This is a new online glossary of painting terms. More to come!
Alkyd (“Call me Al, kid”)
Oil Painting
Alkyds are synthetic resin replacements for slow drying natural oils. When added to oil paint they speed up the drying time. Examples: Liquin, Galkyd, and many more. Some paints like Quick Dry White, Gamblin FastMatte, and W&N Griffin Paints have alkyds replacing the oil in the tube, resulting in a faster drying paint.
Alla Prima (All-uh Pree-mah) Oil & Acrylic Painting (Mostly Oil)
This is an Italian phrase that means “at the first attempt” so describes a painting created entirely in one sitting. Alla Prima is also called “wet-on-wet” because nothing has time to dry, and wet paint is worked over wet paint. Fresh wins the alla prima challenge, as overworking makes mud. You cannot glaze an alla prima painting.
Baroque painters who painted alla prima are Diego Velázquez and Frans Hals. In the Rococo era, artists such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Francesco Guardi, and Thomas Gainsborough were appreciated for their boldness. The most famous American Renaissance alla prima painter was John Singer Sargent.
Bloom Oil Painting
Dull white cloudy look on oil varnish in damp conditions.
Bloom Watercolor Painting
A bloom is formed when an area with more wet watercolor spreads into an area with less, resulting in a pattern of color.
[caption id=”attachment_2626″ align=”aligncenter” width=”794 Elizabeth Tyler
Blocking in
Oil & Acrylic Painting
The first steps after the sketch, in which areas of flat color are applied to the whole canvas. The paint is usually thin so this layer dries quickly and can be easily painted over. Most of this layer will be covered, and so blocking in is usually a fast process, best done with a big brush. Some artists start with value, and apply one single color. For single colors, some choose a neutral earth color like a burnt umber. Others choose a complimentary color like orange for a landscape that will be mostly greys, blues and greens. Other artists block each area in with multiple colors, like a patchwork quilt.
[image_with_animation image_url=”9639″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Make a self portrait, inspired by another artist’s self portrait. Materials are artists’ choice. You can copy the pose, the style, the idea, or all three. Below are some inspirations to help get you started. Share your work. People who post to Instagram or Facebook will be eligible to …
Today is day 28 of our 30 day creative challenge. Fridays are comics day. For today’s comic challenge, you’ll illustrate a quote from a random idea generator. As usual, feel free to draw, paint, print, collage, assemblage, photograph, or build an igloo out of sugar cubes. Here is your quote: Post it Post your work …
[image_with_animation image_url=”8323″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Photo from apartycrasher.biz/pages/baglady.html Every day I watch students waddle in, and waddle out of class, overloaded with heavy bags full of painting supplies. Brushes, paint tubes, mediums, containers, paper towels, canvases…. It’s a lot to carry! And how many times have you gotten all the way to the studio …
Last Thursday I posted over 100 orange artworks. Now there are more! Image right: A Dalecarlian horse is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). Several different types of Dalecarlian horses are made, with distinguishing features common to the locality of the site where they are produced. This one is from around 1950 and is …
Glossary of Painting Terms
This is a new online glossary of painting terms. More to come!
Alkyd (“Call me Al, kid”)
Oil Painting
Alkyds are synthetic resin replacements for slow drying natural oils. When added to oil paint they speed up the drying time. Examples: Liquin, Galkyd, and many more. Some paints like Quick Dry White, Gamblin FastMatte, and W&N Griffin Paints have alkyds replacing the oil in the tube, resulting in a faster drying paint.
Alla Prima (All-uh Pree-mah)
Oil & Acrylic Painting (Mostly Oil)
This is an Italian phrase that means “at the first attempt” so describes a painting created entirely in one sitting. Alla Prima is also called “wet-on-wet” because nothing has time to dry, and wet paint is worked over wet paint. Fresh wins the alla prima challenge, as overworking makes mud. You cannot glaze an alla prima painting.
Baroque painters who painted alla prima are Diego Velázquez and Frans Hals. In the Rococo era, artists such as Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Francesco Guardi, and Thomas Gainsborough were appreciated for their boldness. The most famous American Renaissance alla prima painter was John Singer Sargent.
Bloom
Oil Painting
Dull white cloudy look on oil varnish in damp conditions.
Bloom

Watercolor Painting
A bloom is formed when an area with more wet watercolor spreads into an area with less, resulting in a pattern of color.
[caption id=”attachment_2626″ align=”aligncenter” width=”794
Elizabeth Tyler
Blocking in
Oil & Acrylic Painting
The first steps after the sketch, in which areas of flat color are applied to the whole canvas. The paint is usually thin so this layer dries quickly and can be easily painted over. Most of this layer will be covered, and so blocking in is usually a fast process, best done with a big brush. Some artists start with value, and apply one single color. For single colors, some choose a neutral earth color like a burnt umber. Others choose a complimentary color like orange for a landscape that will be mostly greys, blues and greens. Other artists block each area in with multiple colors, like a patchwork quilt.
Terry Miura, blocked in
Related Posts
SALChallenge: Self Portrait After _________
[image_with_animation image_url=”9639″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Make a self portrait, inspired by another artist’s self portrait. Materials are artists’ choice. You can copy the pose, the style, the idea, or all three. Below are some inspirations to help get you started. Share your work. People who post to Instagram or Facebook will be eligible to …
30SAL Challenge: Well, this is where I live
Today is day 28 of our 30 day creative challenge. Fridays are comics day. For today’s comic challenge, you’ll illustrate a quote from a random idea generator. As usual, feel free to draw, paint, print, collage, assemblage, photograph, or build an igloo out of sugar cubes. Here is your quote: Post it Post your work …
Mobile Art Bins
[image_with_animation image_url=”8323″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Photo from apartycrasher.biz/pages/baglady.html Every day I watch students waddle in, and waddle out of class, overloaded with heavy bags full of painting supplies. Brushes, paint tubes, mediums, containers, paper towels, canvases…. It’s a lot to carry! And how many times have you gotten all the way to the studio …
More Orange Artworks
Last Thursday I posted over 100 orange artworks. Now there are more! Image right: A Dalecarlian horse is a traditional carved, painted wooden statue of a horse originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia). Several different types of Dalecarlian horses are made, with distinguishing features common to the locality of the site where they are produced. This one is from around 1950 and is …