Chapter 7

Alla Prima

"All in one go" less fussy and more spontaneous approach that may work in opaque colors

Fresco Secco

"dry fresco" Italian technique for dry plaster

Buon Fresco

"true fresco" paint made of pigment and water and applied to wet lime plaster

Medium or Vehicle

A liquid that holds the particles of pigment together without dissolving in them

Acrylic or Polymer paints

A material that is made from a chemical process and that is used for making many different products. Strong, weatherproof, industrial paints using a vehicle of synthetic plastic resins

Gesso

A mixture of white pigment and glue that scales the wood and can be sanded and rubbed to a smooth ivory-like finish

Ground or Primer

A preliminary coating

Collage

A work of art that is made by attaching pieces of different materials

Transparent

Able to be seen through

Tempera

Aqueous medium and dry's to a tough insoluble film

Gum Arabic

Sticky plant substance that acts as a binder

Support

Surface on which the artist works

Tesserae

Closely spaced particles

Sumptuous Images

Monumental: 2D 1) Mosaic 2) Tapestry

Grisaille

Decoration in tones of a single color and especially gray designed to produce a three-dimensional effect

Non-Aqueous

Diluted with turpentine or mineral spirits Ex: Oil Paint

Opaque

Doesn't let light through: not transparent

Easel Paintings

Easel- a portable stand that props a painting-in-progress up vertically so that the artist can work facing it

Binder

Ingredient that ensures that the paint, even when diluted and spread thinly, will adhere to the surface.

Mosaic

Made up of small, closely spaced particles, embedded in a binder such as mortar of cement Sturdy enough to stand up to elements and can be used for floors and outdoor surfaces

Aqueous

Paste-like and needs dilution of water to be brushed freely Ex: Watercolors

Oil Paint

Pigment compounded with oil (linseed oil)

Watercolor

Pigment in a vehicle of water and gum Arabic. Applied thinly in translucent washes

Encaustic

Pigment mixed with wax and resin (heated) "Burning in"

Impasto

Piling paint in a thick texture

Glazes

Thin veils of translucent color applied over a layer of opaque paint

Cartoon

Work guided by a full size drawing of the entire project

Gouache

Watercolor with inert white pigment added