Sitka Art Invitational

Terms of Art

A Brief Glossary of Techniques and Mediums

acrylic painting:

Acrylic paints use the same pigments as used in oil paint. Pigments are dispersed in an acrylic emulsion that can be thinned with water, but that will dry to a tough flexible film impervious to water. Many different effects can be achieved by mixing acrylic paint with different mediums, and acrylic paint is non-toxic and doesn’t require volatile solvents. Acrylic colors are extremely versatile and can be used to approximate all the effects of water media and are the only paints, other than oil, flexible enough to be applied to canvas.

alkyd resin:

Alkyd is the contemporary version of a polymerized oil. It is made from oil but dries like a resin by solvent evaporation.

aquatint:

An aquatint print is created by etching sections, rather than lines, of a plate in order to create areas of uniform tone. Aquatint is prepared by applying resin or a similar ground to a metal plate, which is then heated. Heat makes the ground adhere to the metal. This gives a roughness or grain to the plate which adds texture to the image. The plate is then immersed in an acid bath, which “bites” or etches the plate and creates areas which will hold the ink in the printing process. The final design is created with gradations of tone achieved through repeated acid baths combined with varnish used to “stop out” areas of lighter tone. (See also, etching.)

Chine collé:

A method that uses glue during the printing process in order to adhere a thin sheet of paper to a heavier sheet. The fragile paper can take a finer impression than the more substantial paper beneath. Chine collé is often used for purely aesthetic purposes—for the visual qualities of the collé paper, rather than its ability to reproduce impressions.

collage:

A technique of making areas of paper, cardboard, fabrics, etc., adhere to a flat surface as elements of a design or picture. Collage as a serious art form began in the revolutionary art movements of the early twentieth century but has become a standard artists’ technique used either by itself or with other painting techniques.

drypoint:

An intaglio printing process in which burrs are left on the plate by the pointed needle (or “pencil”) that directly inscribes the lines. The resulting engraving has a soft, fuzzy lines because of the metal burrs. (See also, intaglio.)

earthenware:

The various kinds of earthenware clay fire at comparatively low temperatures. Fired earthenware is usually red brown color, and more fragile and porous than other kinds of clay.

edition:

An edition of a print includes all the impressions published at the same time or as part of the same publishing event. A limited edition print is one in which a limit is placed on the number of impressions pulled in order to create a scarcity of the print. Limited editions are usually numbered and are often signed.

encaustic:

In encaustic or hot wax painting, dry pigments are mixed with molten white refined beeswax and resin. Different effects are obtained by manipulating the wax mechanically with brush or knife, by heating and cooling the surface, and with a final burning to set the surface.

engraving:

An engraving (also called a line engraving) is made by incising a design into a metal plate by applying pressure to the plate with a pointed tool called a graver or burin.

etching:

An etching (also called a line etching) is created by covering a metal plate with an acid-resistant layer of wax called a ground, and then drawing a design through the ground using an etching needle. The plate is then dipped in acid, which “bites” into the exposed lines, thus etching the design into the plate. After dipping the plate in acid, sections of the design can be “stopped out” with varnish (covered to prohibit further acid biting) and the plate immersed in the acid again.

fresco:

Painting on a wet, freshly prepared lime-plaster wall with pigments ground in water. The pigment becomes bound with the wall rather than resting as a layer on the surface.

gesso:

Gesso is a plaster or gypsum material mixed with an animal-hide glue and used as a ground for painting. Gesso is usually applied to the surface of a wood panel or sculpture to become the surface on which an artist paints. Gesso was used by Gothic and Renaissance panel painters and is still used today.

gouache:

Opaque watercolor. Gouache paint often has an appreciable thickness which creates the appearance of an actual paint layer (unlike transparent watercolor). A gouache or opaque effect can also be achieved with other water-based paints. (See also, watercolor.)

ground :

Ground is a surface to which paint is applied, or the material used to create that surface. A painting’s ground is usually specially prepared on its support. Traditionally, for oil paint on canvas, a ground of oil and white pigment is used. On wood surfaces, ground is either an oil ground or gesso.

intaglio :

An intaglio print is one in which the image is printed from a recessed design incised or etched into the surface of a plate. In this type of print the ink lies below the surface of the plate and is transferred to the paper under pressure.

letterpress :

The relief method is the basis of letterpress printing. The most distinctive quality of letterpress printing, by which one can usually distinguish it from offset printing,
is that the printed image (whether type or illustration) is actually impressed into the paper through the pressure of the press.

lithograph :

A lithograph is created by drawing an image onto a stone (litho-graphy = stone-drawing) or metal plate using a grease crayon or a greasy ink called tusche. The process is based on the principle that grease and water do not mix. To create a lithograph, the stone or metal plate is washed first with water and then with ink. The water is repelled by the crayon, while the ink is absorbed by it.

mezzotint :

Mezzotint can be thought of as the inverse of the other intaglio processes. A mezzotint design is created working from black to white, rather than vice versa. In a mezzotint, the metal plate is worked using a “rocker,” which roughens the entire surface of the plate with tiny holes and burrs. If the plate were printed at this time the image would be completely velvet black. Areas that are to appear in lighter tones or in white are subsequently smoothed out on the surface so that they will hold less ink. (See also, intaglio.)

monoprint :

One print taken from a series of prints where each print in the series has some difference in color, texture, or design applied to the same underlying image. monotype : A one-of-a-kind print made by painting or drawing on a smooth surface—such as glass, metal or stone—and then printing an impression of the painting on paper. The usual monotype is derived from a painting in any medium which doesn’t dry too quickly, such as oil or printing ink, completed on a metal plate or sheet of glass. Dampened paper is placed on the plate and it is put through an etching press to obtain the impression. Accidental effects are common and ordinarily are not prevented as they help ensure the uniqueness of each print.

oil painting :

In oil paint, pigment particles are suspended in vegetable drying oils. Oil painting on canvas has been a standard for artists’ easel painting because of its flexibility, ease of manipulation, and the wide range of effects that can be produced quickly with a direct technique. Artists can combine transparent and opaque effects in the same painting; the colors don’t change as the paint dries; and large paintings can be produced on relatively lightweight canvas. Oil painting media descriptions often include the surface (or ground) on which the painting is executed (e.g., oil, gesso) and the means of support (e.g., textile stretched on wood frame, wood panel).

paint :

Finely divided pigment particles evenly dispersed in a liquid medium with the property of drying to form a continuous film that adheres to the surface it is applied to. pastel : pastel painting, where pigment is molded into sticks with binding medium just sufficient to hold the crayon together, has been practiced for over 250 years. An advantage to pastel painting is the color purity and minimal impact of the binding medium. The disadvantage is the relative fragility of the surface: the painting surface must be protected with glass and/or fixative to prevent the pigment from dusting off.

platinum print :

The platinum print is an alternative monochromatic photographic printing process. It is a contact printing process in that the size of the negative will determine the print size. The paper is hand coated with an emulsion made of iron, platinum, and palladium salts. The negative and coated paper are placed in contact with each other and exposed to ultraviolet light. The image is then developed and the final image is composed of platinum and palladium metals. Platinum prints have warm and subtle tones with an integrity and unity difficult to achieve in conventional black and white silver prints.

Polaroid emulsion transfer :

Polaroid emulsion transfer involves the separation of the transparent emulsion layer from a Polaroid photographic image. The emulsion is then transferred to another surface where it can be manipulated. Images are often transferred to watercolor paper but can be transferred to ceramic, metal, glass, or other surfaces.

Polaroid image transfer :

Polaroid image transfer is an alternative photographic process which crosses the boundaries of painting, print making, and photography. In the process, an image is exposed onto Polaroid film by a camera, slide printer, or enlarger. The film is pulled apart before complete development has occurred, and the dye-laden negative is transferred to another surface, such as watercolor paper. The dyes form an image on this alternative surface. The image can then be manipulated in a variety of ways if desired. Due to the process involved in the transfer, each image that is created is unique.

porcelain :

The highest firing category of ceramic wares, porcelain has a smooth texture, uniform—generally white—color, hard vitreous surface when fired, and the ability to accept fine detail.

raku :

In the raku firing process, the ware, usually stoneware, is placed in a hot kiln until the glaze become molten. It is then removed and cooled very quickly. To withstand the temperature changes without cracking, the objects must be relatively thick-walled.
relief print : A relief print is created from a raised surface on a matrix. The printmaker creates the matrix by cutting away that part which is not to be shown in the printed image. Ink is then applied to the raised surface of the matrix, and the inked matrix is pressed onto a sheet of paper to create the print.

spitbite :

Spitbite is a direct intaglio method of painting the grounded etching plate with a strong acid (rather than placing it in an acid-bath). The term originated with the traditional practice of putting saliva onto the plate to mix with the acid in order to control the dispersal of the fluid over the plate. (See also, intaglio.)

stoneware :

Stoneware clays are usually buff to gray clays that are of interest to potters because they are generally very “plastic,” well suited for throwing on a wheel and hand building, and fire in medium temperature ranges.

tempera :

Tempera painting employs a medium that may be diluted with water but upon drying becomes sufficiently insoluble to allow overpainting with more tempera or with oil and varnish mediums. Tempera paintings are usually executed on rigid panels coated with absorbent gesso and characterized by a brilliant luminous crispness. Materials that have been used as tempera medium include egg yolk, wax, milk, gum, and oil.

watercolor :

Watercolor paint consists of very finely ground pigment particles suspended in a water soluble gum. Watercolor painting technique is based on either an opaque approach where whites and pale tints are achieved with white pigment, or a transparent or glaze system that uses the white of the paper for whites and pale tints.

woodcut :

Woodcut prints entail creating a relief image on a block of wood by cutting away the parts that are not to hold ink. The design is usually drawn directly onto the block and then all other parts are cut away.

References

Ceramics: Nelson, Glenn C., Ceramics, A Potter’s Handbook, Holt, Rinhart and Winston, 1978
Painting: Mayer, Ralph, The Artist’s Handbook of Materials and Techniques, Viking Press, 1982
Printmaking: http://www.philaprintshop.com/whataprt.html
Printmaking: http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/dictiony.htm
Printmaking: http://www.silentpc.com/printglossary.html
Photographic terms: http://www.jbschilling.com/foto.html
General and other art terms: http://www.artlex.com/