Acrylic Gesso is a texture-rich primer suitable for both acrylic and oil paintings. Made from a mixture of chalk and pigment bound in a 100% acrylic emulsion binder, it can be sanded down to a desired finish.
Acrylic Ink, a high-fluidity acrylic colour mixed with an acrylic-based vehicle, is permanent, non-clogging and ideal for various techniques such as pen and wash, airbrushing and stamping.
Acrylic Paint is a water-based paint made of acrylic polymer emulsion that dries quickly and is versatile in its range of applications.
Acrylic Painting Paper, typically prepared with an acrylic primer and glue-bound on all sides, provides a lightweight support that prevents buckling during the painting process.
Alla Prima, or the direct painting method, is a painting technique used to complete a painting in one session (involves applying wet paint onto wet paint without waiting for the underlying layers to dry), yielding a fresh and spontaneous effect different from layering.
Binder is a material, typically mixed with pigment, used to form a paint film. In acrylic paints, the binders are typically made of acrylic polymers.
Canvas, a widely used painting surface, is a woven fabric typically made of linen, cotton or both, and stretched over a wooden frame. It provides a durable, versatile and readily available surface suitable for a range of painting techniques.
Canvas Board is a pre-primed canvas stretched onto a rigid board, perfect for painting without the need to stretch or mount the canvas onto a frame. It is versatile and durable, providing the artist with a stable surface.
Canvas Pad is a stack of primed canvas sheets, suitable for sketching, quick studies, or experimentation without the need to commit to a full canvas. They are an economical and convenient option.
Canvas Paper is a paper with a texture that resembles canvas, making it an affordable and lightweight alternative to traditional canvases. It is ideal for studies, sketches, and experiments.
Canvas Panel is a thin, flat board made of cardboard, wood, or masonite with a canvas-like texture glued onto it. It is an affordable and lightweight alternative to stretched canvases, suitable for painting quick studies, practice, and sketching.
Canvas Pliers are a tool used to stretch and staple canvases onto a wooden frame. They provide a tight and even tension across the canvas.
Canvas Sheets are individual sheets of canvas, usually sold in rolls or pads. Artists can apply their preferred primer onto the sheets and either mount them on a frame or use them as paper to paint on. They offer the convenience of working on a canvas surface without the hassle of stretching a canvas or the expense of buying pre-primed ones.
Colour Shapers are flexible silicone-tipped tools used for painting, blending, and creating textures. They come in various sizes and shapes, and their unique properties allow for more precision compared to traditional brushes.
Complementary Colours are pairs of colours located opposite each other on the colour wheel. When placed side by side, they create a striking contrast that enhances each other's intensity.
Composition refers to how elements are arranged within a work of art. It may involve the placement of figures and objects, the use of perspective and depth, the balance of light and dark, and the overall organization of the visual elements. It is an essential aspect of creating a compelling and harmonious work of art.
Cotton Duck is a high-quality canvas fabric made of 100% cotton. It is tightly woven and double-filled, making it ideal for using as a painting surface for acrylics, oils, or other mediums.
Crackle Paste is a thick, white paste that artists can apply to the painting surface to create a cracked, weathered texture. It is usually used to give an aged look to the artwork or for adding depth and interest to the background.
Curing is the process of allowing the paint to dry and harden fully. It is essential for acrylic and oil paintings as it ensures the longevity of the artwork.
Dry Brush Technique is a painting technique where artists use a dry brush to apply paint onto the surface. It is usually done with a small amount of paint and a short-bristled brush to create a rough texture with visible brushstrokes.
Easel is a stand usually made of wood or metal used for holding canvases or paper for painting or drawing. It enables artists to work at a comfortable angle and height.
Emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that typically would not mix, such as oil and water. It is often used as a base for paints.
Ferrule is a metal band that connects the brush or pen's bristles to its handle, protecting and stabilizing the brush's integrity.
Flag refers to the split-ends of brush bristles, which determine the brush's ability to hold and release paint.
Flat Colour is a color that lacks depth or saturation, typically with a minimal amount of contrast or tonal variation.
Flow Release/Flow Medium is an additive for acrylic paint that helps improve its flow and workability. It can also increase transparency and reduce paint viscosity or thickness.
Fluorescent Colours are bright, neon colors that seem to glow under black light. They offer a bold, eye-catching look and are often used for signs, posters, and decorative paintings.
Fluid Acrylic is a liquid acrylic paint that has a thin consistency, making it ideal for creating delicate applications and allowing for transparency without the need for significant dilution.
Fugitive Colour is a term used to describe colors that fade or change over time due to factors like exposure to light, chemical reactions, or weathering. It is essential to use lightfast colors for creating long-lasting artwork.
Gel (acrylic) is a thick, transparent medium that artists can mix with acrylic paint to add texture, volume, and body. It can also be used as a clear base coat or glaze.
Gelli Plates are a type of printing surface that artists use to create monoprints. The plates are made of a non-toxic material that allows them to be repeatedly inked and wipe-cleaned between applications. They are flexible, durable, and can be used with a variety of materials.
Gesso is a white primer that artists use to prepare surfaces for painting. It creates an absorbent surface that allows paint to adhere better, resists rot, and provides a consistent base coat for artwork.
Glaze is a thin, translucent layer of paint that artists can apply over dry paint to create a luminous or glossy effect. It is often used to add depth, saturation and to unify colors. It can be used to create subtle tonal variations or to transform the overall color or luminosity of the painting.
Gloss is a term used to describe a shiny, reflective surface of a painting. Gloss sheen is created by the paint's properties or by adding specific mediums.
Gouache is a water-based paint similar to watercolour, but with a higher pigment concentration, making it more opaque and suitable for layering.
Ground is a term used to describe the surface on which the painting is applied. A ground can be a canvas, paper, board, or any other surface that has been prepared for painting.
Heavy Body is a type of paint that has a thick, buttery consistency. It is ideal for impasto techniques, creating textured surfaces, and retaining brushstrokes' integrity.
Hue is a term used to describe the dominant color or shade in a particular color mixture. It is often used to describe paint colors without referring to the specific pigment used.
Ink is a liquid or paste medium used for drawing or writing, typically applied with a pen, brush, or other tool.
Impasto is a painting technique where paint is applied in thick and heavy layers to create texture and depth. The brushstrokes are often visible, adding vitality and physicality to the artwork.
Imprimatura is a colored underpainting layer applied to the canvas, providing an initial tonal ground onto which more paint can be added. It is often painted thin and complements the painting's overall color scheme.
Interference is a special pigmented paint that can create an ethereal or shimmery effect depending on the angle and lighting used. The color appears to change as you move around the painting.
Interlocking refers to the painting technique of layering brushstrokes and colors so that they interlock to create a cohesive and interconnected surface.
Iridescent is a term used to describe paint colors with a pearlescent or metallic sheen that appears to shimmer and change as the angle of light changes. It is created by mixing small particles of mica or metallic powders into the paint.
Kneaded Eraser is a type of eraser made of a soft, gray, pliable material that is kneaded and shaped to remove pencil or charcoal marks.
Lightfastness/Permanence refers to how resistant a paint color is to fading over time. A paint color with high lightfastness will maintain its original hue even after years of exposure to light and other environmental factors.
Linen is a type of canvas material that is often preferred by artists due to its exceptional durability and a smooth surface that allows for fine details.
Mahl Stick is a long, thin stick with a padded end that artists use to rest their hand while painting, allowing them to work on fine details with added stability.
Masking Fluid is a liquid material used to mask areas of a painting or drawing, allowing those areas to remain untouched by paint or ink until the masking fluid is removed.
Mass Tone refers to the color of a paint when applied thickly or undiluted.
Matt is a term used to describe a paint color or object with a non-reflective surface.
Medium is a substance added to paint to change its consistency, drying time, durability, transparency, or gloss.
Mica Flake is a type of pigment that includes small flakes of reflective mica particles, creating a glittery or shimmering effect in artwork.
Milling or Mulling is the process of mixing pigments with binders to create a smooth and consistent paint texture.
Monochrome is a painting that is created using only one color or hue in varying lightness and saturation.
Motif refers to a recurrent theme, element, or subject matter in artwork.
Mottler is a type of paintbrush with flat, wide bristles used for painting large areas.
Moulding Paste is a substance mixed with acrylic paint to create a textured surface on the canvas. It can be used to create raised lines, impasto effects, or layered textures.
Oil Paint is a type of paint made of pigment mixed with oil, typically linseed oil, that dries at a slower rate than other types of paint, giving the artist more time to blend and work with the colors.
Open Acrylic is a type of acrylic paint that dries slower than traditional acrylics, allowing artists an extended work time without their paint drying too quickly.
Open Time is the period of time during which a paint remains wet and workable on a surface, allowing the artist to alter or manipulate the paint.
Palette is a flat surface, often made of wood or plastic, used by artists to mix and hold paint.
Palette Knife is a tool used to mix and apply paint to a canvas or surface, typically made of metal with a flat, flexible blade.
Panel is a rigid support for artwork, often made of wood or composite materials, and can be used for a variety of mediums and techniques, including painting, mixed media, and drawing.
Paper
- Watercolor Papers are specially designed papers for use with watercolor paints, typically made of 100% cotton or cellulose material that can absorb and hold water.
- Drawing Papers are papers that are designed for use with drawing materials such as pencils, pens, and charcoal, typically with a smooth surface that allows for sharp lines and includes options for acid-free and archival quality papers.
- Pastel Papers are papers with a rougher texture than drawing papers, designed specifically for pastel and chalk drawings.
- Oil and Acrylic Painting Papers are papers designed for use with oil and acrylic paints, typically with a coated surface that prevents paint from bleeding through or soaking in, allowing for easy blending and color mixing.
- Fine Art Digital Papers are high-quality papers that are specifically designed for printing artworks or photographs with high resolution and fine details.
Paper Stumps are cylindrical tools used for blending or smudging dry media such as charcoal or pastels.
Paste (acrylic) is a thick, water-based substance used for creating texture in paintings and mixed media artworks.
Pastels are a type of medium made of pigment held together with a binder such as gum arabic, typically used to create soft, chalky colors in drawings and paintings.
Pastel Pencils are a type of pencil that contains a core made of a combination of pigment and binder, allowing it to be used like a traditional pastel.
Permanence refers to a paint color's ability to resist fading, cracking, or deteriorating over time, often measured by a rating system based on ASTM standards.
Pigment is a finely ground substance used to add color and create a range of hues in paints, pastels, and other artistic media.
Pigment Load refers to the amount of pigment in a paint product relative to other components such as binders, fillers, and solvents.
Plein Air is a French phrase that refers to painting outdoors, typically used in reference to landscape painting.
Pochade is a small, portable painting box used for plein air painting, typically designed to hold paint, brushes, and other artist tools.
Polymer Medium is a type of medium used in acrylic painting that mixes with acrylic paint to create a variety of effects such as glazing, impasto, and extended drying times.
Primary Colours are the three basic colors used in color theory - red, blue, and yellow - which can be mixed together to create all other colors in the spectrum.
Primer is a preparatory coating applied to a surface before painting to enhance adhesion and create an even surface for paint application.
Priming Brush is a large, flat brush designed for applying primer or gesso to a surface before painting.
Printmaking in Acrylic is a technique where an acrylic plate is engraved with a design and then used to print the design onto paper or other surfaces.
Print Rack is a display stand used to showcase prints, paintings, or other flat artworks.
Pumice Gel (acrylic) is a medium containing tiny pumice particles that can be added to acrylic paints to create a gritty texture that can mimic the appearance of stone or concrete.
Retarder is a substance that slows down the drying time of paint, often used in acrylic and oil painting to extend workability and prevent the paint from drying too quickly.
Sauce is a soft drawing material in the form of crayons, made from a mixture of clay, chalk, glue and coloring agents.
Sepia is a brownish-grey tone often used in painting and drawing, either as a base color or to create a vintage or antique effect.
Scumbling is a painting technique where a light, transparent layer of paint is applied over a darker layer, creating a hazy or misty effect.
Sfumato is a painting technique used in oil or acrylic painting where layers of transparent paint are used to create a soft, hazy effect, typically seen in the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
Sight-Size is a method of drawing or painting where the artist stands at a distance from their subject equal to the distance between the canvas and the subject, allowing for accurate measurement and proportion.
Sinking In (oil painting) is a phenomenon where oil paints become dull and lose vibrancy as they are absorbed into the painting surface.
Snap/Spring refers to the stiffness of a brush, specifically its ability to snap back into shape and hold its form during use.
Spray Acrylic is a method of applying acrylic paint by using a spray can or airbrush, often used for large areas or detailed work.
Stay Wet Palette is a palette designed to keep acrylic or watercolor paints moist and usable for extended periods of time, typically with a lid or cover to prevent evaporation.
Stretched/Unstretched Canvas refers to the two forms of canvas used for painting - stretched canvas is pre-stretched and mounted onto stretcher bars, while unstretched canvas is sold in rolls for artists to stretch and mount themselves.
Stretcher Bars are wooden frames used to stretch and mount canvas, typically sold in pairs and available in a variety of lengths and thicknesses.
Support refers to the surface upon which a painting is created, such as canvas, wood, paper, or fabric.
Synthetic Brushes are artist brushes made from synthetic fibers such as nylon or polyester, often used as a cheaper alternative to natural animal hair brushes.
Tacks are small nails used to secure canvas to stretcher bars when stretching canvas.
Tar Gel is a medium used in acrylic painting to create thick, tar-like effects such as drips or impasto.
Tempera is a type of paint made by mixing pigments with a water-soluble binder, such as egg yolk, traditionally used in medieval and Renaissance painting.
Tinting Strength is the ability of a pigment to alter the color of a mixture, often used to describe the strength of a color when added to white.
Toning a Canvas refers to the process of applying a thin layer of a color to a canvas before painting to create a uniform tone or color.
Tooth refers to the roughness or texture of a surface, typically used in reference to paper or canvas.
Transparency / Opacity are terms used to describe the degree to which a pigment or color allows light to pass through it. Transparent colors allow light to pass through and often create a stained glass effect, while opaque colors block light and often create a solid, flat look.
UnderTone is the color or hue that lies beneath the visible top layer of a color, often used to describe the subtle color shifts in shadows or highlights.
Underpainting is a layer of color applied to a canvas or other support before applying subsequent layers of paint, typically used to establish composition, value, and color.
Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, typically used to describe the degree of contrast or shading in a painting.
Varnish for Acrylic is a protective coating applied to an acrylic painting to prevent damage from dust, light, and other environmental factors.
Varnishing Brush is a large, flat brush used for applying varnish or other protective coatings to a painting.
Velatura is an Italian term used to describe a painting technique where layers of transparent glaze are used to create a luminous, glowing effect in a painting.
Watercolours are pigments suspended in a water-based solution, typically used for painting on paper.
Watercolour Pencils are a type of colored pencil that can be used dry or wet, and when wet, act as watercolor paint.
Weave refers to the pattern of threads in a canvas or fabric support, typically used to describe the density or quality of the weave.
Wedges are small, often triangular-shaped wooden pieces inserted between the stretcher bars to tighten the canvas and prevent warping or sagging.
Whiting is a chalky substance used in painting and gesso-making, typically made of ground calcium carbonate or white clay, used to create a matte, absorbent surface.
