Thursday, 8 October 2015

11 Painting Terms Explained


Background - The background of a painting is the area that appears to be the furthest away from the viewer. This part of the painting isn't usually the focus of the painting and is there to add more substance to the work.

Binder - This refers to the part of paint that holds the pigment together and helps it stick to the support. The binder helps to add consistency and cohesion to paint.

Drier - A drier is added to slow-drying paints, mainly oils, in order to make them dry more quickly. Many artists use these as oils are particularly slow to dry.

Ground - A ground is a thin layer of paint which can be applied to a support to make it more ready to accept paint. Grounds can be any colour, though whites and creamy colours tend to be the most popular colours used in this way.

Medium - A medium is whatever substance you add to paint to change its properties. You can add substances to change paint's consistency, working properties, ability to mix with other paints, drying time and more. This term can also refer to the substances an artist uses for their painting.

Palette - The word 'palette' can mean two things. Firstly, it can mean the wooden or plastic board that an artist uses to keep paint on and mix it while working on a painting. Secondly, it can refer to the range of colours an artist uses for a painting.

Pigment - The pigment is what produces the colour of paint. Pigments are usually ground into a fine powder and mixed with a fluid, such as water or oil, to become paint.

Subject matter - The subject matter of a painting is simply whatever it depicts. It is the focus of the work and the part of the painting that usually has the most meaning and significance.

Support - The support is simply whatever the paint is applied to. Supports are usually canvases, though many artists choose to apply their paint to different surfaces, such as wood panels and paper.

Underpainting - Different from a ground, an underpainting is the first layer of an oil painting. It's used as a sort of base for the painting and is usually done in a single, dull colour.

Varnish - A varnish is a substance that is applied to a painting as the final layer once it's complete. The role of varnish is to protect it from dirt and dust.

Joanne Perkins is a Berkshire-based artist with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. She specialises in painting Berkshire landscapes and loves capturing the natural beauty of her local countryside. She is happy to accept all queries and questions. For more information about Joanne, her work and her current projects visit: http://joannesberkshirescenes.com/default.aspx Joanne can be found on Facebook


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