Art Terms

Abstract Art

Abstract art seeks to break away from traditional representation of physical objects. It explores the relationships of forms and colors, whereas more traditional art represents the world in recognizable images.

Acrylic Paint

Paint in which an acrylic resin serves as a vehicle.Acrylic colors are water soluble when wet, but dry to an insoluble form. Colors are bright and dry quickly.

Archival

An archival material should have a neutral or slightly alkaline pH; it should also have good aging properties to preserve art and framing for the longest periods of time 


Canvas

A woven, heavy cloth of cotton, hemp, or linen, used as a support for a painting. The surface may be prepared for painting with gesso. 


Canvas Transfer

A print or poster is coated with a special chemical which seizes the ink.  The resulting ink film is then carefully separated from the paper and embedded into artist's canvas.  This transfer can be further enhanced by brush strokes or a process called age and crack.


Diptych

A set of two prints or paintings making one complete image. A pair of pictures or carvings on two panels, sometimes hinged together.


Engraving

Lines are cut into a plate with a burin or graver. The metal which is displaced is smoothed with a scraper, then the plate is inked, forcing the color into the lines, compltely filing them. The lined image filled with ink which is then transfered onto paper.


Etching

The image is drawn on a metal plate covered by a protective film.  When the plate is placed in acid, these areas exposed by the drawing are etched into the plate.  The ink is held in these incised lines and the original drawing can be transferred exactly to paper.


Giclee

A digital reproduction using a state-of-the-art printer in which super fine nozzles spray microscopic droplets of ink.  Editions may be created on paper or canvas.  Some artists offer hand embellishments on their work.


Impressionism

An art movement and style of painting that started in France during the 1860s. Impressionist artists tried to paint candid glimpses of their subjects showing the effects of sunlight on things at different times of day. The leaders of this movement were: Camille Pissarro (French, 1830-1903), Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926), and Pierre Renoir (French, 1841-1919). Some of the early work of Paul Cézanne (French, 1839-1906) fits into this style, though his later work so transcends it that it belongs to another movement known as Post-Impressionism.


Lithography

The image is drawn with a greasy crayon onto a specialty treated stone.  Water is applied and then ink which adheres only to the greasy drawn image.  The printing surface is completely flat and the image is transferred because of the incompatibility of oil and water.


Mezzotint

From the Italian mezza tinta, "halftone", an  Engraving produced by pricking the surface of a metal plate with innumerable small holes that will hold ink. When the engraving is printed, the ink produces large areas of tone with soft, subtle gradations. Engraved or etched lines are often introduced to give the design greater definition.


Mixed Media

Art work using various types of paint and materials to create texture and interest. Materials may include photographic images, natural elements such as sand, gold or silver leafing,etc.

Monoprints

A process using a form of printmaking that will transfer onto paper.  A monoprint is a one-of-a-kind print, each one derived from the same plate but individually hand manipulated.  Various techniques include etchings, aquatints, mezotints and engraving.


Oil Painting

The art or technique of painting an original work of art with oil paints and oil painting mediums.


Oil Painting Composition

Composed of pigments that are mixed with a binder of linseed oil and used with turpentine, oil and varnish to create art. Usually thin coats of color are blended together next to and on top of each other. Also used thickly and painted with a palette knife for textural effects.

Plein Air Painting

En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors in natural light. Many French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir advocated en plein air painting.


Serigraph

Also referred to as silk screening is a method of printing using a squeegee forcing ink through a screen. It is a printmaking technique that creates a sharp-edged image using a stencil. It is complex process using a fine mesh of polyester or nylon material stretched tightly across a frame. A separate screen is created for every color that exists in the original art.


Triptych

A set of three paintings or bas reliefs, related in subject matter connected, or mounted side by side. The two outside half-panels (called wings) may be closed over the central panel. Also a set of three prints that make one complete image.


Watercolor Painting

The technique of painting with watercolor pigments.Watercolor paints are often applied on heavy archival paper. The final work of art is covered with conservation glass for protection.





Custom Framing Terms

Archival Framing

Archival Framing method uses materials that do not contain acids that can break down your photograph, print, or painting.

Mats should be rag board that separate the painting or drawing from the frame and glass.

Artwork can be damaged by sunlight, so you want to choose glass that has a UV protection, and we recommend Museum Glass

Bevel Edge

 Cutting or shaping the edge or end of the material to form an angle that is not a right angle, such as the bevel cut on the window edge of a mat. We can also cut a reverse bevel on a mat board so that a white core does not appear.

Custom Frame

 A custom frame adds beauty and completes a work of art. The frame molding provides the architectural design element, whether traditional, transitional, or contemporary. The custom framing should complement the art, photography, or even family or sports memorabilia.

Frame Design

 The selection of the components for a visually and architecturally pleasing frame design for a particular piece of art or art grouping. The components may include mats, liners, fillets, and frame moldings.

Fabric mat

 The mat border around a work of art, photograph or print which is covered with a fabric, Often linen, suede, or silk fabric is used on the mat board.

Fillet

A small, usually narrow molding with a profile that may be used as an edging on a mat or frame lip. May be part of a design line from a frame company that coordinates with the outer molding profiles.

Floater

 A molding which is used to elevate a work of art above the mounted surface within the frame; the art appears to float within the frame.

Liner

The liner fits between the artwork and frame. Liners are traditionally used with oil paintings,  and often are covered in linen or silk. At Leawood Fine Art we custom hand wrap our liners so that there are no corner seams showing. There are many profiles, widths, and fabric selections available to choose from.

Hinge

 A small piece of paper or tape generally used to attach paper art to a mounting board.

Non-Glare Glass

 Glass which has been etched on one or both sides, which defuses the light, resulting in a minimum of glare and reflection. AR Glass (anti-reflective) is a high quality glass now commonly used as an alternative to non-glare.

Mat Board

 A multi-ply board usually comprised of a core, adhesive, facing and backing paper. Commonly four-ply, but available in other thicknesses up to 8-ply. May be rag board or made of wood fiber. The surface paper comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and even fabrics. In framing, used to make the window mat and as a mounting board for artwork.

Shadow Box Frame

 A frame made from a deep molding in which three-dimensional objects may be displayed.  For example: Sports Memorabilia, Autographed Jerseys, Golf Hole In One, Baby shoes and Communion Dresses, Commemorative Plates or plaques,etc