Art Glossary

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Welcome to Cheap Joe's Art Glossary! A quick A to Z reference of art terms, definitions, and techniques. Here you'll find definitions for thousands of fine art terms commonly used in the world of visual arts and in association with artist supplies and materials.

Please click a term to view the definition.
Abstract
Abstract Art
Abstract Expressionism
Accident
Acetate
Achromatic
Acid-Free
Acrylic
Acrylic Gesso
Acrylic Medium
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic Varnish
Aerial Perspective
Aestheticsm
Airbrush
Alabaster
Alizarin
Alkyd Paint
Alla Prima Painting
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
Analogous Colors
Anamorphism
Animal Glue or Protein Glue
Animal-Free Products
Antique
Applique'
Aquarelle
Archaic
Archival
Art Deco
Art Nouveau
Artist-Quality
Artistic License
Arts and Crafts Movement
Asphaltum
Asymmetry
Atelier
Atomization
Atomizer
Avant-Garde

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Background
Backlighting
Backwash
Badger Hair
Baroque
Bas-Relief
Bauhaus
Biedermeier Style
Binder
Bleed-Proof Paper
Bleeding
Blender
Blending
Bloom
Blotting Paper
Bracing
Brayer
Bridge
Bright
Bristle
Bristol Paper or Bristol Board
Brush Head
Brush Heel
Brush Maintenance
Brush Pen
Brush Reshaping
Brush Soap
Buckling
Buffer
Bull Dog Clip
Bumper
Burnisher
Byzantine Art and Architecture

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Cake Watercolor
Calligraphy
Canvas
Canvas Board
Canvas Stretching Pliers
Canvas, Priming
Carbon Black
Carbon Pencil
Cardboard
Caricature
Carrageenan
Cartoon
Casein Glue
Casein Paint
Casting
Chalk
Chamois
Charcoal
Charcoal Pencil
Charcoal Stick
Charcoal, Compressed
Charcoal, Paper
Charcoal, Vine
Charcoal, White
Cheap
Cheap Joe's Art Stuff
Chiaroscuro
China Marker
Chinese White
Chipboard
Chroma
Cityscape
Classicism
Clay
Clayboard
Cliché-Verre
Cloisonne
Cockling
Cold-Press Linseed Oil
Cold-Press Paper
Collage
Color Shaper
Color Triangle
Color Wheel
Colored Pencil
Commission, Art
Compass
Complementary Colors
Composition
Conceptual Art
Constructivism
Conte' crayon
Conventionalization
Cool Color
Copying
Cotton
Cracking
Cradling or Bracing
Crayon
Cropping
Crosshatching
Cubism
Cuneiform
Cylinder Machine
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Dada
Dado
Daylight-Simulation Bulbs
Deckle
Decoupage
Design
Design Elements
Design Principles
Designers' Gouache
Dichroism
Diluent
Diorama
Dip Pen
Diptych
Direct Painting
Distilled Water
Double Shadows
Double-action Airbrush
Drafting Tape
Drawing
Drawing Bridge
Drawing Through
Dry Mounting
Dry Painting Technique
Dry Watercolor Technique
Dry-Mounting Adhesive
Dry-Mounting Release Paper
Dry-Mounting Tissue
Drybrush
Dye
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Earth Color
Easel
Easel Painting
Efflorescence
Egg Tempera
Egg-oil Emulsion
Embossing
Emulsion
Enamel
Enamel Paint
Encaustic Painting
Eraser
Erasing Shield
Etching
Etching Needle
Expressionism
Extender
Eye Level
Eyedropper
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Fading
Fan Blender
Fat-over-lean-rule
Ferrule
Filbert
Film, Dry-Mounting
Fine Art
Finger Blending
Fixative
Flag
Flake White
Flat
Flat Painting
Flax
Flocculation
Flow Enhancer
Flung Paint
Fluorescent Paint
Flux
Foamboard or Form Board
Focal Plane
Focal Point
Foil
Folk Art
Foreground
Form
Found Object
Fountain Pen
Fourdrinier Machine
Frame Spacer
Framer's Points
Framer's Tape
Framing
French Easel
Fresco
Frisket
Fritch Scrubber
Frottage
Fugitive Color
Futurism
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Gatorboard
Gel Medium
Geltain
Genre Painting
Gesso, Acrylic
Gesso, True
Gesture Drawing
Giclee
Glass, Framer's
Glaze
Glaze Medium
Gloss Finish
Glycerin
Gm/m2 or Gsm
Goat Hair
Gold Leaf
Gothic Style
Gouache
Gouache, Acrylic
Graded Wash
Graffito
Granulation
Granulation Medium
Graphic Art
Graphite
Graphite Pencil
Graphite, Powdered
Grattage
Grease Pencil
Ground
Gsm
Gum Arabic
Gypsum
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Hake
Half-pan Watercolor
Handmade Paper
Hard Pastel
Hatching
Health Hazards
Health Label
Hellenistic Period
Hemp
Hieroglyph
High Finish
High Relief
High Value
Hog Bristle
Horizon
Hot-press Linseed Oil
Hot-press Paper
Hue
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Icon
Illumination
Illusionism
Illustration
Illustration Board
Impasto
Impressionism
Incidence, Angle of
India Ink
Ink
Ink, Waterproof
Interference Paint
Iridescent Paint
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Jute
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Kinetic Art
Kitsch
Kneaded Eraser
Knife, Craft
Knife, Mat
Knife, Painting
Knife, Palette
Knife, Utility
Kolinsky
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Lacquer
Lake
Lamp black
Landscape
Latex
Layering
Lead
Lead Pencil
Lean
Licensing
Lifting
Light, Fluorescent
Light, Incandescent
Lightfastness
Lignin
Linear Perspective
Linen
Liner
Linoleum Cut
Linseed Oil
Liquin
Lithograph
Lithograph, Offset
Local Color
Loose
Low Value
Lucite
Luminism
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Machine-made Paper
Mahlstick
Manikin
Maquette
Mark
Marker Pen
Masking
Masking Fluid
Masking Tape
Masonite
Mastic Varnish
Mat (Mount)
Mat Board
Mat Cutter
Mat Knife
Matte Finish
Medium
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
Meglip
Melamine Board
Middle Ground
Midtone
Mill-Strength
Mineral Spirits
Miniature
Miscible
Mixed Media
Model
Modeling
Modeling Paste or Molding Paste
Modern Art
Monochrome
Monoprint
Monotype
Montage
Mood
Mop
Mordant
Mortar and Pestle
Mosaic
Motif
Mouldmade Paper
Mouth Diffuser
Muddy Color
Muller
Mural
Museum Board
Museum Quality
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Naïve Art
Naturalism
Negative Painting
Negative Space
Neo-Impressionism
Neoplasticism
Newsprint
Nib
Not-pressed Paper
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Oblique Perspective
Odorless Thinner
Oil Medium
Oil Paint
Oil Pastel
Oil Stick
One-point Perspective
Op Art
Opaque Color
Opaque Projector
Optical Art
Oriental Ink
Origami
Original Print
Ox Gall
Ox Hair
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Paint
Paint Rag
Painterly
Painting Knife
Palette
Palette Cup
Palette Knife
Palette, Disposable
Palette, Wet
Pan Watercolor
Panel
Panorama
Paper
Paper Grain
Paper, Synthetic
Papier Dechire
Papier-Mache'
Papyrus
Parallel Perspective
Parchment
Parquetry
Particle Board
Paste
Pasteboard
Pastel
Pastel Board
Pastel Dust
Pastel Paper
Pastel Pencil
Pastel Shade
Pastel, Hard
Pastel, Soft
Patina
Pearlescent Color
Pedestal
Pen
Pen, Bamboo
Pen, Cleaning
Pen, Crow Quill
Pen, Dip
Pen, Technical
Pencil
Pencil Sharpener
Pencil, Nonphoto Blue
Permanence
Perspective
Pewter
pH
Phosphor
Photomontage
Photorealism
Phthalocyanine
Pigment
Pinhole
Plaster
Plaster of Paris
Plaster Print
Plate
Plate Finish
Plate Mark
Plein Air Painting
Plexiglas
Ply
Plywood
Pochade Box
Pointillism
Polychrome
Polymer
Polyptych
Pop Art
Poppyseed Oil
Porcelain
Portland Cerment
Portrait
Positive Space
Post-Impressionism
Poster
Poster Paint
Potter's Wheel
Pottery
Pound
Poured Paint
Precipitated Chalk
Primary Color
Priming
Primitive Art
Print
Printing Press
Professional Grade
Projector
Proof
Proto-Renaissance
Pumice
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Quill
Quinacridone
Quire
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Rabbitskin Glue
Rag or Rag Paper
Realism
Ream
Rectified
Red Sable
Regular Finish
Relief
Renaissance
Replica
Reproduction
Resin
Resist
Respirator
Restoration
Retarding Medium
Retouch Varnish
Reverse Shadow
Rice Paper
Rigger
Rococo
Romanesque
Romanticism
Rosin
Rough
Round
Rubbing
Rule of thirds
Ruler
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Sabeline
Sable
Safflower Oil
Salt
Sand Casting
Sand Painting
Sanded Board
Sandpaper
Satire
Saturation, Color
Scratchboard
Scribbling
Sculpture
Scumbling
Seascape
Secco
Secondary Color
Selvage
Sepia
Series
Sfumato
Sgraffito
Shadow
Shadow Box
Shellac
Shrink-wrap
Silkscreen Print
Simultaneous Contrast, Law of
Single-action Airbrush
Size and Space Variation
Size or Sizing
Sketch
Sketchbook
Sketching Oil
Sketching Pencil
Slide Projector
Soft Pastel
Solvent
Spattering
Sponge
Spotter
Sprayer
Squirrel Hair
Stabile
Stabilizer
Staining Color
Stand Oil
Stele or Stela
Still Life
Stippling
Stretcher Bars or Stretcher Strips
Stretching Paper
Stripping
Student-quality or Student-grade
Studio
Studio Easel
Study
Stump
Style
Successive Contrast, Law of
Sumi
Sumi-e
Sun-thickened Linseed Oil
Sunken Relief
Support
Surface Tension
Surrealism
Symbolism
Symmetry
Synthetic Brush
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Taboret or Tabouret
Taklon
Tape
Tapestry
Tempera
Tempera Paint
Temperature, Color
Template
Tertiary Color
Texture Medium
Texturing
Thinner
Three-point Perspective
Thumbnail Sketch
Tint
Tinting Strength
Tole
Tone
Tooth
Tortillon or Tortillion
Toxic
Tracing Paper
Transfer
Translucent
Transparent Color
Triptych
Trois Crayons Technique
Tube Wringer
Turpenoid
Turpentine
Turps
Two-point Perspective
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Ultraviolet Light
Underpainting
Unity
UV
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Value
Value Sketch
Vanishing Point
Varnish
Vehicle
Vellum
Veneer
Viewfinder
Vignette
Vine Charcoal
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Warm Color
Warping
Wash
Water-miscible Oil Paint
Watercolor
Watercolor Block
Watercolor Board
Watercolor Paint
Watercolor Paper
Watercolor Pencil
Watermedia
Wax Bloom
Wax Pastel
Wet-in-wet
Wetting Agent
White Lead
Willow Charcoal
Wood Panel
Wood Pulp
Woodcut
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X-Acto Knife
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Y'all
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