Art Terminology in English

1. Art Terminology in English Dr. Eugenia Eumeridou University of Ioannina Ioannina 2013

2. Painting Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

3. Painting • Paintings closely resemble drawings. Like drawing, painting is a mode of creative expression, and the forms are numerous. • Paintings can be naturalistic and representational (as in a still life or landscape painting), photographic, abstract, be loaded with narrative content, symbolism, emotion or be political in nature. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

4. Painting Chen Hongshou (1598–1652), Leaf album painting (Ming Dynasty) Cave painting of aurochs,Lascaux, France,prehistoric art Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

5. Painting in its actual sense is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or another medium to a surface (support base). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. • In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. • Paintings may have for their support surfaces such as walls, paper, canvas, wood, glass, lacquer, clay, leaf, copper or concrete, and may incorporate multiple other materials including sand, clay, paper, gold leaf as well as objects. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

6. Paints consist of three main components: pigment, binder and vehicle. The pigment is used to provide color; the binder is used to help the pigment bind to the support surface and the vehicle helps to spread the pigment and the binder. Linseed oil, for instance, is the binder for oil paints and turpentine is the vehicle. • Traditionally, pigments were natural coloring agents derived from plants and mineral deposits. However, major advances in the chemical industry in the 19nth and 20th centuries made it possible to produce synthetic pigments. Synthetic pigments come in a much wider range of colors and are more durable. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

7. Paints are usually applied to a flat support, usually canvas for oil painting or paper for watercolor. However, as the support surface is usually too absorbent to permit an even application of paint, we need to apply a sealer or size first. A sealer is a type of glue which fills in the pores of the painting surface thus lessening its absorbency. Moreover, a sealer is necessary in oil painting to protect the canvas from the disintegrating action of the linseed oil. After sizing has been completed, we apply an opaque color, usually white, called a primer or a ground. Sizing and priming are unnecessary for watercolors as the paper provides both the support and the ground (the prepared surface for painting). Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

8. Among the most common painting media, we have watercolor, tempera, oils, synthetic or acrylic media. Each type of paint has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

9. Exercise 1 • Name some differences between drawings and paintings. • What does the paint consist of? • Describe the evolution of paint. • What is the difference between support and ground? • Name some paint media. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

10. Exercise 2Find the word that does not match in each column: • Drawing pigment sealer pouring • Sketch binder size acrylics • Cartoon vehicle pigment dripping • Relief size prime spraying Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

11. Exercise 3Match the following nouns with their definitions: Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

12. Exercise 4Fill in the gaps with the following terms: binder, disintegration, paintings, priming, vehicle, pigment, sizing, formal, common. Paintings and drawings have many things in ____. Some people regard ____ as drawings with paint. Paintings though tend to be larger, more ___ and colorful. Paints consist of ___, binder and pigment. ___ provides the color, the ___ adheres the pigment to the surface and the ___ allows both to spread on the surface. Before we start painting we should prepare the surface with ___ , ___ or both. Sizing is necessary for oil-paintings to protect the canvas from ____. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

13. Watercolor Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

14. Watercolor • Watercolor is a term which refers both to the painting medium and to the resulting painting. • Watercolor paints consist of pigments suspended in a solution of water and gum arabic. Arabic gum acts as a binder that holds the pigment in suspension and fixes it to the painting surface. • Additiveslikeglycerin, honey, preservativesarealsousedtoaltertheviscosity, durabilityorcolorofthepigmentandvehiclemixture; andfinally a solventisaddedtothinordilutethepaintforapplication. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

15. Thepreferredsupportforwatercolorshastraditionallybeenpaper; othersupportsincludepapyrus, plastics, leather, fabric, wood, andcanvas. • Watercolorpaintistraditionallyandstillcommonlyappliedwithbrushes, butmodernpaintershaveexperimentedwithmanyotherimplements, particularlysprayers, scrapers, spongesorsticks. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

16. Mode of Paint Application • Watercolorpaints are applied in thin, translucent washes which allow light to pass through and be reflected from lower layers of paint. This translucent quality makes watercolor an ideal medium for the depiction of atmosphere, air and water. • Watercolor dries easily; therefore it forces the painter to work quickly making it an ideal medium for catching quick impressions outdoors. • Opaque watercolor can be added for detail. ItcanbemadebyaddingChinesewhite. The use of opaque watercolor was wide by ancient Persian painters. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

17. Watercolors Thomas Girtin, Jedburgh Abbey from the River, 1798–99, watercolor on paper Winslow Homer, The Blue Boat, 1892 Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

18. Advantages and Disadvantages • Despite the simple materials involved, watercolor has the reputation of being a demanding technique. This derives from the behavior of water as a vehicle. More specifically, the water can change both the absorbency and shape of the paper when it is wet and the outlines and appearance of the paint as it dries. Thus, the painter has to learn to anticipate and leverage the behavior of water to achieve the desired effect. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

19. Another difficulty in watercolor painting stems from its low hiding power. Thus previous efforts can not be simply painted over. • Moreover, the paper support is both absorbent and delicate, so the paints can not be simply scraped off, like oil paint from a canvas, butmustbelaboriously (andoftenonlypartially) liftedbyrewettingandblotting. Watercolorhas a longstandingassociationwithdrawingorengraving, andthecommonproceduretocurtailsuchmistakesistomake a precise, faintoutlinedrawinginpencilofthesubjecttobepainted, tousesmallbrushes, andtopaintlimitedareasofthepaintingonlyafteralladjacentpaintareashavecompletelydried. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

20. Anothercharacteristicofwatercolorpaintsisthatthebinderconstitutes a smallproportionoftheentirerawpaintvolume. • Moreover, itcanbeeasilyabsorbedbythewetpaper. As a result, itfailstoprovide a protectivelayerofvehiclearoundthepigmentparticles, leavingthemscatteredliketinygrainsofsandonthepaper. Thisincreasesthescatteringoflightfromboththepigmentandpapersurfaces, causingcharacteristicwhiteningorlighteningofthepaintcolorasitdries. Moreover, pigmentsareleftunprotectedtoultravioletlight, whichcanaffecttheirpermanency. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

21. Exercise 1Answer to the following questions: • Describe the watercolor technique. • Which are the advantages and disadvantages of watercolor? • How is watercolor applied to the painting surface and which is the preferred support for watercolor painting? Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

22. Exercise 2Findthecorrespondingtermsforthefollowingdefinitions: • _____ : Itisthemediumortheresultingartworkwhichiscreated by applying pigments suspended in a solution of water and gum arabic (a resin from the acacia tree) to white paper. • _____ : Itisthebinderinwatercolourtechnique. • _____ : Itisthemostcommonsupportforwatercolourpainting. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

23. _____ : ThisishowwatercolourpaintingwithinksisreferredinAsia. • _____ : Itisusedtorefertoanypaintingmediumthatuseswateras a solventandthatcanbeappliedwith a brush, penorsprayer. • _____ : Itisthesubstanceusedtothinordilutethepaintforapplication. • _____ : Itreferstooutdoorpainting. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

24. Exercise 3Decide True or False • Watercolorrefersonlytothemediumused. • Wateristhebinderinwatercolours. • Canvasisthemainsupportusedinwatercolours. • Watercolorismainly a transparentpaintingtechnique. • Theartofwatercolourpaintingliesto a greatextentintheartist’sabilitytocontroltheapplicationofwashes. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

25. Mistakesinwatercolorarenoteasytocorrect. • Watercolorsaresensitiveandmayfadewhenexposedtoultravioletlight. • Watercolorpaintscannotbecombinedwithdifferentpaintingmedia. • Watercolorportabilitymakesitidealforoutdoorpainting. • In watercolor technique the paint is applied in thin, opaque layers. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

26. Exercise 4Put the sentences in order to make a meaningful paragraph. • Paint is applied in thin translucent washes which allow light to be reflected from the lower layers of paint. • Watercolor is a term which refers both to the paint itself and to the technique. • Watercolors are ideal for the depiction of water, air and light. • Watercolor as a technique refers basically to a staining technique. • Watercolor as a paint consists of pigments suspended in a solution of water and gum arabic. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

27. Exercise 5Give definitions for the following terms. • Watercolour is…………………… • Opaque watercolor is ……………. • Highlights are ……………………. • Ink washes are……………………. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

28. Tempera Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

29. Tempera • Tempera also known as egg tempera consists of pigments suspended in a water-solublebindermedium (usually a glutinousmaterialsuchaseggyolkorsomeothersize). • Itistraditionallycreatedbyhand-grindingdrypowderedpigmentsinto a bindingagentormedium, suchasegg, glue, honey, water, milk (intheformofcasein) and a varietyofplantgums. Temperapasteisthenplacedonto a palette, dishorbowlandismixedwithwatertillitreachesthedesiredbalancebetween a "greasy" and a "watery" consistency. • Onceprepared, thepaintcannotbestored. Eggtemperaiswater-thinned, waterresistant, butnotwaterproof. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

30. Tempera Crivelli, Tempera on wood,transferred to canvas, 1470 Raphael, Tempera and gold on wood, 1503–1505 Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

31. Mode of Paint Application • Temperaisappliedinthin, transparentlayers. Itstranslucencyrequirespaleunderpaintingandmakesitgoodforachievingtransparencies. Itsquickdryingtimesallowlittletimeforblendingandchanges; thus a preparatorydrawingisrequired. • Whenitisusedinthetraditionalway, inotherwordsappliedwithnumerous, smallbrushstrokesin a cross-hatchedway, greatprecisioncanbeachieved. • Asitcanneverbeappliedinthicklayersasoilpaintscan, colorsneverreachthedegreeofsaturationthatoilcolorsdo. Inthisrespect,thecolorsofanunvarnishedtemperapaintingresemble a pastel, althoughthecolordeepensif a varnishisapplied. Ontheotherhand, temperacolorsdonotdarkenwithageandexamplesfromthe 1st centuries AD stillexist. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

32. Paint Characteristics • Temperaproduces a luminous, smooth, slightlymattesurfacewhenitdries. • Its clear, brilliant quality results from painting on very white gesso. Gesso is a preparation of chalk and glue. It is used to size and prime the support surface for painting. • As tempera lacks flexibility, painters preferred to paint on rigid surfaces such as wood panels to avoid the cracking and peeling of gesso and pigment. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

33. Exercise 1Answer to the following questions: • Which are the characteristics of tempera? • Why do we need a complete preparatory painting with tempera? • Which is the preferred support for tempera and why? • What is tempera well suited for? Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

34. Exercise 2Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words: medium, egg, poster paint, pigment, primary, binder, oil painting, size, drying. • Tempera, also known as ____ tempera, is a permanent fast ____ painting medium consisting of colored _____ mixed with a water-soluble ____ medium (usually a glutinous material such as egg yolk or some other size). Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this ____. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist. Egg tempera was a ____ method of painting until after 1500 when it was superseded by the invention of _____. A paint which is commonly called tempera (although it is not) consisting of pigment and glue ____ is commonly used and referred to by some manufacturers in America as ____. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

35. Exercise 3Draw the proper correspondences. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

36. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

37. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

38. Exercise 1Refer back to the text and find antonyms for the following words: • modern (line 1) • occasionally (line 4) • exclude (line 5) • dark (line 8) • shiny (line 8) • obscure (line 8) • inaccurate (line 12) Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

39. lighten (line 13) • rigidity (line 18) • unworldly (line 24) Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

40. Oil Painting Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

41. Oil Painting • Oil painting was first used in the Buddhist paintings by Indian and Chinese painters in Western Afghanistan sometime between the fifth and ninth centuries. • In Europe, it was used in the Middle Ages mainly for decorative purposes. But in the fifteenth century, it gained wide popularity and it was actually two Flemish brothers, Jan and Hubert van Eyck who are credited with its development and its perfection. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

42. Oil Painting The Toilet of Venus, François Boucher, 1751 Woman with a Parasol,Claude Monet, 1875 Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

43. The oil paint used in this technique consists of pigments suspended in an oil medium usually walnut, linseed and poppyseed oil. Different oils confer different properties in the paint thus resulting in differences in yellowing or drying times. • In this technique, the paint is applied following the rule “fat over lean”, that is each additional layer should contain more oil than the previous one; otherwise the final painting would crack and peel. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

44. Other media can also be used such as cold waxes, resins and varnishes which help the painter adjust the gloss, density, transparency of the paint or help him hold or conceal the brushstroke. Such variables determine the expressive capacity of the paint. • In the early period it was applied in wood panels covered with smooth layers of gesso as in the older tempera tradition. Paint was transferred in the painting surface using paint brushes, palette knives or even rags. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

45. The sparkling colours and the refined textures achieved, using the oil painting technique, are the result of successive glazes. A glaze is a thin transparent film of oil color which is applied over a previously painted area. • To produce a glaze, transparent oil colors are mixed with thinner, oil and varnish. Besides texture simulation, glazing is often used to achieve the illusion of depth. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

46. The oil painting technique can be used to achieve a wide variety of different effects. Oil paint can be applied thickly or thinly, wet into wet or wet onto dry. When applied thickly, it is known as impasto, when applied wet into wet and is completed at one sitting, it is called direct painting method. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

47. Compared to other painting media, oil paint has many advantages and a few disadvantages. Its most distinctive characteristics are its slow drying time and its flexibility. The first originally thought a disadvantage allows reworking, glazing and repeated changes during the painting process. The second freed painters from the need to paint on heavy wood panels and allowed them to transfer their works in light canvases. This can largely account for the wide popularity of oil medium among western painters. • Moreover, oil paint provides greater transparency when thinned and greater coverage when used opaque. • However, it tends to slightly yellow and darken with age due to the linseed oil used in the oil medium. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

48. Exercise 1Answer to the following questions: • What is a glaze and how is it used? • Which are the advantages and disadvantages of oil compared to other painting techniques? • What do we call impasto and what direct method? Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

49. Exercise 2Fill in the gaps with the following words: pigments, drying oil, linseed oil, confer, gloss, consistency, sheen, resin • Oil painting is the process of painting with _____ that are bound with a medium of ______ — especially in early modern Europe, _____. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine ____ or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body and ____. Other oils occasionally used include poppyseed oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou

50. These oils ____ various properties to the oil paint, such as less yellowing or different drying times. Certain differences are also visible in the ____ of the paints depending on the oil. Painters often use different oils in the same painting depending on specific pigments and effects desired. The paints themselves also develop a particular _____ depending on the medium. Dr Eugenia Eumeridou