Art Glossary (#2)

Acrylic Paint   An emulsion paint using a synthetic medium, acrylic resin, now frequently used by artists as a quick-drying substitute for the true oil paint.

Artist's Proof - AP   One of the first impressions printed as the artist experiments with the printmaking process. The prints are not part of the standard edition. Originally, artist's private collection and used as part of the original artist-publisher agreement. Today, they are usually sold through the publisher. The words artist's proof or the initials A/P may be penciled in at the bottom of the print. Typically, 10% of the edition total is designated as A/P, or in the case of a small edition, five graphics are usually so designated.

Atelier   French term for "printer's workshop."

Avant-Garde   A group active in the invention and application of new ideas and techniques in an original or experimental way. A group of practitioners and/or advocates of a new art form may also be called avant-garde. Some avant-garde works are intended to shock those who are accustomed to traditional, established styles.

Bon a Tirer - BAT   When the artist is satisfied with the graphic from the finished plate, he works with his printer to pull one perfect graphic and it is marked "Bon a Tirer," meaning "good to pull." The printer then compares each graphic in the edition with the BAT before submitting the graphic to the artist for approval and signature. The standard is one BAT and it usually becomes the property of the printer or workshop printing the edition.

Bronze   An alloy of copper and tin, sometimes containing small proportions of other elements such as zinc or phosphorus. It is stronger, harder, and more durable than brass, and has been used most extensively since antiquity for cast sculpture. Bronze alloys vary in color from a silvery hue to a rich, coppery red. U.S. standard bronze is composed of 90% copper, 7% tin, and 3% zinc.

Ceramics   The art of making objects of clay and firing them in a kiln. Wares of earthenware and porcelain, as well as sculpture are made by ceramists. Enamel is also a ceramic technique. Ceramic materials may be decorated with slip, engobe, or glaze, applied by a number of techniques, including resist, mishima, and sanggam. Pots may be made by the coil, slab, or some other manual technique, or on a potter's wheel.

Certificate of Authenticity   Certifies the authenticity of an individual piece in an edition.

Collage   A technique invented by Picasso and Braques during their Analytical Cubist phase. They began to stick fragments of newspaper and pre-printed pattern into their compositions.

Collograph   A print taken from a collage of materials built onto a support board, sealed and inked, and impressed onto the paper, usually by running it through an etching press. A collograph plate may be printed as a relief plate (raised surfaces are inked and printed) or as a intaglio plate (areas below the surface are inked and printed), or as both in different inkings and printings (also called a collage relief print, collage intaglio or cardboard relief).

Collotype   Also called photo gelatin print or heliotype. A reproduction process using gelatin-coated glass or metal plate that produces a continuous tone print.

Color Lithograph   A work of art done in color made by drawing on fine grained porous limestone or on a zinc plate and applying greasy ink, which will adhere only to the drawn lines. Dampened paper is applied to the stone and is rubbed over with a special press to make the final work.

Embossed Print   Also called blind embossing or inkless intaglio. A process using an intaglio press to raise an image on a paper surface, producing a three-dimensional effect.

Etching   The technique of reproducing a design by coating a metal plate with wax and drawing with a sharp instrument called a stylus through the wax down to the metal. The plate is put in an acid bath, which eats away the incised lines; it is then heated to dissolve the wax and finally inked and printed on paper. The resulting print is called the etching.

Gouache   The technique of applying opaque watercolor to paper; also a work of art so produced. The usual gouache painting displays a light-reflecting brilliance quite different from the luminosity of transparent watercolors. Opaque watercolors. The pigments have a gum binder and the filler in invariably some form of opaque white (such as clay or barite) which give the typical "chalky" look even to the dark hues. Synonyms: poster paint, body color.

Hand Embellished Limited Edition Serigraph   A printing technique based on stenciling, which is hand embellished. Ink or paint is pushed through a fine screen made of silk. Masks are used to produce the design by blocking ink. These masks can be made of paper or from varnish applied to the silk itself. Synonym: silk-screen painting: A color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screenprint, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.

Hors Commerce - HC   Hors Commerce (Not for Trade) traditionally were the graphics pulled with the regular edition, but were marked by the artist for business use only. These graphics were used for entering exhibitions and competitions, but today, these graphics generally are allowed into distribution through regular channels.

Intaglio   From an Italian word meaning "cut in". Prints are made from images cut below the surface of the printing plate. Ink is forced into these cutout images and then forced onto the paper in a press that exerts great pressure. Intaglio prints include etchings, aquatints, drypoints, engravings, soft-ground etchings and mezzotints. In some processes, the lines are cut out by hand with tools; in others, they are bitten out by acid.

Intaglio Collograph   Mixed Medium. See individual mediums "Intaglio" and "Collograph" for explanation.

Intaglio Collograph on Rice Paper   Mixed Medium on rice paper. See individual mediums "Intaglio" and "Collograph" for explanation.

LE Giclee S/N by Olivia & Julie Strain   A computer generated continuous tone reproduction made with an Iris printer that has a predetermined number of impressions made from a plate, after which no more impressions are to be taken. These pieces are signed and numbered by the artist and person in picture.

Limited Edition Aquatint   A print produced by the same technique as an etching, except that the areas between the etched lines are covered with a powdered resin that protects the surface from the biting process of the acid bath. The granular appearance that results in the print aims at approximating the effects and gray tonalities of a watercolor drawing.

Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas   A predetermined number of impressions made of computer generated continuous tone reproduction made with an Iris printer on canvas. It may also include hand work by the artist.

Limited Edition Lithograph   A work of art made by drawing on fine grained porous limestone or on a zinc plate and applying greasy ink, which will adhere only to the drawn lines. Dampened paper is applied to the stone and is rubbed over with a special press to make the final work.

Limited Edition Offset Lithograph   Four-color lithographic print from an offset press. Can be an open edition, limited edition or poster.

Limited Edition Serigraph on Canvas   A printing technique based on stenciling, printed on canvas. Ink or paint is pushed through a fine screen made of silk. Masks are used to produce the design by blocking ink. These masks can be made of paper or from varnish applied to the silk itself. Synonym: silk-screen painting: A color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screenprint, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.

Limited Edition Serigraph on Paper   A printing technique based on stenciling, printed on paper. Ink or paint is pushed through a fine screen made of silk. Masks are used to produce the design by blocking ink. These masks can be made of paper or from varnish applied to the silk itself. Synonym: silk-screen painting: A color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screenprint, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.

Limited Edition Serigraph on Rice Paper   A printing technique based on stenciling, printed on rice paper. Ink or paint is pushed through a fine screen made of silk. Masks are used to produce the design by blocking ink. These masks can be made of paper or from varnish applied to the silk itself. Synonym: silk-screen painting: A color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screenprint, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.

Limited Editon Giclee   Also known as IRIS, is French for a "spurt of color". The Giclee produces a fine art print far superior in quality to any other printing method. Original art can be reproduced on paper, or canvas, with absolute accuracy. Giclees are made individually. Because of their labor-intensive nature they are expensive to make. The process is slow and exacting. However, the outstanding results exceed the expectations of even the most demanding artist or collector.

Mezzotint   A method of engraving in which the artist works from dark to light. The whole plate is first covered with a fine, regular dot pattern made by using a rocking tool called a cradle. This patter holds the ink and prints as a black background. The image is created by burnishing (smoothing) the dot pattern. The smooth surface does not take the ink and therefore appears in the white.

Mixed Media   Art of the 20th century, which combines different types of physical material. Art which draws on several disciplines, for example music, movement and environmental sculpture. In this sense, synonymous with Intermedia and Multimedia.

Mixed Media on Rice Paper   A print that results from a combination of two or more different printmaking processes. Printing is applied to Rice Paper.

Mixed Media Print   These prints can be either original or reproduction, such as a serilith, which both lithography and serigraphy and hand drawn separations, and imprint that employs four-color process lithography with hand produced separations, or a chromolith replica, or a continuous tone reproduction with hand drawn colors.

Monotype   A one-of-a-kind print made by painting on a sheet or slab of glass and transferring the still-wet painting to a sheet of paper held firmly on the glass by rubbing the back of the paper with a smooth implement, such as a large hardwood spoon. The painting may also be done on a polished plate, in which case it may be either printed by hand or transferred to paper by running the plate and paper through an etching press.

Offset Lithograph   A work produced through photographic reproduction. Offset lithography can be a complex process. Using four or more color separations, the best facsimile of the artist's original is produced.

Oil Painting   A work of art made by using paint made with pigments bound with drying oils.

Original   In graphics, each print is pulled separately under the close supervision of the artist. The separate production of each print might result in slight variations on each, making each print an original (sometimes called multiple originals).

Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas   A technique in which the artist uses acrylic paint and works on the medium of canvas in order to produce a unique painting.

Original Acrylic Painting on Paper   Acrylic painting on paper.

Original Etching   Intaglio printing technique that uses a resist liquid or ground to cover a metal plate. An image is drawn into the ground, exposing metal that is then eaten away by an acid bath. This leaves a depression line in the surface of the plate. Ink is then rubbed into the depression and printed with an intaglio or etching press.

Original Print   Also called Limited Edition Graphic. A print produced through collaboration of artist, master printer, and a chromist. That artist is often involved in drawing some separations and works with printer to approve ink mixes.

Pastel   Dry pigment bound with gum and used in stick form for drawing. A fixative is used to make it adhere to the ground. A colored crayon that consists of pigment mixed with just enough of a aqueous binder to hold it together; a work of art produced by pastel crayons; the technique itself. Pastels vary according to the volume of chalk contained, the deepest in tone are pure pigment. Pastel is the simplest and purest method of painting, since pure color is used without a fluid medium and the crayons are applied directly to the pastel paper. Pastels are called paintings rather than drawings, for although no paint is used, the colors are applied in masses rather than in lines.

Patina   A film or an incrustation, usually green, that forms on copper and bronze after a certain amount of weathering and as a result of the oxidation of the copper. Special chemical treatments will also induce different colored patinas on new bronzes. Bronzes may be painted with acrylic and lacquer.

Perspective   The representation of three-dimensional objects on a flat surface so as to produce the same impression of distance and relative size as that received by the human eye. In one-point linear perspective, developed during the fifteenth century, all parallel lines in a given visual field converge at a single vanishing point on the horizon. In aerial or atmospheric perspective, the relative distance of objects is indicated by gradations of tone and color and by variations in the clarity of outlines.

Pointillism   A branch of French Impressionism in which the principle of optical mixture or broken color was carried to the extreme of applying color in tiny dots or small, isolated strokes. Forms are visible in a pointillist painting only from a distance, when the viewer's eye blends the colors to create visual masses and outlines. The inventor and chief exponent of pointillism was George Seurat (1859-1891); the other leading figure was Paul Signac (1863-1935).

Poster   Four-color lithographic reproductions of a painting, usually with type on or around the image to advertise an artist, show or event.

Poster on Canvas   Four-color lithographic reproductions of a painting on canvas, usually with type on or around the image to advertise an artist, show or event.

Remarque   A current practice of some artists is the addition of a small personalized drawing or symbol near his pencil signature in the lower margin. The practice is borrowed from Whister's famous "butterfly" which was added to personalize many of his graphics.

Reproduction   A print produced photographically from a painting using photomechanical separations as from a scanner, computer, or copy camera.

Reproduction Print   A print made from a process such as lithography.

Serigraph / Serigraphy   A printing technique based on stenciling. Ink or paint is pushed through a fine screen made of silk. Masks are used to produce the design by blocking ink. These masks can be made of paper or from varnish applied to the silk itself. Synonym: silk-screen painting: A color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screenprint, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.

Signed and Numbered   An artist's practice of signing and numbering appears as one number over another, for example, 15/30. This indicates that the print was the 15th print to be signed and that there were 30 prints in all. There is no difference in value between low-numbered and high-numbered prints.

Silkscreen   The early name for serigraphy when natural silk was used as a stencil support. Modern fabrics include polyester, nylon, and other blends.

Tirage   Document that provides background information on the graphic edition such as edition size, printer, technique, year of execution.

Watercolor   Water soluble pigments, combined with water-soluble gum as a binder and water as a medium, used to make transparent paint. Non-transparent water-soluble paints (e.g. tempera, gouache) are, strictly speaking, not watercolors.

Wood Engraving   A relief print made from an image cut in an end block of wood (a cross-section of a tree). The artist cuts the design into the wood, so that the background portion of the image is what's inked and pressed onto the paper. Wood engravings generally are characterized as "white line on black" images. They can have much finer lines and details than can woodcuts or linocuts. The same tools are used in wood engraving as in other types of engraving.
 

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