Art Glossary

Cyanotype is a photographic technique that creates images in shades of blue, commonly known as blueprints. It involves coating a surface with a mixture of two chemicals, typically ferric ammonium (...) read more

Digital print on paper refers to a digital image printed with archival-grade inks on high-quality, acid-free paper. This process ensures the print can last over twenty years if properly stored. The (...) read more

Digital print on canvas is a technology used to create fine art prints by reproducing digital photographs or artwork on canvas. The digital images are sent to professional printers that accurately (...) read more

Drypoint is an intaglio printmaking technique where an image is incised onto a plate using a sharp, pointed tool, typically a needle made of metal or diamond. Traditionally, copper plates were used, (...) read more

Décollage is an art technique involving the removal, cutting, or tearing away of parts of an original image. The term comes from the French word meaning to take off or to unstick. Artists use this (...) read more

India ink is a medium made from fine soot, known as lampblack, combined with water and a binder, usually shellac, to create a black, waterproof ink. It has been used in India since the 4th century (...) read more

Embossing is a technique used to create raised designs or images on a surface, typically paper. Artists achieve this effect by altering the shape of the paper, often by pressing it from the reverse (...) read more

Engraving is a printmaking technique where a metal plate or surface is directly cut using a sharp engraving tool called a burin. The tool creates deep lines or grooves, which are then filled with (...) read more

Etching is a technique where a design is created on a metal surface by using a strong acid or mordant to eat away the unprotected parts of the metal, leaving the desired pattern in relief (intaglio). (...) read more

Etching and aquatint are printmaking techniques. In aquatint, the printing plate is etched with a pattern of tiny pits and cracks to create a wide range of tonal gradations. This technique allows (...) read more

Found objects (or objet trouvé in French) are everyday items that an artist finds and incorporates into a work of art. While collectors have displayed aesthetically pleasing objects for centuries, (...) read more

A silver gelatin print is a type of photographic print made using the silver process. In this process, photographic materials such as black and white films and printing papers are coated with a (...) read more

Giclée printing is a digital technique for reproducing artwork using a high-resolution digital file and an inkjet printer with archival-quality inks. This process produces prints with exceptional (...) read more

Glass is a transparent solid that varies in composition depending on the type. Artists use different types of glass to create art forms such as stained glass, blown glass, and various decorated (...) read more

Gouache is an opaque watercolor paint that allows artists to layer from light to dark. Unlike traditional transparent watercolors, gouache is used for creating solid, vibrant colors. It belongs to (...) read more

Graphite is a form of carbon commonly used as the core material in pencils. It can be compressed to various levels of hardness, allowing for different shading effects in drawing. In powdered form, (...) read more

Ink is a colored liquid or paste used for writing, drawing, painting, and printing. The term also refers to the process of applying ink to mark, cover, stain, draw, or trace over pencil lines. Ink (...) read more

An inkjet printer creates prints by spraying millions of tiny ink droplets onto paper. This type of printing is generally inexpensive because the ink is relatively affordable. Artists can use (...) read more

Installation art is a three-dimensional artistic genre that involves site-specific works designed to alter the viewer's perception of space. These works are typically created for interior spaces, (...) read more

Intaglio is a printmaking technique where a design is incised below the surface of a metal or stone plate. Ink is applied to the plate, filling the incised lines or depressions, while the surface is (...) read more

A Lambda print is produced using a Lambda laser printer, a technology developed by the Durst company. The Durst Lambda was one of the first printers to use digital laser technology to create (...) read more

A laser print is created by using red, blue, and green lasers to expose photographic silver halide paper. After exposure, the paper is processed with photographic chemicals to produce an (...) read more

Linocut is a printmaking technique similar to woodcut, where a sheet of linoleum is used as the relief surface. The design is carved into the linoleum using a V-shaped gouge or chisel, creating (...) read more

Lithography is a printing method based on the principle that water and oil do not mix. It can be used to print artwork or text onto paper or other suitable materials. Traditionally, an image was (...) read more