In art, abstraction is a quality held by works that do not attempt to represent reality exactly. Some types of abstraction involve the distortion of reality, while others do not depict any type of identifiable object, place, or thing.

An accretion is a build up of new material upon the surface of an artwork, either as an unintentional addition, or by the artist’s intent.

Acrylic paint is a water based synthetic paint which dries quickly. Unlike oil paint, it is less prone to cracking and discolouration.

Aerosol paint (colloquially known as spray paint) is acrylic paint stored in a pressurised container, which is released in a spray upon the depression of a valve button. The use of aerosol paint results in a smooth, evenly coated surface.

Alkyd paints are often used as an alternative to traditional oil paint because of their fast-drying time. They can also be used in combination with oil paint and can act as a base for oil paint. 

Androgyny describes the combination of masculine and feminine features, or the ambiguity towards them. The term is also used to describe ambiguity or a lack of definition in relation to biological sex, gender identity and expression, and sexual identity.

Artistic appropriation is when an artist uses a specific pre-existing image as a basis or starting point for his or her own artistic creation. Appropriated images are sometimes altered significantly from their original form.

Wooden boards and panels, made from the likes of plywood, fibreboard and hardboard can be used as a painting support. Because it is more rigid than canvas, board can prevent and reduce cracking in paint layers once they have dried and aged.

Brushwork is the term used to describe the distinctive way in which an artist applies paint to their chosen surface with a brush.

A canvas is made from woven linen or cotton, and is the surface on which most painting since the Renaissance has been done. It is typically stretched over a wooden frame, and primed to provide a smooth surface on which to apply paint.

A catalogue raisonné is an exhaustive descriptive catalogue of all of the works by an artist, artistic school, or movement, which are known at the time of the catalogue’s compilation. The inclusion of an artwork in a catalogue raisonné is often considered to be the definitive signifier of authenticity, and accordingly extensive research and care is demanded in their compilation.

In art, chalk is conventionally used as a preparatory medium. Although a natural material, occurring in red, black and white, chalk has been synthetically manufactured throughout the 20th century. 

Charcoal is a black pigment used by artists as a preparatory medium. Easily erased and blended, charcoal allows artists to make revisions, improvise and work freely. 

To commission an artwork is to instruct an artist to create a piece in exchange for payment, sometimes to a specific creative brief. The term ‘commission’ can also be used to refer to the resulting artwork.

The composition is the formal arrangement of an artwork; the way in which the various elements (such as the background and figures) interact with one another.

Depth or space are the terms used to describe the fictional three-dimensional space which artists can create on a two dimensional surface. Devices such as linear perspective help artists to create this illusion.

A diptych is a two-paneled artwork, which is sometimes hinged, or shown side by side. It was first used in Roman folding tablets, as a way to send messages. The form then was adopted for altarpieces in Christian churches. It has come to be used for secular subjects, including companion portraits.

Traditionally used as a decorative paint, distemper is an aqueous substance composed of pigments and binding agents, such as animal glue or casein. The term is also used to describe the tempera family of paints. 

Letraset is a brand of dry-transfer lettering. The letters on a dry-transfer sheet are designed to adhere to other surfaces durably.

Used since antiquity, tempera is a painting medium which relies on egg yolk to bind pigments. Due to its fast-drying nature, the medium demands light and rapid application, using small and soft brushstrokes onto a primed support, usually a board or panel. 

Figurative art is art that represents forms and figures which can be found in the real world.

The term ‘gestural’ is used to describe a style of painting in which the artist’s gestures as they apply their chosen medium are emphasized, to draw attention to the physical process of making the artwork. The term is often associated with the Abstract Expressionist and Expressionist art movements.

Gouache is a type of water-soluble paint, similar to a watercolour. Unlike watercolour paint however, gouache is mixed with a gum or white pigment, in order to create an opaque effect.

Grisaille refers to the method of painting in tones of grey. It can also be used to refer to an artwork which has been executed in this method. Traditionally grisaille painting was used to replicate the effect of sculpture in paint.

Iconography can be used to mean the study and analysis of an artwork’s visual content and imagery.

Impasto is a term used to describe a thick, textural area of paint in an artwork. It also describes the method of applying paint thickly. 

Ink is the broad term applied to the fluid substance used for writing, printing and picture making. In art, water can often be applied to create an ink wash, which produces a similar finish to watercolour.

Landscape is one of the major genres by which an artwork may be classified. A landscape picture depicts an outdoor environment as its main subject. Landscape may also be used to refer to the orientation of a picture which requires it to be wider than it is tall.

An artwork may be described as ‘linear’ if the artist has emphasized the delineation of individual elements, which makes each form distinct from the other.

The term ‘malerisch’ was coined by Swiss art historian Heinrich Wölfflin (1864-1945). Paintings executed in a malerisch style distinguish themselves by an expressive paint application with visible brushstrokes and a subtle separation of forms and features by tonal and colour contrasts.

Medium describes both the type of work done by an artist; ie sculpture, painting, drawing; and the exact elements that compose the artwork, such as an oil painting on canvas, or a charcoal drawing on paper. It is also the term used to describe the liquid in which dry pigment is mixed, in order to make paint.

Modernism is a movement in art, which began in the late 1800’s and continued to the mid 1900’s, defined by its rejection of the norms and styles of classical art tradition. Many different styles fall within the overall movement of Modernism, such as Expressionism and Impressionism.

Motif may be used to refer to the subject of an artwork. It may also refer to a recurring feature, theme, or pattern, which appears in an artwork, or in an artist’s cumulative body of work.

An artist’s muse is a person who inspires the artist in their creative endeavours. The term derives from the Muses, nine goddesses of Greek mythology, who inspired the arts and sciences.

The French word for ‘work’, oeuvre is commonly used to refer to an artist’s body of work.

Oil paint is formed from the mixture of pigment with an organic oil, known as the medium. The resulting paint is slow drying, and mixes well to create a wide range of colours and textural effects. Oil paint may also be diluted with paint thinners such as turpentine, to make the application easier, or change the visual effect.

‘Painterly’ describes a manner of applying paint in an expressive fashion which embraces the materiality of paint.

An artist’s palette is the surface on which they mix their paints, often a thin wooden board with a hole for the thumb of the artist. The term is also used to refer to the range of colours used within a particular artwork, or within an artist’s cumulative body of work.

A pastel is a drawing medium made from powdered pigment and a binding agent, which is typically formed into a stick. The term may also be used to refer to an artwork created in this medium, and to pale, soft colours.

A patron provides support to an artist, often purchasing many of their artworks. Patronage can be mutually beneficial, allowing an artist to develop their craft, while also reflecting prestige for the patron.

A pencil is the graphite instrument used for drawing and sketching. Coloured pencils, which use pigment rather than graphite, allow for a broader range of artistic use.

Portraiture is one of the major genres by which an artwork may be classified. A portrait is an artwork with the primary intention of depicting a particular person. The word may also be used to refer to the orientation of a picture, which requires the picture to be taller than it is wide.

Although broad, the term Post-War is used to describe the art which was created in the period immediately following the end of World War II. 

Proto-Cubism is Cubism’s less refined and stringent predecessor. Originating around 1906 until 1911, just like its final version, it was inspired by African Art, with figures and objects often broken down into geometrical forms.

Realism is the term commonly used to describe artworks which depict real, contemporary life. Its origins are associated with mid-19^th century French painting, whereby artists began to turn away from historical subject matter and portray everyday scenes and people.

A series is a group of works that depict the same central subject or theme. They allow artists to explore the subject or theme in different ways.

Sfumato is the term used to describe a misty quality that softens the contours in an artwork. Sfumato blurs the contrast between light and dark, and can create a ‘soft focus’ effect. The term derives from the Latin word for smoke, and is often used in relation to Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited for developing the technique.

An artist’s source material provides inspiration for aspects of their own artistic creation.

An artist’s studio is the building or room in which they create their artworks.

A study is a work that is intended to prefigure a later ‘final’ artwork. A study may be used to allow an artist to decide upon the best way to depict a subject, or to practice certain elements of the ultimate work.

The subject is the main focus of an artwork, such as, for example, the sitter in a portrait.

Surrealism was a movement in literature and art, which was popular between the First and Second World Wars. Founded by the poet André Breton, the movement emphasized the importance of unconscious thought as a starting-point for creativity, inspired by the work of Sigmund Freud. Surrealist artworks are signified by their juxtaposition of incongruous imagery and figurative, typically photo-realistic style.

A symbol is an image in an artwork which represents a certain meaning or idea in the artist’s iconography [see Iconography].

Synaesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which one sense is stimulated but another, or several others, react. This results in, for example, some synaesthetes hearing colours or feeling sounds. Synaesthesia is an automatic process which cannot be chosen or controlled.

A triptych is a three-paneled artwork. The panels are sometimes hinged, and the outer panels may fold over the central panel. Triptychs were historically used primarily for religious purposes, as altarpieces, or to encourage private devotion. In modern usage artists have appropriated the form for other subjects.

Watercolour is a water-soluble paint which can appear transparent, semi-transparent or opaque and is normally applied to a paper support. It is also the name given to an artwork in that medium. 

X-radiography, or X-ray is used in technical examinations of paintings in order to better understand the methods employed by artists. As a non-invasive imaging method, X-rays can reveal compositional changes, underdrawings, areas of retouching and earlier paintings present in the underlying surfaces of the finished artwork.