The pen must be dipped in ink consistently in order to create consistent strokes.

One work that is created across two canvases or panels, that are meant to be shown with one another.

A painting done directly on the canvas, without an underpainting or a priming, and usually performed in one sitting.

Water that has been treated to remove all of the impurities. The process of distilling water involves boiling to steam and condensing. Boiling the water to steams ensures that all of the impurities are left behind.

Two shadows cast from one object as the result of two different light sources, or one light source and a reflection of that light source.

A small air-operated artist tool that sprays ink or paint by a process called atomization, with two functions: Press the trigger down to release the compressed air and pull the trigger back to allow the paint to flow. This type of airbrush offers an extra element of control as it allows the user to control the volume of airflow and the concentration of paintflow.

A tape, similar to masking tape, that is useful because of it's lack of tack, making it easily removed from papers without damage.

A picture or diagram that is the result of line, shape and shading.

A device that holds an artists hands off their work to prevent smearing or smudging.

Drawing the hidden, unseen lines of an object, as in the reverse side to help better understand a shape.

A process by which a print, photograph or artwork is bonded to a mount without the use of fluid glues or adhesives.

Painting, especially in watercolor, with very little surface preparation, especially wetting the paper prior to painting.

Painting with watercolor withouth pre-wetting the surface of the paper.

A sheet or roll form of adhesive that adheres when heat is applied. Cut to size of work and iron to achieve mount.

Release paper resists adhering to dry mount tissue during the mounting process, to be used as a buffer between the heat source and the substrate being mounted.

A tissue form of adhesive that adheres when heat is applied. Cut to size of work and iron to achieve mount.

A painting technique in which paint is applied with a relatively dry paintbrush to a dry support. The result is a scratchy brush stroke that lacks consistency throughout. This can be achieved in any medium.

A penetrative substance that is used to add color to a substrate by virtue of the staining process.

A paint whose pigment is taken directly from the earth. Brown Sienna, for example, is a limonite clay, named for the location in which it was found: Siena, Italy. Today, the Appalachain Mountains (Cheap Joe's homeland) is the source for major deposits of this clay.

An upright support used for the purpose of painting or drawing. Easels have been in use since the time of ancient Egypt. Today easels come in various designs and are made of many different materials to suit any artists' needs.

A painting category that encompasses any painting done on a portable substrate, ie. canvas, panels, paper…

The dry powder that results from the drying of a substance that is exposed to air.

Also know as Tempera, a type of paint whose binder is egg yolk, because of its ability to adhere to most anything.

A substance whose binder is a combination of egg and oil that maintains characteristics of tempera and oil paint.

The act of carving or molding a design on a surface so that is stands out in relief.

A fine dispersion of droplets of one liquid into another that is not soluble or miscible.

An opaque or semi-transparent glassy substance that is used as a protective layer.

Usually, an oil-based paint that dries to a hard, glossy finish, however, today many latex paints have adopted the term as well.

Also know as hot wax painting, encaustic painting involves using heated beeswax mixed with colored pigment to form a colored paste which is applied to a surface by either sculpting with painting knives or painting with brushes.

Typically a piece of rubber or plastic that is used to remove unwanted strokes or lines.

A thin piece of metal or plastic that is used to block erasures from removing wanted lines or strokes.

To cut, carve or engrave, usually metal, stone or glass by coating the surface with a protective plastic or wax, drawing on it with a needle, then covering it with acid to attack or corrode the exposed areas in order to produce a print or a design.

A needle used to remove the protective plastic or wax in order to create an etching.

A tendency of an artist to distort reality for an emotional effect characterized by Dionysian: bold colors, distorted forms-in-dissolution, two dimensions and having no perspective. It's origins trace themselves back to Van Gogh and Edvard Munch.

A paint medium that extends the paint, creating larger volumes of a color, and in good extenders, without losing any saturation.

The level of the eyes looking straight ahead, parallel to the ground.

Pasteur pipettes used to transfer small quantities of liquids. They are usually glass, tapered to a narrow point and fitted with a squeezable rubber bulb at the top, used to draw liquid up into the pipette via vacuum.

1). To gradually grow faint and disappear. 2). Lose or cause to lose color or brightness.

A fan shaped brush used for layering, blending or feathering.

1). An application rule in oil painting which means that each additional layer of paint should be a bit more oily than the layer below -- thus fat (oily) over lean (less oily), or your painting will crack and peel. 2). A similar rule is applied to pastel painting, in that harder pastels are not to be used over top of softer pastels.

Ferrule is the short metal or plastic band on the brush that holds the hair in place. Always inspect the ferrule when you purchase a brush to make sure it is attached securely. If it's not, you'll always have problems. Never keep your brushes sitting in solvent. This will allow the solvent to absorb into the wooden handle causing the handle to expand, cracking the painted handle, and expanding the ferrule, making it more likely to loosen once the brush dries.

A paint brush with a flattened oval head, typically used in oil and acrylic painting.

A sheet or roll form of adhesive that adheres when heat is applied. Cut to size of work and iron to achieve mount.

Creative, visual art which is to be appreciated solely for it imaginative, aesthetic, and intellectual content.

The use of your finger and a smearing or smudging tool to blend colors to achieve a softer blend or edge.

A chemical substance used to preserve or stabilize art material, as in pastel or charcoal drawings to prevent from smudging.

The naturally split tip of a hair filiament that acts as a reservoir helping carry more paint to a canvas than a synthetic filament.

Also known as Lead white or Cremintz white, flake white is traditionally considered to be the most structurally sound underpainting layer for oils, posessing flexibily, toughness and permanence not found in other paints. Highly toxic.

A brush with a flat, rectangular head with longer filaments. Good for washes having color carrying capacity.

A painting with little depth or perspective that uses shape, line and texture to create its desired impact.

A blue-flowered herb that is cultivated for it's seed, which is pressed for it's oil (linseed) and for it's fiber, which is used to make paper and canvas.

The clustering or amassing of individual dispersed droplets together, whereby the individul droplets do not lose their identity.

A general name given to a medium that reduces viscosity of it making a paint more easily spread across a surface.

Paint that is spattered or "flung" from a brush, knife or other tool rather than applied directly.

A luminescence added to paint that absorbes photons at one wavelength and then releases them later at a shorter wavelength.

A substance mixed with a solid to lower its melting point especially, in soldering, or to promote the conversion from clay and sand into ceramics and glass.

A sturdy, lightweight material consisting of a plastic foam sandwiched between two papers.

The plane perpendicular to the optic axis, which pass through the front and rear focal points.

The center or interest of activity in a painting.

A thin sheet of metal that is easily malliable.

Describes a wide range of art that reflects craft traditions and social values, produced by artists who are self taught or have little or no academic artistic training. Grandma Moses is an example of a folk artist.

The area of a painting/view that is nearest the observer.

The visual shape or configuration of something, the arrangements of it's parts and particular way in which a thing appears.

The use of an object that has not been designed for an artist purpose, but deemed worthy of inclusion. Found objects can range from naturally occuring objects to objects in a painting that weren't intended to have great significance.

Like a dip-pen, but with a permanent reservoir that delivers ink continuously to the nib.

Is the basis for most modern papermaking, where pulp is run at high speed through a press, a dryer and then through a calendar to a uniform thickness, then cut. Not the favorite paper for use in art as it is generally composed of a wood pulp.

A plastic strip that is intended to separate the glass and the picture within a frame.

Flat, pointed, nail-like metal pieces that are used to secure the components of a framed picture.

A strong, cloth tape, usually archival, used to attach artwork to matboard or backingboard. Cheap Joe's recommends using a hinging technique to keep your artwork from buckling within the frame over time.

noun 1). A rigid case composed of wood, metal, plastic and sometimes glass that encloses aesthetically and/or protects artwork. 2). A technique used to bring focus to a subject and/or to add depth. verb. To place within a frame.

An easel so called because of its origin, usually associated with outdoor painting (en plein air).

Meaning fresh in Italian, a true fresco consists of a pigment mixed with water painted over a "fresh", wet, mortar or plaster, called buon fresco, or in nearly dry mortar or plaster, called mezzo fresco. Because of the chemical reaction that takes place, a binder is not needed, the pigment is absorbed by the wet plaster creating a permanancy not otherwise achieveable. However, one draw back to true fresco, is that some pigments do not work as well as others. Because it is difficult to use buon fresco and mezzo fresco on textured walls, secco painting is often considered a type of fresco in which egg tempera or oil is painted on a dry plaster. The advantages of secco painting is that mistakes are more easily corrected, colors are more brilliant. The disadvantage of secco is permanence and paint could eventually crack and fall off.

Any material that protects areas of a work from change. Examples of friskit include: Friskit film & masking fluid.

A brush with short, bristly filaments that is used rub out or "lift" unwanted paint from areas of a painting. A tip on using a scrubber: Begin very lightly and apply more pressure as needed. Scrubbing too hard will result in damage to your paper. Designed by Lee Fritch.

A technique or process of taking a rubbing from a textured or uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art.

A color that is quick to disappear. To most artists a fugitive color is undesirable, however, to some using this color is of no concern because their intent is to be short lasting.

An art movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century which expressed a passionate loathing of everything old and an admiration of speed, technology and industrialization.

A thick sheet of rigid plastic foam coated with sturdy paper or plastic, used by many artists as a painting board to attach their paper. It works well for this reason because if it's ability to withstand bending, cracking or denting.

Add to paints to add body for impasto techniques, extend color volume, change or add sheen to a paint, open or extend drying time and add transparency. There's many different gels out there with many different applications.

An organic protein derived from bones, flesh and other materials, used as a sizing in paper and canvas.

Pictoral representation of events from everyday life, depicting ordinary people engaged in common activities.

Italian for board chalk or gypsum; A combination of calcium carbonate with an acrylic polymer or latex, a pigment, and other chemicals to ensure longevity and elasticity.

Italian for board chalk or gypsum; A combination of calcium carbonate mixed with a binder, usually animal or rabbit-skin glue and used as an absorbant primer coat on many substrates.

A drawing with the intent of capturing or resembling motion or attitude.

The result of a process or making high-quality, fine art prints from an ink-jet printer. Generally, giclee prints are more valuable than standard 4-color process prints.

Glass meant to protect artwork from the damages of ultraviolet light, dust and moisture. Framer's glass also comes in a more expensive anti-glare version, which works well in galleries and areas of intense light.

1). A vitreous coating to a ceramic material whose primary purposes are decoration or protection. 2). A layer of paint, thinned with a medium so as to become somewhat transparent. A glaze changes the color cast or texture of a surface.

Any medium that is used as a thinning agent for a paint and used as a glazing.

A shiney look on any surface.

An ingredient in watercolor paint

A metric measurement of paper density or "weight". Grams per square meter. In the United States, most people still measure by pounds.

Goat hair is pretty soft, pretty absorbent and generally used in oriental brushes. It isn't the most durable of hairs and does require some care to have it last for several years.

Also called composition leaf of schlagmetal, is a thin gold foil used for decoration or in the guilding of furniture, frames or even in paintings.

A style which flourished during the high and late medieval period (about 200 years). Is the most familiar as the architechture of many great cathedrals, abbeys, castles and universities. In architecture Gothic style is characterized by the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress. Gothic art got its roots in Christian scupltures usually embedded in the wall of the architecture, showing stories of the bible and telling a narrative. Religious Gothic art is more prominent because of it's survival rates increased by the Church. Paintings are characterized by the style of the figures used in them; focusing on animated pose and facial expressions.

Pronounced "Gwash" (ryhmes with squash), is similar to a watercolor with larger pigment particles and chalky fillers that make this paint more opaque and reflective. It is regarded by many people for its hiding power and quick coverage, especially plein air artists. It is most commonly used by graphic designers and illustrators on posters, illustrations and comics.

A gouache whose binder is acrylic resin as opposed to gum arabic.

A gradual increase or decrease in the intensity of a color over a large wash.

Italian for scratched, is a two-color drawing technique which creates the difference of color by simulating the scratching of the painted surface.

The tendency of some colors to settling together, creating a grainy effect.

A medium that will increase the tendency of colors to settle together, producing a grainy effect.

Of or relating to visual art, drawing, engraving or lettering.

A gray or black form of carbon that occurs as a mineral in some rocks. It is used as a solid lubricant or a drawing pencil.

A graphite rod encase in wood, metal or plastic.

Finely ground graphite used for brushing, rubbing or stamping.

A surrealist technique in painting in which dry paint is scrapped off the canvas.

Also called a China Marker, it's made of a hardened grease suitable for drawing on hard, glossy surfaces such as porcelain or glass.

A coating applied to paper, canvas, board, panels or other surfaces before painting. There are a variety of different painting grounds available.

A metric measurement of paper density or "weight". Grams per square meter. In the United States, most people still measure by pounds.

Is the hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree and used as a binder for watercolor painting because it dissolves easily in water.

A soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate used in Plaster of Paris, chaulk, gesso, Portland cement and alabaster.

Sometimes pronounced like hockey or rake, is useful for laying in large areas of color, wetting a surface or absorbing excess substance.

The earliest form of watercolor, is solid watercolor paint dried into cakes and preferred world wide by landscape artists and combined in compact paint boxes. 1.5cc of paint.

Paper made by hand, one sheet at a time, where fibers are suspended in water and screened to a thin layer. The sheets are then stacked on felt and allowed to dry. As the paper stack becomes heavier, the weight of the top sheets press out excess water in the bottom sheets, then dried. Papers, then, may be calendared and/or sized with gelatine to create consistency across the surface. Handmade papers are characterized by their deckles.

Hard pastels have a higher portion of binder to pigment, producing a sharp drawing material that can be used for fine details or as under paintings for soft pastel (follow the Fat-Over-Lean rule).

A method of shading used in drawing or graphics where parallel lines create different values within a drawing.

Many art supplies contain substances that are harmful to our fragile human bodies, whether by inhalation, digestion or absorption. Make sure to check each products MSDS (Material safety Data Sheet) to discover proper storage or safety precautions.

Many supplies as required by law or general ethical practice, provide health labels on products which pose health risks.

The period which describes the era following Alexander the Great, between the brilliance of the Greek Classical Era and the emergence of the Roman Empire.

Is one of the fastest growing of all organic plants known, having many uses ranging from paper, textiles (canvas and burlap), plastics and fuel.

A symbol or object used to represent a word, syllable or sound in the ancient writings of the Egyptians, Greeks and Mayans.

A smooth surface on the paper, usually referred to as a plate finish.

Also called Alto-relievo in italian, is relief or sculptuer that is significantly raised from the background where more than 50% of the sculpture is raised from the background.

The brightest area on an object usually has the high value.

A white stiff, durable hair coming from the ridge on the backs of male hogs and a favorite among oil and acrylic painters.

The line where the earth and sky seem to meet.

The oil from flax extracted through high pressure and heat. It is the most common type of oil used for oil colors.

Very smooth paper, with little or no tooth or texture, is achieved by passing fresh paper through heated rollers during manufacturing.

1). Is one of the main properties of a color described with such names as "red", "yellow", etc. 2). In paint the term hue is added to a paint in which a pure color has been substituted.

A person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something, most often seen in religious art.

1). The process of lighting an object or scene. 2). The interplay of light and shadow within a work of art.

The artistic tradition in which the artist creates a work of art that seems to share the same space as the viewer.

An image or visualization used to represent textual information, such as a story or poem.

Drawing sheets mounted to both sides of a high quality board to resist warping.

Meaning dough or paste in italian, it is a technique used in painting where paint is laid on very thick with brush or knife strokes are still visible.

A 19th century art movement characterized by visual brush strokes, open composition and an emphasis on light in its changing qualities (like over time).

The measure of deviation of something from "straight on". In otherwords, the angle at which light strikes a reflecting surface.

A simple, bold, black ink created from carbon black obtained through burning bones, tar or pitch and suspended in a chemical that has been around since ancient Egypt and China.

A colored fluid used for writing, drawing or duplicating.

A colored fluid used for writing, drawing or duplicating that is not readily lifted with water once laid down.

A paint that appears as different colors when viewed at different angles.

Derived from the greek word iris, meaning "rainbow", shows luminous colors when viewed at different angles.

A long, soft, shiny vegetable fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It's used sometimes to make canvas, burlap and twine.

Art that depends on motion for its effect. It generally involves moving parts, powered by a motor, the wind or the observer.

Art or design considered to be in poor taste, crass or cheaply imitative of art, but is sometimes appreciated in a knowing way. The lava lamp was considered Kitsch art.

A soft, pliable eraser that can be shaped by the hand for precision erasing. It functions by absorbing or lifting graphite or charcoal particles. It doesn't wear or leave residue and lasts much longer than rubber/plastic erasers.

Any variety of thin, pencil-like knife with a removable, pointed razor blade that is used for cutting small detailed shapes.

A knife with an adjustable depth gauge that allows for cutting through different thicknesses of mat or board.

A tool used by an artist, that's made of metal or plastic, in a variety of different shapes and sizes and used to mix and apply paint to a canvas or surface. Painting knives generally are offset to keep your hands from hitting the painting surface.

A tool used by an artist, that's made of metal or plastic, in a variety of different shapes and sizes and used to mix paint on a palette. Palette knives are different from painting knives in that they are not offset, however, many artists still use them to apply paint to a canvas or surface in much the same manner as a painting knife.

A sharp, heavy-duty knife that's used for heavy-duty cutting. This knife is generally much larger than craft knives.

A top-quality hair, from male weasels from the Siberian region of Russia, that is used to make the finest perfoming artist brushes in the world.

A liquid made from shellac dissolved in alcohol that dries to form an extremely hard, protective, polishable coating.

A pigment that is made from a dye by precipitating a soluble dye with a inert binder, usually a metallic salt. Many lake pigments are fugitive because dyes are unstable when exposed to light.

Produced from the burning of hydrocarbons used in paints and inks for artists.

Any drawing or painting depicting an outdoor scene.

A stable dispersion of polymer particles in a solvent that becomes semi-solid when exposed to air. Used in a variety of paints and mediums.

Painting one coat of paint over another.

A non-ferrous, maleable metal used in pigments: lead white, Naples yellow and creminitz white because of it's toughness, flexibility and permanence. Lead paints are extremely poisonous and should be handled with care. Titanium white is a good subsitute for lead-based paints.

A lead pencil contains no lead at all, but is actually composed of graphite or clay. The term stuck years ago when lead pencils were composed of thin sticks of lead.

Containing little oil(s). In painting with oils or pastels one must generally follow the fat-over-lean rule in order to be successful.

A formal agreement for anyone to reproduce, use or sell an artwork for profit.

Removing unwanted areas of a painting or drawing.

Light produced by causing a gas to release radiation when a current is passed through it. This radiation then strikes the phosphorous substance coating the inside of the tube causing that material to emit visible light.

Light produced by heating a filament so that it glows white-hot when a current is passed through it.

A designation or rating given to something's ability to resist the damaging effects of light: fading and color change.

A complex organic compound found in wood, but removed from pulp papers (lignin-Free) to increase the whiteness of the paper.

A technique whose philosphy states that as objects become more distant, they appear smaller. In linear perspective "parallel" lines appear to converge upon a vanishing point(s).

A cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant that is intensive to manufacture (therefore more expensive) and one of the preferred supports for oil painting for it's strength, durability and archival integrity.

1). Framing A cloth-lined piece of wood that "lines" the inner edge of the frame when supports are not matted. 2). Painting A brush used for lettering, highlighting, outlining and long continuous strokes. Also called Riggers, Script Liners, Signature Brushes.

A print made by gouging or carving an image into a linoleum sheet, and pressed with ink or paint onto a substrate.

Also known as flax seed oil or flax oil, linseed oil is clear to yellowish in color and is derived from the seeds of the flax plant by pressing without solvent extraction. It is most often the binder used in high-quality oil paints, varnishes, inks and linoleum.

A quick-drying medium for oil and alkyd paint or used as a barrier layer to achieve some effects.

A method of printing using a plate or stone with a completely smooth surface and using a chemical process to create an image. Lithography uses oil or fat and gum arabic to divide the smooth surface into hydrophobic regions which accept in and hydrophyllic regions which reject ink. The hydrophyllic regions become the background.

A commonly used printing technique where an inked image is transferred from a lithography plate to a rubber blanket or pad, then to a surface. Offset works particularly well because of the rubber blanket's ability to conform to the texture of the printing surface.

The natural color of an object unmodified by adding light, shadow or distortion.

Free from confinement; not bound. A term that many artists and instructors will use everyday, where an artistic style reaches a lively, spontaneous look.

A color that is nearly black has a low value.

An acrylic glass, used in art for framing.

An American landscape painting style of the 1850s through 1870s, characterized by the effects of light in landscapes, through aerial perspective, concealing visible brush strokes. Luminists often emphasize tranquility through calm, reflective water and soft hazy skies. Luminism shares an emphasis of the effects on light with Impressionism, however, the treatment of the brush stroke keep these two styles quite distinct. Impressionism focuses on emphasizing the brushstrokes.

1799 begins the era of machine-made paper with the Fourdrinier machine, which allowed for high-speed lower cost paper making.

A tool used by artists to hold their hand steady when working on detail within a painting. It is a wooden, metal, or plastic stick with a padded end (to prevent scaring of the paper or canvas) and held with one hand while the other hand rests upon the stick.

A small model of a figure used to aid in proportioning of the body in varous poses.

Is a small scale model of architecture or sculpture used to visualize a final product without having to build a full scale model.

1). A line or symbol placed on a surface. 2). A spot, area, style or other feature by which an artwork might be recognizable as a particular artists' work.

A pen with a felt tip.

Hiding, covering or protecting an area temporarily to prevent unwanted paint or ink from adhering to the surface of a paper or canvas.

A fluid, painted on a surface, that protects an area of a work from change. More easily removed with masking fluid pickup.

A low-tack ahesive tape, that is used to cover areas of a painting to prevent change. Joe recommends putting the masking tape on your shirt before adhering to your paper to reduce the tack further, reducing the risk of damage.

A brand name hardboard using small wood, cellulose fibers, steamed and pressed with heat to form a finished product. This product, using no glues or chemicals, is an earth-friendly means of painting.

From the Mastic shrub found in the Greek isles, cultivated for it's mastic gum and used to produce a high-grade varnish.

A rigid board, cut, as to frame an image that is used to: improve the appearance of the image, separate the image from any glass

A type of pressed paper material that is used in framing artwork. The most popular type (because of it's cost) is a pulp made matboard that is buffered to become pH neutral, meaning that which touches your artwork and the glass will not discolor for man years, however, the core or middle part of the mat board will discolor within a year. Conservation or Acid-Free board is suitable for long term framing. Museum Board or Rag mat is constructed of 100% cotton fiber and will preserve almost indefinitely.

A device used to cut mats to their proper dimensions and add a beveled cut to the interior dimensions. The most popular matcutters are attached to a board, with a squaring arm and a cutter attached to straight edge.

A knife designed specifically for cutting matboard.

A surface with little to no gloss or shiny appearance.

1). The materials and techniques an artists uses. Ie. "What's your medium" 2). A substance that is used to alter the properties of the paint.

An engineered wood panel formed by breaking down the wood into fibers, combining it with wax and resin and pressed by applying high temperature and pressure.

A soft, silky gel which adds body and decreases viscosity. True meglip went out of popular use many years ago, but has been replaced by Neo Meglip to keep from yellowing and cracking.

A durable additive used to produce formica countertops, dry eraser boards and glues.

The area between the background and the subject or foreground.

The middle range of values within a color range from darker (black) to lighter (white).

A unique blend of acrylic polymer emulsion that creates perfect viscosity and dries flexible; Brimming with pure concentrated pigments; Free of fillers and other unnecessary agents; Pigment and binder straight from the mill to the tube.

A solvent used as a paint thinner, as a less toxic and flamable substitute to turpentine. It also comes in an odorless form that is popular among many artists especially those who suffer from sinus problems.

A tiny/small/minute/minuscule work of art.

Soluble from one liquid in another. Most often seen in reference to Water-miscible oils, meaning that they will mix with water. This medium is growing in popularity as the number of people who are concerned with the toxicity of oil, particulary it's mediums, increases.

The combination of two or more types of art materials. Collage is often a mixed media technique, however, mixure of acrylics and watercolors, pastels and watercolors, etc. would be examples of mixed media.

1). A person who poses for a drawing/painting or sculpture. 2). A smaller, to scale version of the original to either: visualize a final idea or series of ideas or display a final product that is otherwise too large to view in it's entirety.

1). The act of posing for a drawing/painting or scuplture. 2). The act of creating a small scale version of an idea. 3). Scuplting with a plasticized material, such as clay or plaster.

A thick, viscous acrylic that hardens when dried and is used for scupturing or adding texture to paintings.

A term associated with art of the 1860s through 1970s in which the traditions of the past have been cast aside in the spirit of experimentation and characterized by abstraction.

Of one color. Art which is painted or drawn in tones of the same hue or color.

A form of printmaking that has images that cannot be exactly reproduced such as collage or hand-painted editions or by altering the color, type, ink or pressure used to make the print.

A form of printmaking where the plate used has no permanent marks. Once the ink is pressed to the paper the residual ink might make one more print, but no more.

Collage where the collected photographs, articles etc have a common theme.

Atmosphere, feeling, spirit, aura, tenor, flavor or tone evoked by a work of art.

A large, round, full-bodied brush that is great for applying large quanities of water or color to a surface.

A substance used to set dyes on fabrics by, together, forming an insoluble compound.

A tool that is thousands of years old that is used to grind a substance into fine particles. The pestle is a heavy stick whose end is used to grind a material against a mortar, which is a stone slab or bowl.

A design or arrangement of smaller pieces into one large collective image.

A recurring idea, pattern or theme across a series of works.

A paper making machine used to simulate handmade papers thhat operates at high speed and employs the use rotating cylinder that dips into a pool of a fiber/water mix. This process allows the fibers to be sorted in a random fashion within the whole of the paper -- much like a hand-made paper.

Also called an atomizer, a mouth diffuser is a device that converts a liquid or produces a fine spray.

A color that has become dull and more neutral because of a mixing of incompatible colors.

A flat ended stick that is used to grind or pound a substance into finer particles, that has no mortar.

A painting on a wall or celing that usually fits within the context of the surrounding architecture.

A type of cardboard that is made from 100% cotton rag fibers and is 100% acid-free, that is resistant to decomposition.

A term used to describe lasting power of art materials -- Usually 100% acid-free and archival.

Describes a wide range of art that is characterized by simplicty. Sometimes produced by artists who are self taught or have little or no academic artistic training but over time this style of art has become more acceptable by the educated artists. Grandma Moses is an example of a Naive artist.

Art that depicts realistic objects in there natural setting.

Painting the areas outside the subject in such a way that leaves little to no detail of the subject of the painting.

The area outside or around the subject of a painting.

A term coined in 1887, to describe art that emphasized the use of basic color by painting in very small dots that when viewed from a distance creates an optical mixture of color.

A Dutch artistic movement in 1917, characterized by vertical and horizontal lines positioned in layers or planes that do not intersect, avoiding symmetry and use of primary colors with black and white.

A low-cost, non-archival paper commonly used to print newspapers. It is off-white in color and used by artists for sketchings and non-permanent works.

The part of the quill, dip pen or fountain pen which comes in contact with the paper to deliver the ink.

Sometimes called "Not(CP)" (used in Europe which means not hot-pressed confusingly enough) By far the most popular type. It has a medium tooth or techture, holds color really well and is a favorite for most professionals. This effect is achieved by pressing the wet paper to smooth it slightly.

Also called two-point perspective; a way in which dimension given two a painting where there are two perspectives, because no plane is parallel with the plane of the painting surface (also known as painting plane or picture plane).

A solvent of mineral spirits or turpentine in which the odor has been removed. Odorless does no equal non-toxic.

Any number of oil-based liquids, solvents or other that are used to change the natural characteristics of oil paint.

A slow-drying paint consisting of particulate pigment suspended in an oil binder (typically linseed oil). Oil paints will not cure for up to several weeks, allowing artists to work on a painting for several sessions. Oil paints also have a surface translucency similar to human skin, making it an idea medium for portraits.

A painting medium in stick form with non-drying oil and wax binder. Considered a fast medium and perfect for plein air artists because Oil Pastels are more convenvenient to carry.

A crayon-like version that behaves like the oils in a tube.

A method of imitating depth in which the painting plane is parallel to object's face and all receeding lines meet at one, single vanishing point. This method is used many times in looking down railroad tracks and hallways.

Also known as perceptual abstraction, Op Art or Optical art is genre that makes use of optical illusions and derived from the constructivist movement of the Bauhaus period. Optical Art is characterized by bright colors and the illusion of movement, hidden images, flashing, and vibration.

A color that is chaulky or unclear so as to hide any color beneath it.

A projector that is used to cast opaque images (such as a drawing on paper).

Also known as perceptual abstraction, Op Art or Optical art is genre that makes use of optical illusions and derived from the constructivist movement of the Bauhaus period. Optical Art is characterized by bright colors and the illusion of movement, hidden images, flashing, and vibration.

Traditional artistic ink of China and Japan.

The japanese art of paper folding with a goal of making a representational object using geometric folds.

A series of prints, whether etchings, lithographs, or giclees, that are limited in number.

Gall or Bile from the liver of an Ox or Cow, used as a wetting agent, especially in watercolor. Ox Gall breaks the the surface tension of water and prevents watercolors from puddling on the paper.

A fairly coarse, moderately priced hair used in oil and acrylic brushes for it's durability.

Any liquid which, after being applied to any substrate, is converted to a thin layer of solid film.

A cloth used by a painter for a variety of applications.

Having the appearance of something painted, often with visible brush strokes or textures.

A tool used by an artist, that's made of metal or plastic, in a variety of different shapes and sizes and used to mix and apply paint to a canvas or surface. Painting Knives generally are offset to keep your hands from hitting the painting surface.

1). Any surface in which an artist mixes paint. 2). A range of colors available to the artist or selected by the artist.

A small container used for solvents and/or mediums that can be attached to a palette.

A tool used by an artist, that's made of metal or plastic, in a variety of different shapes and sizes and used to mix paint on a palette. Palette knives are different from painting knives in that they are not offset, however, many artists still use them to apply paint to a canvas or surface in much the same manner as a painting knife.

Any non-absorbent material that is disposable after painting has ceased.

A palette that is designed to keep paints moist. Generally used for acrylic paints, a wet palette contains a sponge, that prevents rapid drying.

The earliest form of watercolor, is solid watercolor paint dried into cakes and prefered world wide by landscape artists and combined in compact paint boxes. 1.5cc of paint.

Any rigid surface used for painting.

An unbroken view of a scene; a wide scene, usually encompassing the entire area of vision.

A material manufactured in thin sheets from fiberous substances and used for writing, drawing or painting.

The direction of most of the fibers in any sheet of paper. In handmade paper, a grain is more difficult to discern as fibers tend to be more random. In machine-made paper, fibers are arrange mechanically because of the way the machine is loaded.

Paper or sheets that is not made from cellulose fibers and not really paper at all, but is used in the same manner as paper. Yupo is an example of a synthetic paper.

A collage of torn papers.

French for Chewed Paper. A sculptable mixture of paper and glue or paper, water, flour that hardens when dried that is layered to the desired thickness over top of a form.

A paper-like material produced from the papyrus plant, where the fibers torn from the stalk of the plant were arranged, pressed and dried.

Also known as one point perspective, where all facing lines are parallel and all receeding meet at one single vanishing point.

1). A stiff, thin material made from the hides of animals and used for writing. 2). In modern times, a paper that resembles the appearance of animal hide parchment.

Geometric designs done in wood, usually on floors.

An engenieered wood made from resin and wood chips, wood shavings, or sawdust pressed and extruded. Mostly found as a core product for canvas panels or other lamenated panels.

A thick, viscous substance that is produced by mixing a series of dry components in a liquid that is used as an adhesive or as a texturing medium in painting.

Another term used for cardboard.

1). A crayon-like stick made from pigment mixed with gum, wax, resin or oil binder. 2). A soft, delicate, pale shade of color.

A stiff, sometimes sanded surface made specifically for pastel painting.

Fine particles that release from a pastel or pastel surface. Pastel dust is sometimes hazardous -- make sure you are in an appropriately ventilated area.

A range of paper with a suitable texture or tooth for pastel painting.

A rod or stick of pigment mixed with gum, wax or resin encased in wood.

A word that is still used to imply a soft, delicate, pale color, although, pastels (from which this term was derived) are no longer only pale in color having many vibrant and intense colors to choose from.

Hard pastels have a higher portion of binder to pigment, producing a sharp drawing material that can be used for fine details or as under paintings for soft pastel (follow the Fat-Over-Lean rule).

The most widely used form of pastel, these sticks have higher portions of pigment and less binder. They are more easily smudged and blended.

1). A green or brown film on metals produced by oxidation over a large period of time. 2). A gloss, sheen, or discoloration that builds up on wood over a long period of time.

Having an appearance resembling mother-of-pearl.

A base or support on which any sculpture or column is mounted.

An instrument used for writing or drawing with ink.

A type of dip pen, made of bamboo, with a nib cut directly into the shank.

All pens need to be cleaned regularly to avoid ink drying preventing its ability to work.

A pen made from the wing feather of a crow with a nib cut directly into the feather's shaft. Because a feather is hollow, this worked particularly well, as ink flowed into the hollow shaft, becoming a reservoir, via capillary action.

A pen, stick or other nib-like apparatus that has no permanent reservoir. The pen must be dipped in ink consisently in order to create consistent strokes.

Specialized instruments with varying nib widths, used by an engineer or architect to make lines of constant width.

A tool composed of any marking material encased in wood and plastic.

An series of machines or blades that are used to sharpen to a point the lead of a pencil.

A pencil with a blue core that is used for laying out or sketching drawings, to which the photography process is not sensitive. Lines drawn with this pencil will not exist in reproduction.

The state or quality of lasting over time.

Is the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spacial attributes and the position of the eye relative to the objects.

A grey alloy of tin, copper and antimony used for making utensils and other tableware.

The measure of the acidic or basic qualities of a substance. Rated on a scale of 1-14 where 1=highly acidic, 7=neutral, and 14=highly basic. At either extreme, an acid or basic substance will have damaging effects on artwork over time.

A substance that when exposed to radiation emits a visible light. Phosphor is a major component in flourescent lights and cathode ray tubes used in televisions.

A picture that uses multiple photographic images to compose one, whole image.

Detailed and unidealized representation in art, that appears exactly as though it would if it were taken by camera.

A collection of paints with a bias towards blue or green that is an intense, transparent staining color valued for it's permanence.

The material that accounts for the color of your paints. Pigments are obtained by either syntheis or organically.

A tiny hole.

A soft mixture of lime, sand or cement and water and used to form a smooth, hard surface when dried.

A mixture of water and gypsum which is quick setting and used for smoothing surfaces or making cast sculptures.

Made in the same way other prints are made, a plaster print is made by pouring Plaster of Paris over an inked plate. When the plaster hardens, the ink is absorbed by the plaster and the print is made.

1). A finish that is very smooth with a very small to no tooth. 2). A metal surface used to transfer ink in prinkmaking.

A smooth surface finish with a very small to no tooth.

In printmaking, the area on which the plate rests (the area containing the artwork) is moved to a different plane than the original sheet, creating a large indention or a plate mark.

From the french "En Plain Air" meaning "in open air", this expression is used to describe the act of painting in the outdoors.

An acrylic glass, used in art for framing.

One single layer in any material that is laminated.

A strong wooden board constructed from several layers off wood being glued and pressed.

From the french word, "pocket" -- A small box that holds the supplies of an artist and may function as an easel.

A technique of the Neo-Impressionist movement where small dots of pure color were used to create a whole painting in a what that blended in the viewers eye.

Anything using any number of different colors.

A substance that consists of many molecules bound together. Polymers are the basis of plastics, acrylics, and resins.

A painting consisting of four or more panels either of one image or a related theme.

Is an art movement that emerged in the 1950's in Britain that challenged tradition, removing material (usually items from popular culture) from it's context for interpretation. Andy Warhol is an example of an artist from this movement.

Also known as poppy oil, poppyseed oil is clear to yellowish in color and is derived from the seeds of the opium poppy plant by pressing without solvent extraction. Yellows over time les than linseed oil and is used in some whites where yellowing is noticeable. However, poppyseed oil is an inferior binder to paints than is linseed oil.

A ceramic material made by heating clay. Fantastic for painting palettes because of its resistence to stain.

The most common type of cement used around the world and is the basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco and grout.

A painting, drawing or photograph of a person, especially of their head, neck and shoulders.

The space containing the subject and it's details. The space surrounding the subject is called the positve space.

In 1910, Roger Fry, coined this term to describe the development of art since Manet, where Impressionists became more inclined to distort reality to create an expressive effect.

A large printed picture.

Inexpensive paint that is water-based.

A tool used by potters that consist of a motor, a wheel, a table and a pan. Clay is centered in the wheel and shaped as the wheel spins. Used to create symmetric pots.

Pots, dishes and other articles made of earthenware and baked clay.

A unit of weight, in art, that specifies the weight of a particular kind of paper based on its ream weight in pounds.

Paint that is literally poured out of a container onto a surface for an artistic purpose.

Chaulk that is used in paints, especially gouache, a filler or to make opaque.

A color belonging to a set of colors that are useful, together, to create a wide range of other colors. In painting: Red, Blue and Yellow are primary colors. In lighting: Red, Green and Blue are primary colors because togther they make white light.

To prepare for painting, by way of gesso or other priming medium.

Also known as Naïve Art, describes a wide range of art that reflects craft traditions & social values, produced by artists who are self taught or have little or no academic artistic training. Grandma Moses is an example of a Primitive artist.

A copy or reproduction of an original.

A mechanical device used for applying pressure to an inked surface upon a paper or cloth to transfer the image.

A term used to deliniate between the highest quality of art materials from other forms.

Any device that is used to display, by means of light rays, an object or picture onto another surface.

A test copy, used to make corrections before a final printing.

The events at the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the early Renaissance, characterized by an incorporation of the classic forms developed in Rome and Greece.

A light and porous volcanic rock that is hard and light and used for abrasion or ground for pastel ground.

A strong glue made from animal parts, that is an ingredient in True Gesso and sizing for papers.

Paper made up of 100% Cotton.

1). The quality of fact when representing a person or a thing. 2). An artistic movement in France in the 1850's, which is characterized by artwork that is undistored by personal bias and a revolution against exaggeration and expressive effects.

500 Sheets of paper.

Purified or refined by repeated distillation.

A natural hair from derived from the weasel or sable family, used in some of the finest art brushes.

<p>A standard finish for most drawing papers, featuring a slight texture.</p>

A method of sculpting, molding or carving in which the design stands out from the surface. The degree at which the artwork protrudes from the surface can be high (high relief) or low (bas-relief).

French for "Rebirth", was a movement that lasted from the 14th through the 17th Century, beginning in Italy and spanning through Europe, distinguished by highly realistic perspective. Notable artists include Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.

An exact copy, of varying size, of the original work.

A copy of an original using mass reproduction techniques.

A sticky organic substance that comes from plants often used in shellac, varnishes, plastics and adhesives.

Any substance used to cover so as to prevent the absorption of paint or other substances into a ground or support.

A device that covers the mouth and nose (and sometimes the entire face) that traps to prevent inhalation harmful or noxious fumes.

The act of making or returning something to its original condition.

An additive that is used to slow the drying process of a paint.

Used to protect a painting that has dried to the touch but is not ready to have a permanent coat applied. This can be used to protect a piece or to.

A shadow cast by reflected light that usually has higher opacity than it's main counterpart. It's also usually in an unusal location given the direction of the light source.

Usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant. However, the term is also used loosely for paper containing hemp, bamboo or mulberry. Rice paper is a term that is used even more broadly as being an oriental paper.

A round brush with long, narrow filaments for detailing, highlighting, lettering and long continous strokes.

An elaborately ornate baroque style of decoration of the 18th century with asymmetrical patterns including motifs and scrollwork.

Artwork, from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gotich style in the 13th century, roughly, characterized by religious motifs, very little depth and flexible figure dimension (so as to fit within columns and other tight frames as well as to relate their importance).

An artistic movement that began in the latter half of the 18th century that stressed strong emotion such as fear, horror and awe. Romanticism was a revolt against the artistocratic norms of the time.

Also known as Greek pitch, is a solid, yet brittle, form of resin from pines and some other conifer plants from which terpentine is distilled.

A style of watercolor paper whose surface has a prominent texture or tooth.

A type of brush with a round ferrule, round body and round tip.

An image created by placing a piece of paper over a textured surface and rubbing with the flat of a stick of graphite, charcoal or other non-encased drawing tool.

A compositional rule which suggests to divide your paper into thirds horizontally and vertically (creating nine equal boxes). Important elements/subjects should be placed along these points of intersection to create compositions with more tension, energy and interest.

A straight edge made of wood, plastic, or metal, marked with uniformly spaced units.

A good grade of ox hair or synthetic hair dyed to resemble sable, but are much less expensive.

An animal of the weasel family whose fur is used to manufacture some of the finest art brushes in the world.

An oil extracted from the Safflower, used in some oil and alkyds.

A mineral used by watercolorists to break the surface tension of water in order to create interesting textures in their work. Different coarses of salt with create different textures.

A type of cast which is produced by forming a mold around an existing part or product with a sand mixture and pouring a molten material into the cavity left after the part is removed.

Is the art of pouring colored sands or powered pigments onto a surface to create a painting.

A cardstock, cardboard or panel that has been coated with a primer mixed with sand for the purpose of drawing in pastel or charcoal.

An abrasive paper that is used for smoothing, polishing surfaces and/or removing unwanted materials from artwork.

The use of humor and exaggeration to expose and criticize behaviors of human beings.

The intensity or purity of a color expressed by the degree at which it differs from white.

Is a material made of white China clay coated with black India ink that is scratched into using sharp tools or anything that can be used to remove the surface ink, creating highly detailed textured artwork.

To write or draw carelessly or hurriedly.

The art of making 2 or 3-dimensional forms by carving, casting or forming.

Rubbing or scrubbing opaque white over an existing dry layer of work in order to create a certain effect, such as atmospheric conditions, dullness or softness.

Any drawing or painting depicting an outdoor scene containing a body of water.

Like fresco, it is painting done on plaster, though it is dry instead of wet.

A color that is the result of mixing two primary colors. Usually, Green (mixture of blue and yellow), Orange (mixture of red and yellow) and violet (mixture of red and blue).

The edge of a piece of fabric that prevents it from unravelling or fraying.

A reddish-brown color associated with photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a pigment prepared from a fluid secreted by the cuttlefish.

A group or set of works of a similar kind or related theme composed by one artist.

A technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another producing soften outlines, generally suggesting smoky or hazy atmospheric conditions.

A technique of cutting or scrapping through a surface layer to reveal a layer beneath.

A darker area or shape produced by a body breaking the coming rays of light.

A case or box with a scene or object(s) that has been designed to allow light to pass to create an appearance of considerable depth.

A thin amber varnish made from lac, that is an excellent barrier against water vapor and penetration.

A thin sheet of transparent plastic that is seals an artwork and is shrinked via a heat gun to provide protection from dust and fingerprints.

A printing technique that involves forcing an ink through a woven mesh supporting an ink blocking stencil.

Mutual enhancement of color intensities results from juxtaposing complementary colors, for example, red and green, both, look much more vivid when placed beside one another.

An airbrush whose trigger pulls a predetermined ratio of paint and air, with no possibility of adjustment.

A technique where sizing objects creates the illusion of depth within a painting by changing the proportion of size of things from background to foreground. In otherwords, similarly sized people will appear smaller as they get farther into the background.

A substance that is applied to a porous material as a glaze or filler. Sizing is used in absorbant products such as paper and canvas to curb their tendency to absorb liquids by capillary action.

An unfinished drawing used as notes for an artist to create a finished picture.

Papers bound together into a book for ease of toting around sketches. Many artists use sketchbooks like a journal to cronicle ideas, problems or other specific notes with regard to their art.

A brand name of Oil paint by Gamblin, that uses the same ingredients as their professional series with different ratios of pigment to binder.

A broad pencil with a oval tip; Also called a carpenter's pencil.

A device used for projecting an image from a photographic slide onto a screen.

Soft pastels have a higher portion of pigment to binder, producing a soft drawing material (follow the Fat-Over-Lean rule).

A liquid used for disolving or thinning other substances.

A technique of rondomly distributing specks or blobs of paint over a surface.

A piece of soft, pourous, absorbent substance originally consisting of the fiberous skeleton of an invertebrate that is used to absorb liquid to product a desired texture in art.

A brush with a fine pointed tip.

Any device that is used to produce a fine mist of liquid.

An inexpensive hair that is floppy, yet brittle. Squirrel hair is a type of brush that encompasses many different animals from squirrel to pony and polecat.

A static, abstract sculpture created by Alexander Calder.

An ingredient added to paint to prevent separation of pigment and binder.

A color that has a chemical or physical reaction with the substrate and cannot be completely removed.

A thick oil created by a reduction of Linseed Oil to be mixed with oils in order to create a durable, consistent film.

An upright stone which has been engraved in some form of relief which was created to commemorate an event. The most promement forms of Stela are gravestones.

An arrangement of inanimate objects with a predetermined lighting arrangement - usually, fruit, tableware or glassware.

Painting or drawing done with small dots rather than strokes.

Wood strips that are intended to form a support to which canvas is attached. Most suppliers include two forms, Standard Strips (3/4" x 1-5/8") and Heavy-Duty (1-1/2" x 2")

A necessity for thinner papers (140lb and below as a general rule) where soaked paper is taped or stapled to a board surface to prevent these lighter papers from warping. Warping is a result of the wetting and drying process. We paper tends to be fully expanded and shrinks as it dries. Stretching your paper will prevent this contraction and maintain an even, flat finished work.

To remove paint or varnish from a work.

An art product that is generally of lesser quality than that of professional or artist-grades. In many cases, Student-quality products have cut costs in some way. In paints for example, fillers are added, pigments ratios are lessened.

A space set aside for the artist to work, usually containing an easel or table. Cheap Joe's recommends having proper ventilation, proper lighting and proper disposal systems in place within your studio. Follow your MDS sheets within your Studio at all times.

Any device used to support a painting within a studio, as opposed to portable easels that are intended for outdoor use.

A preliminary drawing or painting that has a specific focus or investigation of a subject to be applied to a finished work later.

A tightly rolled cylinder of paper with conical ends used to soften or blend marks made with graphite, charcoal, crayon or other pliable material.

A particular manner of doing art that gives an artist distinction.

The optical sensation that describles the illusion of a halo of compimentary colors that surround a single intense hue. For example, around a intense hue of Blue will form a hallow (illusion) of yellow and vice versa.

A type of Japanese ink prepared in solid sticks and used for painting or writing.

A Japanese painting that utilizes Sumi ink.

A thicker, paler Linseed oil due to controlled exposure to sunlight. Can be used as medium or as binder.

A carving or engraving that lies below the surface.

A material that literally "supports" the painting. Typical supports are: Canvas, Paper, Wood, Boards, Masonite, etc.

An attrative property between molecules on the surface of a liquid and those beneath that cause a liquid to pool into the smallest possible surface area, resembling a stretched elastic membrane.

A movement that begane in the early 1920s empasizing the element of surprise in unexpected juxtaposition of objects, the combination of the real and the unreal, the conscious and the unconscious, as a protest against rationalism.

An art movement of the late 19th century using symbolic to express mystical ideas, emotions and states of mind.

An arrangement in which all parts are exactly similar around an axis.

An artist brush whose tuft or hair is made from man-made materials.

A small cabinet with drawers or shelves that rolls around via casters.

The generic name for nylon that has been dyed and used for sythetic brush filaments.

A paper or plastic strip with adhesive on it's surface(s) that is used to fasten something.

A thick, woven fabric depicting a scene or design that is generally hung upon the wall.

A method of painting with pigments dispersed in an emulsion miscible with water, typically egg yolk.

A pigment suspended in an egg yolk binder.

A characteristic of a color to be warm or cool.

Something that serves as a pattern or model.

A color made by mixing one primary color with one secondary color.

A medium that changes a paints texture, such as sand or other that creates a grainy effect.

The process of using various techniques to create texture or the appearance of texture within an artwork.

Any fluid used to decrease the viscosity of another fluid. Oil based fluids should be thinned with turpentine or turpenoid, while watercolors and acrylics can be thinned with water.

A perspective that exists where in addition to the two points of perspective at eye level, there exists a vanishing point above or below eye level. For example, if you're looking at a very tall building from one corner, each wall will have a vanishing point. In addition to this vanishing point, a third will exist looking up.

A very small sketch, intended for study.

A shade or variety of a color as white is added.

The ability of one color to affect other colors when those colors are mixed.

Highly Decorative painted, enameled or lacquered tin and other metal domestic objects, such as coffee pots, utensils and cups.

A measure of the quality of a colors brightness, deepness or tint.

A degree of roughness of a substrate. Tooth is important depending on your medium. Painting in Watercolor, Oils, Acrylics and Pastels requires a certain amount of tooth for the paint to adhere.

A tightly rolled cylinder of paper, usually smaller than a stump, with at least one conical end used to soften or blend marks made with graphite, charcoal, crayon or other pliable material.

Poisonous. There are some art materials that contain toxic materials, please check our listing of MSDS sheets to determine proper storage, use and disposal of these materials.

A transluscent paper used to copy from originals or to study the effects of changes to a work.

To copy or move a drawing or part of a drawing to another substrate.

An object that is capable of allowing light and small amounts of detail through.

A color through which you can see the layers of paint below.

A work of art done one three separate panes that are intended to be viewed together.

A drawing technique using three colors of chalk -- sanguine, black and white on a mid-tone paper.

A device whose purpose is to squeeze or remove all paint from a tube.

A brand name of odorless solvent that is petroleum-based and used as a substitute for turpentine.

A solvent for oil paints, obtained by the distillation of resin from trees.

A short for Turpentines.

Perspective that exists where two points of perspective exist at eye level - two sets of parallel lines meet at two different vanishing points. Imagine a house from the corner. Each wall or side of the house will have a different vanishing point.

Also known as UV, an invisible form of light whose rays are damaging to art materials, causing deterioration, yellowing and/or fading.

The initial layer of paint applied to a ground which serves as a base for all other layers that helps define color values and shapes for later layers.

A principle of consistency that must be met in order for an artwork to be successful.

Ultraviolet Light: An invisible form of light whose rays are damaging to art materials, causing deterioration, yellowing and/or fading.

Is a measure of where a particular color lies on the scale as white and black are added.

A preliminary painting or drawing done as either a study or an underpainting as a means of "note-taking" to establish the changes in value through a picture.

A point on the horizon to which all parallel lines recede in perspective to create depth.

A liquid resin that is applied to a work and when dry creates a hard, durable, protective surface.

A substance that facilitates the use of something else; a binder becomes a vehicle to lay pigment into a painting. A painting becomes a vehicle to convey an idea.

A smooth, durable paper used for writing or printing. Most vellums today are made to resemble parchment or stretched calfskin.

A thin decorative coating of material that is glued to another material usually to reduce cost.

Any device that is used to frame a view or scene in which to paint or photograph.

A picture that fades towards it's edges, specifically in it's corners, giving no definite border.

Created when a thin short stick of viney branch is burned into soft, medium and hard consistencies.

Warm colors are often said to be the hues from yellow to red. The determination of a color's temperature is relative, meaning that it depends on the comparison to other colors. Cool colors to calm and relax their viewers.

To cause or become twisted out of shape of an object that needs to be flat. The drying process is usually cause for warping of paper and canvas, causing the need for stretching.

A painting technique in which a diluted paint is applied lightly over a large area.

Oil paint that is specifically formulated to be soluble in water. This relatively new media is become popular among oil lovers who are trouble with the fumes and cleanup of traditional oil paints.

1). A painting method; genre. Watercolor became widespread during the Renaissance (15th and 16th Centuries), believe to be brought to popularity by Albrecht Dürer, a famous German botanical, wildlife and landscape artist. It is also the prefered medium of "Cheap" Joe Miller. 2). Paint that is suspended in a watersoluble vehile or binder such as glycerine and gum arabic.

A travel friendly stack of watercolor paper that is glued on all four edges to prevent warping. Look around the edges of your watercolor block and you'll find an area that has been left unglued. This area is to remove each paper.

1). A watercolor paper that has been glued to a stiff substrate, such as wood. 2). A paper suitable for watercolor paper that has been formed using compressed plies of paper. 3). A watercolor ground that has been applied to a stiff substrate.

Paint that is suspended in a watersoluble vehile or binder such as glycerine and gum arabic. Watercolors come in liquid form, wet, soft form and dry, cake form. Joe's recommends any of these to artists but insists that each cake be sprayed with a mister and allowed to reactivate to be content with how watercolor cakes behave.

Paper developed specifically for watercolorists. Watercolor paper comes in many different styles: Hand-made, Mould-made, and machine made, with various surfaces: Hot Pressed, Cold-Pressed and Rough, and weights: 400lb, 300lb, 260lb, 140lb, 90lb and 80lb. Handmade papers are considered to be the best as the "grain" is generally more random and durable and provide a better painting experience -- Cheap Joe's offers Twin Rocker. Mould-made paper are considered imitations of hand-made papers in that the "grain" is random and still a good painting experience, though less expensive -- Cheap Joe's offers Kilimanjaro, Arches, Fabriano, Saunders-Waterford, Lanaquarelle and Strathmore. Machine-made papers have a definite "grain" and are generally less durability -- these papers are good for studies and sketches.

A rod of hardened watercolor encased in wood.

A paint which uses water as an ingredient and is soluble in water. Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache, Casein & Tempera are examples of Watermedia.

A white haze that forms upon the lead of a colored pencil.

A pastel that has a waxy texture or uses wax as a binder.

A painting technique in which paint is applied to a wet surface. Soak your watercolor paper in a bathtub or generously with a waterfilled brush before painting. You just might love the effects.

A medium that makes a paint more susceptible to a painter's brush strokes. Wetting agents usually release the surface tension of a liquid and allow it to be more freely moved.

The pigment used in Flake White, Lead White and Cremintz White.

Created when a thin short stick of willow branch is burned into soft, medium and hard consistencies.

Any wood plane, block or board that is used as a painting support.

A wet mixture of wood fibers and water, that is used to make paper.

A print made from an engraving done on a wood block.

A brand name of knife that is used for detailed cutting.

A contraction of you and all generally thought to be an evolution of English is the southern states, but has become increasing more popular in texting and internet uses for convenience. Joe says Y'all a lot.

A white whose pigment is zinc oxide.