Art 111 Painting Terms

bright brush

a flat brush with short stiff bristles and a flat ferrule

dry brush technique

brushwork done with minimal water in the bristles, on the dry surface of the paper

flat brush

flat shape, square end, with medium to long bristles. the ferrule is flat, thus making the bristles spread out into a uniformly rectangular shape. the bristles are flattened and trimmed straight across

glazing

applying thin, transparent washes of one color over another color

flat wash

Brushing successive strokes of color on a wet or dry surface, with each stroke placed next to the other, to create an even layer of color.

gradated wash

a wash in which the value gradually changes from dark to light

hard edge

The outer perimeter of shape(s), sharply defined

lifting paint

a technique for removing paint from a surface with a brush, paper towel or tissue in order to correct mistakes, develop textures, create highlights
or change values

palette

surface on which watercolors are mixed and/or stored

pan paint

small cakes of watercolor paint

round brush

round ferrule, pointed tip, long closely arranged bristles for detail, works better with thinned paint. universal brush and must have for any artist

soft edge

fading or disappearing edge

scrubbing

a dry-brush technique used to lift paint from or add color to an area of the surface

staining colors

colors that absorb into the paper before the water has had a chance to evaporate; they're difficult to lift and will leave a stain on the paper

variegated wash

a type of wet into wet wash where colors are placed side by side and then blended along their edges

wet-into-wet wash

painting on a wet surface and letting colors blend as they may; looks strong and vibrant while wet but loses intensity when the colors dry