Glossary of Art Terms. Questions and answers

Ceramics 43 Works, 15 for sale

Ceramics is an art form that involves creating objects from clay. The clay is shaped, molded, and formed by hand or with specialized tools, then baked (or fired) in a high-temperature oven called a kiln. Decorative colors and special glazes can be ap read more

Image © Alim Yakubov/Shutterstock

Digital Art 12 Works, 7 for sale

Digital art refers to art which is created using digital technology. It can be generated by computer, drawn or scanned with a tablet using a mouse. Video may be downloaded to computers so artists can manipulate images filmed with a video camera.

Image © Alex Perez / Unsplash

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Julian Opie / Yaacov Agam / Gary Hill

Drawing / Watercolor 186 Works, 130 for sale

Drawing and watercolor are two traditional art techniques which stand alone as media, but are often used in conjunction with each other. Drawing can create the basic outlines for watercolor painting. Drawing over dried watercolor or using watercolor read more

Image © Kaizen Nguy?n / Unsplash

Limited Edition Print 6583 Works, 3057 for sale

A limited edition print is one of a number of prints made at the same time from one printmaking plate. A fixed number are made and signed by the artist, indicating the printing order, using the format 1/10, meaning first of ten prints.

Image © Petr Lerch/Shutterstock

Painting 173 Works, 104 for sale

Painting is the process of applying media to a surface, using a tool such as a brush. The term refers to both the action and the resulting object. Artists use many tools to paint, such as brushes, airbrushes, palette knives, sponges or fingers and ha read more

Image © Yannis Papanastasopoulos / Unsplash

Photography 466 Works, 251 for sale

Photography is the process of creating an image on light sensitive materials. The image is produced by using a camera, which has a lens that focuses on light either reflected or emitted from an object. These visible wavelengths are used to reproduce read more

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Sculpture / Object 672 Works, 265 for sale

A sculpture is a three-dimension object made using any one of the basic sculpting processes. These include carving, casting, constructing or modeling. Carving materials may be bone, ivory, stone or wood. Modeling and casting use clay or wax, while co read more

Tapestry 50 Works, 32 for sale

Tapestry is a woven form of textile. It is generally heavy, and the completed work has a decorative pattern, design or realistic depiction of a portrait or real life activities. Tapestries were hung on castle walls and behind thrones as symbols of ro read more

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Acrylic on canvas 18 Works, 8 for sale

Acrylic on canvas is a technique where acrylic paint is applied to a canvas surface using tools like brushes and palette knives. Acrylic paint is a synthetic medium made from liquid plastic, which can be thinned with water and dries quickly when expo read more

Image © Olena Hromova/Shutterstock

Acrylic on paper 28 Works, 14 for sale

Acrylic on paper is a technique that involves using acrylic paints on various paper types and textures. Artists often choose watercolor paper with smooth or rough surfaces to apply acrylics using watercolor techniques such as bleeding, washing, and s read more

Image © LightField Studios/Shutterstock

Acrylic paint 5 Works, 4 for sale

Acrylic paint is a fast-drying paint made from pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. It is water-soluble when wet but becomes water-resistant once dry. Acrylic paints offer unique characteristics that are not easily achieved with other me read more

Image © Martins Vanags/Shutterstock

Related artists

Damien Hirst / Kenneth Noland

Acrylic sculpture 59 Works, 20 for sale

Acrylic sculpture refers to both a process and the resulting object. The artist begins by creating a sculpture from clay, plaster, or epoxy, which is then used to make a flexible mold. Melted acrylic is poured into the mold, and once it cures, the ac read more

Artwork by Alberto Biasi

Airbrush

An airbrush is a device that sprays various media, including paint and ink, using compressed air. Artists use airbrushes to create a smooth, even application of color, often achieving effects that are not possible with traditional brushes. James Rose read more

Image © Ronald Rampsch/Shutterstock

Aquagravure

Aquagravure is a technique that combines multiple processes. It involves compressing wet paper pulp in a carved wood mold until the water drains off. The compressed paper is then painted, and ink is added to the mold to print onto the painted paper. read more

Artwork by Bram Bogart

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Fernandez Arman / Bram Bogart

Aquatint 143 Works, 83 for sale

Intaglio is a printmaking technique where the artist creates marks on a metal plate that hold ink or dye. The inked plate is then pressed onto paper, transferring the ink to the sheet. This process can be repeated multiple times depending on the tech read more

Artwork by Antony Gormley

Archival Print 82 Works, 42 for sale

An archival print refers to a fine art reproduction of museum quality, created using the highest quality materials and methods. These prints are produced on the finest papers and with inks specifically designed to resist color fading over time. Drawi read more

Artwork by Donald Sultan

Assemblage 7 Works, 3 for sale

Assemblage is an artistic process involving the combination of three-dimensional objects to create a work of art. The term, which originates from the French word for assembly, often involves the use of found objects like leaves, stones, discarded ite read more

Artwork by Anthony Caro

Body Print

A body print is an art technique where the artist uses their body as a printing plate. This can be done by smearing grease, margarine, or oil on the skin, hair, and clothes, then pressing the body against a surface like paper. The oiled imprint is th read more

Bronze 59 Works, 27 for sale

Bronze is a metal alloy made primarily of copper and tin, with a typical modern composition of 88% copper and 12% tin. Over time, bronze develops a patina, a surface color that often turns deep green due to oxidation. Large bronze objects, such as sc read more

C-Print 81 Works, 20 for sale

A C-type print, also known as a chromogenic print, is a photographic print made from a color negative or slide. The print is created on chromogenic paper, which contains three emulsion layers, each sensitized to a different primary color. After expos read more

Artwork by Vanessa Beecroft

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is a visual art closely related to writing, involving the creation of decorative lettering or handwriting using a brush or pen. Contemporary calligraphy is the art of giving form to letters and symbols in a harmonious, expressive, and ski read more

Carborundum 9 Works, 3 for sale

Carborundum is the trademark name for silicon carbide crystals, an abrasive material commonly used in sandpaper, cutting tools, and grinding wheels. Originally, artists used carborundum for grinding lithography stones. In collagraph printmaking, it i read more

Cement

Cement refers to a variety of mixtures, typically made from clay, limestone, water, sand, and gravel, which form concrete used in construction. The term to cement also means to join or unite materials. In art, cement can refer to the process of secur read more

Ceramic 55 Works, 21 for sale

Ceramic is a term used to describe objects made from clay or other inorganic materials. These objects can be either decorative or functional and have been created since at least 4,000 B.C. Ceramic art involves making, decorating, and firing these obj read more

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