The depiction ofnight in paintings is common inWestern art. Paintings that feature a night scene as thetheme may bereligious orhistory paintings,genre scenes,portraits,landscapes, or other subject types. Some artworks involve religious orfantasy topics using the quality of dim night light to create mysterious atmospheres. The source of illumination in a night scene—whether it is the moon or anartificial light source—may be depicted directly, or it may be implied by the character and coloration of the light that reflects from the subjects depicted. They are sometimes callednocturnes, or night-pieces, such asRembrandt'sThe Night Watch, or the German RomanticCaspar David Friedrich'sTwo Men Contemplating the Moon of 1819.

In America,James Abbott McNeill Whistler titled works as nocturnes to identify those paintings with a "dreamy, pensive mood" by applying the musical term, and likewise also titled (and retitled) works using other music expressions, such as a "symphony", "harmony", "study" or "arrangement", to emphasize the tonal qualities and the composition and to de-emphasize the narrative content. The use of the term "nocturne" can be associated with theTonalist movement of the American of the late 19th century and early 20th century which is "characterized by soft, diffused light, muted tones and hazy outlined objects, all of which imbue the works with a strong sense of mood." Along with winter scenes, nocturnes were a common Tonalist theme.Frederic Remington used the term as well for his nocturne scenes of theAmerican Old West. (Full article...)

Apicture frame is a protective and decorative edging for apicture, such as apainting orphotograph. It makes displaying the work safer and easier and both sets the picture apart from its surroundings and aesthetically integrates it with them. (Full article...)

Awash is a term for a visual arts technique resulting in a semi-transparent layer of colour. A wash of dilutedink or watercolor paint applied in combination withdrawing is calledpen and wash,wash drawing, orink and wash. Normally only one or two colours of wash are used; if more colours are used the result is likely to be classified as a fullwatercolor painting.

The classic East Asian tradition ofink wash painting uses black ink in various levels of dilution. Historically associated with thefour arts of thescholar-officials, the technique was often applied tolandscapes in traditionalChinese,Japanese, andKorean painting. (Full article...)

TheBoston school was a group ofBoston-based painters active in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Often classified asAmerican Impressionists, they had their own regional style, combining thepainterliness ofImpressionism with a more conservative approach to figure painting and a marked respect for the traditions of Western art history. Their preferred subject matter was genteel: portraits, picturesque landscapes, and young women posing in well-appointed interiors. Major influences includedJohn Singer Sargent,Claude Monet, andJan Vermeer. Key figures in the Boston school wereEdmund C. Tarbell,Frank Weston Benson, andWilliam McGregor Paxton, all of whom trained in Paris at theAcadémie Julian and later taught at theSchool of the Museum of Fine Arts. Their influence can still be seen in the work of some contemporary Boston-area artists. (Full article...)

Historic paint analysis, or architectural paint research, is thescientific analysis of a broad range ofarchitectural finishes, and is primarily used to determine the color and behavior of surface finishes at any given point in time. This helps us to understand the building's structural history and how its appearance has changed over time. Researchers may gather data for the history of the interior decoration of a building or room.

Historic paint analysis shares a common methodology with theconservation and restoration of paintings used to conserve and restore two- and three dimensional works of art. This involves the identification of components such as organic or inorganicpigments anddyes contained in the pigments. Historic paint analysis also identifies the pigments' media of suspension such as (water,oil, orlatex and the paints' associatedsubstrate. A variety of techniques are used to identify and analyze the pigment layers and finish exposure, including Finish Exposure,optical microscopy, fluorescent light microscopy,polarized light microscopy, andFourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. (Full article...)

The idea of founding atheory of painting after the model ofmusic theory was suggested byGoethe in 1807 and gained much regard among theavant-garde artists of the 1920s, theWeimar culture period, likePaul Klee. (Full article...)

Painterliness is a concept based onGerman:malerisch ('painterly'), a word popularized by Swissart historianHeinrich Wölfflin (1864–1945) to help focus, enrich and standardize the terms being used by art historians of his time to characterizeworks of art.

A painting is said to bepainterly when there are visiblebrushstrokes in the final work – the result of applying paint in a manner that is not entirely controlled, generally without closely following carefully drawn lines. Any painting media – oils, acrylics, watercolors, gouache, etc. – can produce either linear or painterly work. Some artists whose work could be characterized as painterly arePierre Bonnard,Francis Bacon,Vincent van Gogh,Rembrandt,Renoir,John Singer Sargent, andAndrew Wyeth (his early watercolors). TheImpressionists,Fauvists and theAbstract Expressionists tended strongly to be painterly. (Full article...)

Inpainting,local color is the color of an object when seen under flat white light with no adjustment for form shadow or colors of light or secondary light sources. An example would be the assumption that an apple is "red" when it is actually dependent on the color of the light hitting it, color of objects around it, glossiness, and variations within the colors on the surface of the apple itself. Local color is learned in childhood to help simplify and make sense of the world. "The sky is blue", "grass is green", etc. when there are actually myriad variations in hue, chroma, within these areas. In order to represent objects realistically, painters must look beyond the simplifications of local color. Demonstrations ofcolor constancy show how flawed local color assumptions can be when the light source has a color shift.

In contemporary sculpture local color is the original color of theraw material that remains unpainted in the completed work. (Full article...)

Inart criticism of the 1960s and 1970s,flatness described the smoothness and absence of curvature or surface detail of a two-dimensional work of art. (Full article...)

Inpainting,staffage (French pronunciation:[stafaʒ]) are the human and animal figures depicted in a scene, especially alandscape, that are not the primary subject matter of the work. Typically they are small, and there to add an indication of scale and add interest.

Before the adoption of the word into the visual arts in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries,Staffage inGerman could mean "accessories" or "decoration". The word can be used in two senses: as a general term for any figures in a work, even when they are, at least ostensibly, the main subject, and as a descriptive term for figures to whom no specific identity or story is attached, included merely for compositional or decorative reasons. In the latter sense, staffage are accessories to the scene, yet add life to the work; they provide depth to the painting and reinforce the main subject, as well as giving a clear scale to the rest of the composition. (Full article...)

Raking light is the illumination of objects from alight source at anoblique angle or almostparallel to the surface. This type of illumination provides information on thesurface topography and relief of the artefact thus lit. It is widely used in the examination of works of art. (Full article...)

Abstract art usesvisual language of shape, form, color and line to create acomposition which may exist with a degree of independence fromvisual references in the world.Abstract art,non-figurative art,non-objective art, andnon-representational art are all closely related terms. They have similar, but perhaps not identical, meanings.

Western art had been, from theRenaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic ofperspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality. By the end of the 19th century, many artists felt a need to create a new kind of art which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place intechnology,science andphilosophy. The sources from which individual artists drew their theoretical arguments were diverse, and reflected the social and intellectual preoccupations in all areas of Western culture at that time. (Full article...)

Abinder orbinding agent is any material or substance that holds or draws other materials together to form a cohesive whole mechanically, chemically, byadhesion orcohesion.

More narrowly, binders are liquid or dough-like substances that harden by a chemical or physical process and bind fibres,filler powder and other particles added into it. Examples includeglue,adhesive andthickening. (Full article...)

Asignwriter designs, manufactures and installssigns, including advertising signs for shops, businesses and public facilities as well as signs for transport systems. (Full article...)

Aproblem picture is agenre of art popular in lateVictorian painting, characterised by the deliberately ambiguous depiction of a key moment in a narrative that can be interpreted in several different ways, or which portrays an unresolved dilemma. It has some relation to theproblem play. The viewer of the picture is invited to speculate about several different possible explanations of the scene. The genre has much in common with that ofbook illustration, then at its most popular, but with the text belonging to the illustration omitted.

The genre began to emerge in the second half of the nineteenth century, along with the development of book illustrations that depicted "pregnant" moments in a narrative. One of the earliest problem pictures isJohn Everett Millais'Trust Me, which depicts an older man demanding that a young woman hand him a letter she has received. Either character might be uttering the words. The significance and content of the letter is left to the imagination. Their relationship is also unclear; in view of their ages, they might be a married couple, or a father and daughter. (Full article...)

The depiction ofnight in paintings is common inart in Asia.Paintings that feature the night scene as thetheme are mostlyportraits andlandscapes. Some artworks which involvereligious orfantasy topics use the quality of dim night light to create mysterious atmospheres. They tend to illustrate the illuminating effect of the light reflection on the subjects under eithermoonlight orartificial light sources. (Full article...)

Watercolor (American English) orwatercolour (Commonwealth English; seespelling differences), alsoaquarelle (French:[akwaʁɛl]; from Italian diminutive of Latinaqua 'water'), is apainting method in which thepaints are made ofpigments suspended in a water-based solution.Watercolor refers to both themedium and the resultingartwork.

The conventional and most commonsupport—material to which the paint is applied—for watercolor paintings is paper, usually special types ofwatercolor paper. Other supports or substrates include stone, ivory, silk, reed,papyrus, bark papers, plastics,vellum,leather,fabric, wood, and watercolor canvas (coated with a gesso that is specially formulated for use with watercolors). Watercolor paper is often made entirely or partially with cotton. This gives the surface the appropriate texture and minimizes distortion when wet. Watercolor papers are usually cold-pressed papers that provide better texture and appearance. Another variation is hot-pressed watercolor paper, which has a smoother texture and appearance than cold-pressed paper. Transparency is the main characteristic of watercolors. It is caused by the gum binder being absorbed by the paper, leaving a top layer of dispersed pigment particles, through which the paper shimmers. "It consists of a mixture of pigments, binders such as gum arabic and humectants such as glycerin, which together with other components, allow the color pigment to join and form the paint paste, which we know as watercolor. With regard to the colors, the quality of the pigments and their degree of concentration, it is what determines how good the watercolor is and also its price. A paint that has a high concentration of pigment, professional type, allows us to use it with a large amount of water without losing the intensity of color." Watercolors can also be made opaque by addingChinese white. In the 19th century this could be controversial, and not regarded as "true watercolor" in the English tradition, but by about 1880 this dispute was over. (Full article...)

Animal-made art consists of works by non-humananimals, that have been considered by humans to beartistic, including visual works, music, photography, and videography. Some of these are created naturally by animals, often ascourtship displays, while others are created with human involvement.

There have been debates about thecopyright status of these works, with theUnited States Copyright Office stating in 2014 that works that lack human authorship cannot have their copyright registered at the US Copyright Office. (Full article...)

Digital painting is either a physical painting made with the use ofdigital electronics andspray paintrobotics within thedigital artfine art context or pictorial art imagery made withpixels on a computer screen that mimics artworks from the traditional histories ofpainting andillustration. (Full article...)

Theconservation and restoration of paintings is carried out by professionalpainting conservators. Paintings cover a wide range of various mediums, materials, and their supports (i.e. the painted surface made from fabric, paper, wood panel, fabricated board, or other). Painting types include fine art to decorative and functional objects spanning from acrylics, frescoes, and oil paint on various surfaces, eggtempera on panels and canvas, lacquer painting, water color and more. Knowing the materials of any given painting and its support allows for the proper restoration and conservation practices. All components of a painting will react to its environment differently, and impact the artwork as a whole. These material components along withcollections care (also known as preventive conservation) will determine the longevity of a painting. The first steps to conservation and restoration is preventive conservation followed by active restoration with the artist's intent in mind. (Full article...)

Panoramic paintings are massive artworks that reveal a wide,all-encompassing view of a particular subject, often alandscape, military battle, or historical event. They became especially popular in the 19th century inEurope and theUnited States, inciting opposition from some writers ofRomantic poetry. A few have survived into the 21st century and are on public display. Typically shown in rotundas for viewing, panoramas were meant to be so lifelike they confused the spectator between what was real and what was image.

InChina, panoramic paintings are an important subset ofhandscroll paintings, with some famous examples beingAlong the River During the Qingming Festival andTen Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River. (Full article...)

Aghost sign is an oldhand-painted advertising sign that has been preserved on a building for an extended period of time. The sign may be kept for itsnostalgic appeal, or simply indifference by the owner. (Full article...)

An"overdoor" (or"Supraporte" as in German, or"sopraporte" as in Italian) is a painting,bas-relief or decorative panel, generally in a horizontal format, that is set, typically withinornamental mouldings, over a door, or was originally intended for this purpose. (Full article...)

Tenebrism, fromItaliantenebroso ('dark, gloomy, mysterious'), also occasionally calleddramatic illumination, is a style ofpainting using especially pronouncedchiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts oflight anddark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image. The technique was developed to add drama to an image through aspotlight effect, and is common inBaroque paintings. Tenebrism is used only to obtain a dramatic impact whilechiaroscuro is a broader term, also covering the use of less extreme contrasts of light to enhance the illusion of three-dimensionality. (Full article...)

Thehistory of painting reaches back in time to artifacts and artwork created by pre-historic artists, and spans all cultures. It represents a continuous, though periodically disrupted, tradition from Antiquity. Across cultures, continents, and millennia, the history of painting consists of an ongoing river of creativity that continues into the 21st century. Until the early 20th century it relied primarily onrepresentational,religious andclassical motifs, after which time more purelyabstract andconceptual approaches gained favor.

Developments in Eastern painting historically parallel those inWestern painting, in general, a few centuries earlier.African art,Jewish art,Islamic art,Indonesian art,Indian art,Chinese art, andJapanese art each had significant influence on Western art, and vice versa. (Full article...)

China painting, orporcelain painting, is the decoration of glazedporcelain objects, such as plates, bowls, vases or statues. The body of the object may behard-paste porcelain, developed in China in the 7th or 8th century, orsoft-paste porcelain (oftenbone china), developed in 18th-century Europe. The broader termceramic painting includes painted decoration onlead-glazed earthenware such ascreamware ortin-glazed pottery such asmaiolica orfaience.

Typically the body is first fired in a kiln to convert it into a hard porousbiscuit or bisque.Underglaze decoration may then be applied, followed by glaze, which is fired so it bonds to the body. The glazed porcelain may then be painted withoverglaze decoration and fired again to bond the paint with the glaze. Most pieces use only one of underglaze or overglaze painting, the latter often being referred to as "enamelled". Decorations may be applied by brush or bystenciling,transfer printing andscreen printing. (Full article...)

In two-dimensional works of art, such aspainting,printmaking,photography orbas-relief,repoussoir (French:[ʁəpuswaʁ],pushing back) is an object along the right or left foreground that directs the viewer's eye into the composition by bracketing (framing) the edge. It became popular withMannerist andBaroque artists, and is found frequently in Dutch seventeenth-century landscape paintings.Jacob van Ruisdael, for example, often included a tree along one side to enclose the scene (see illustration). Figures are also commonly employed asrepoussoir devices by artists such asPaolo Veronese,Peter Paul Rubens andImpressionists such asGustave Caillebotte. (Full article...)

Fresco (pl. frescos orfrescoes) is a technique ofmural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet")lime plaster.Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. The wordfresco (Italian:affresco) is derived from the Italian adjectivefresco meaning "fresh", and may thus be contrasted withfresco-secco or secco mural painting techniques, which are applied to dried plaster, to supplement painting in fresco. The fresco technique has been employed since antiquity and is closely associated withItalian Renaissance painting.

The wordfresco is commonly and inaccurately used in English to refer to any wall painting regardless of the plaster technology or binding medium. This, in part, contributes to a misconception that the most geographically and temporally common wall painting technology was the painting into wet lime plaster. Even in apparentlybuon fresco technology, the use of supplementary organic materials was widespread, if underrecognized. (Full article...)

Paint by number orpainting by numbers kits are self-contained painting sets, designed to facilitate painting a pre-designed image. They generally includebrushes, tubs of paint with numbered labels, and acanvas printed with borders and numbers. The user selects the color corresponding to one of the numbers then uses it to fill in a delineated section of the canvas, in a manner similar to acoloring book.

The kits were invented, developed and marketed in 1950 by Max S. Klein, an engineer and owner of the Palmer Paint Company in Detroit, Michigan, United States, and Dan Robbins, a commercial artist. When Palmer Paint introduced crayons to consumers, they also posted images online for a "Crayon by Number" version. (Full article...)

Industrial Painting is defined by the 1959 "Manifesto of Industrial Painting: For a unitary applied art", a text byGiuseppe Pinot-Gallizio which was originally published inNotizie Arti Figurative No. 9 (1959). A French translation was soon published inInternationale Situationniste no.3 (1959).

In May 1997,Molly Klein translated the original Italian-language version into English: (Full article...)

Craquelure (French:craquelure;Italian:crettatura) is a fine pattern of dense cracking formed on the surface of materials. It can be a result of drying, shock, aging, intentional patterning, or a combination of all four. The term is most often used to refer totempera oroil paintings, but it can also develop in oldivory carvings or painted miniatures on an ivory backing. Recently, analysis of craquelure has been proposed as a way to authenticate art.

In ceramics, craquelure inceramic glazes, where it is often a desired effect, is called "crackle"; it is a characteristic of ChineseGe ware in particular. This is usually differentiated fromcrazing, which is a glaze defect in firing, or the result of aging or damage. (Full article...)

Microbial art,agar art, orgerm art is artwork created byculturingmicroorganisms in certain patterns. The microbes used can bebacteria,yeast,fungi, or less commonly,protists. The microbes can be chosen for their natural colours orengineered to expressfluorescent proteins and viewed underultraviolet light to make them fluoresce in colour. (Full article...)

Distemper is a decorativepaint and a historical medium for painting pictures, and contrasted withtempera. Thebinder may beglues of vegetable or animal origin (excluding egg). Soft distemper is not abrasion resistant and may include binders such as chalk, ground pigments, and animal glue. Hard distemper is stronger and wear-resistant and can includecasein orlinseed oil as binders. (Full article...)

Drip painting is a form of art, oftenabstract art, in which paint is dripped or poured on to the canvas. This style ofaction painting was experimented with in the first half of the twentieth century by such artists asFrancis Picabia,André Masson andMax Ernst, who employed drip painting in his worksThe Bewildered Planet, andYoung Man Intrigued by the Flight of a Non-Euclidean Fly (1942). Ernst used the novel means of paintingLissajous figures by swinging a punctured bucket of paint over a horizontal canvas.
Drip painting found particular expression in the work of the mid-twentieth-century artistsJanet Sobel—who pioneered the technique—andJackson Pollock. Pollock found drip painting to his liking, later using the technique almost exclusively. He used unconventional tools like sticks, hardened brushes and evenbasting syringes to create large and energetic abstract works. Pollock used house or industrial paint to create his paintings—Pollock's wifeLee Krasner described his palette as "typically a can or two of … enamel, thinned to the point he wanted it, standing on the floor besides the rolled-out canvas" and that Pollock used Duco or Davoe and Reynolds brands of house paint. House paint was less viscous than traditional tubes ofoil paint, and Pollock thus created his large compositions horizontally to prevent his paint from running. His gestural lines create a unified overall pattern that allows the eye to travel from one of the canvases to the other and back again. (Full article...)

Avelvet painting is a type ofpainting distinguished by the use ofvelvet (usually black velvet) as thesupport, in place of canvas, paper, or similar materials. The velvet provides an especially dark background against which colors stand out.

Velvet painting is an ancient technique, and took on a new popularity in the United States in the late 20th century. (Full article...)

Giornata is an art term, originating from an Italian word which means "a day's work." The term is used inBuon frescomural painting and describes how much painting can be done in a single day of work. This amount is based on the artist's past experience of how much they can paint in the many hours available while the plaster remains wet and the pigment is able to adhere to the wall. (Full article...)

Impasto is a technique used inpainting wherepaint is laid on an area of the surface thickly, usually thick enough that thebrush orpainting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provides texture; the paint appears to be coming out of the canvas. (Full article...)

Ceramic glaze, or simplyglaze, is aglassy coating on ceramics. It is used for decoration, to ensure the item is impermeable to liquids, and to minimize the adherence of pollutants.

Glazing rendersearthenware impermeable to water, sealing the inherentporosity of earthenware. It also gives a tougher surface. Glaze is also used onstoneware andporcelain. In addition to their functionality, glazes can form a variety of surface finishes, including degrees of glossy or matte finish and color. Glazes may also enhance the underlying design or texture either unmodified or inscribed, carved or painted. (Full article...)

Anoil sketch oroil study is an artwork made primarily inoil paint in preparation for a larger, finished work. Originally these were created as preparatory studies ormodelli, especially so as to gain approval for the design of a larger commissioned painting. They were also used as designs for specialists in other media, such asprintmaking ortapestry, to follow. Later they were produced as independent works, often with no thought of being expanded into a full-size painting.

Theusual medium formodelli was thedrawing, but an oil sketch, even if done in a limited range of colours, could better suggest the tone of the projected work. It is also possible to more fully convey the flow and energy of a composition in paint. For a painter with exceptional technique, the production of an oil sketch may be as rapid as that of a drawing, and many practitioners had superb brush skills. In its rapidity of execution the oil sketch may be used not only to express movement and transient effects of light and color, its gestural nature may even represent amimetic parallel to the action of the subject. (Full article...)

Underdrawing is a preparatorydrawing done on a painting ground before paint is applied, for example, animprimatura or anunderpainting. Underdrawing was used extensively by 15th century painters likeJan van Eyck andRogier van der Weyden. These artists "underdrew" with a brush, using hatching strokes for shading, using water-based black paint, beforeunderpainting andoverpainting with oils.Cennino D'Andrea Cennini (14th century most likely) describes a different type of underdrawing, made with graded tones rather than hatching, foregg tempera.

In some cases, underdrawing can be clearly visualized usinginfrared reflectography becausecarbon black pigments absorb infrared light, whereas opaque pigments such as lead white are transparent with infrared light. Underdrawing in many works, for example, theAnnunciation (van Eyck, Washington) or theArnolfini Portrait, reveals that artists madepentimenti or alterations, sometimes radical ones, to their compositions. (Full article...)

The depiction ofnight in paintings is common inWestern art. Paintings that feature a night scene as thetheme may bereligious orhistory paintings,genre scenes,portraits,landscapes, or other subject types. Some artworks involve religious orfantasy topics using the quality of dim night light to create mysterious atmospheres. The source of illumination in a night scene—whether it is the moon or anartificial light source—may be depicted directly, or it may be implied by the character and coloration of the light that reflects from the subjects depicted. They are sometimes callednocturnes, or night-pieces, such asRembrandt'sThe Night Watch, or the German RomanticCaspar David Friedrich'sTwo Men Contemplating the Moon of 1819.

In America,James Abbott McNeill Whistler titled works as nocturnes to identify those paintings with a "dreamy, pensive mood" by applying the musical term, and likewise also titled (and retitled) works using other music expressions, such as a "symphony", "harmony", "study" or "arrangement", to emphasize the tonal qualities and the composition and to de-emphasize the narrative content. The use of the term "nocturne" can be associated with theTonalist movement of the American of the late 19th century and early 20th century which is "characterized by soft, diffused light, muted tones and hazy outlined objects, all of which imbue the works with a strong sense of mood." Along with winter scenes, nocturnes were a common Tonalist theme.Frederic Remington used the term as well for his nocturne scenes of theAmerican Old West. (Full article...)

Figure painting, orminiature painting, is thehobby of paintingminiature figures and/ormodel figures, either as a standalone activity or as a part of another activity that uses models, such asrole-playing games,wargames, ormilitary modeling.

In addition to the painting of models, the creation of scenic basing for the model to be affixed to is also an important part of the hobby (although not all figure painters are concerned about the basing of their models). These can range from very simple applications of textured pastes, grit, andstatic grass for gaming bases, to larger scenic bases for display models, and even fulldioramas depicting a scene of a single model or a group of models together in tableau to create a story in one moment. It can also include aspects ofsculpting, for the purpose of creating additional details for models and bases, as a means ofcustomizing the model to make them more unique, or to create entirelyscratch built models for painting. Many figure painters also paint scale busts as part of the hobby, often in bigger scales than figures with a higher level of detail, and display bases and backdrops for them. (Full article...)

Graffiti (singulargraffiti, orgraffito only ingraffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written"monikers" to elaborate wall paintings, and has existedsince ancient times, with examples dating back toancient Egypt,ancient Greece, and theRoman Empire.

Modern graffiti is a controversial subject. In most countries, marking or painting property without permission is consideredvandalism. Modern graffiti began in theNew York City subway system andPhiladelphia in the early 1970s and later spread to the rest of the United States and throughout the world. (Full article...)

Protoquadro is a painting technique conceived using digital supports to produce objects that will stand into a space as paintings used to. It pertains to the realm ofGenerative art.

Protoquadro objects have some characteristics of a painting and some of a totally new class of objects, therefore the name, formed by the Greek term "protos" (first) and the Italian "quadro" (painting). (Full article...)

Pin striping (orpinstriping) is the application of a very thin line ofpaint or other material called a pin stripe, and is generally used for decoration. Freehand pin stripers use a specialty brush known as apinstriping brush.

Automotive, bike shops, and do-it-yourself car and motorcycle mechanics use paint pin striping to create their own custom look on the automotive bodies and parts. (Full article...)

Sfumato (English:/sfuːˈmɑːtoʊ/sfoo-MAH-toh,Italian:[sfuˈmaːto];lit. 'smoked off', i.e. 'blurred') is a painting technique for softening the transition between colours, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on, or the out-of-focus plane. It is one of thecanonical painting modes of the Renaissance.Leonardo da Vinci was the most prominent practitioner of sfumato, based on his research in optics and human vision, and his experimentation with thecamera obscura. He introduced it and implemented it in many of his works, including theVirgin of the Rocks and in his famous painting of theMona Lisa. He described sfumato as "without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke".

According to the theory of the art historianMarcia B. Hall, which has gained considerable acceptance,sfumato is one of four modes of painting colours available to ItalianHigh Renaissance painters, along withcangiante,chiaroscuro, andunione. (Full article...)

Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspectivedi sotto in sù andquadratura, is the tradition inRenaissance,Baroque andRococo art in whichtrompe-l'œil,perspective tools such asforeshortening, and other spatial effects are used to create the illusion ofthree-dimensional space on an otherwisetwo-dimensional or mostly flat ceiling surface above the viewer. It is frequently used to create theillusion of an open sky, such as with theoculus inAndrea Mantegna'sCamera degli Sposi, or the illusion of an architectural space such as thecupola, one ofAndrea Pozzo'sfrescoes inSant'Ignazio, Rome. Illusionistic ceiling painting belongs to the general class ofillusionism inart, designed to create accurate representations ofreality, as well as the general class ofpainted ceilings. (Full article...)

Apanel painting is a painting made on a flat panel ofwood, either a single piece or a number of pieces joined together. Untilcanvas became the more popularsupport medium in the 16th century, panel painting was the normal method, when not painting directly onto a wall (fresco) or onvellum (used forminiatures inilluminated manuscripts). Wood panels were also used for mounting vellum paintings. (Full article...)

Intonaco is an Italian term for the final, very thin layer ofplaster on which afresco is painted. The plaster is painted while still wet, in order to allow the pigment to penetrate into the intonaco itself. An earlier layer, calledarriccio, is laid slightly coarsely to provide a key for the intonaco, and must be allowed to dry, usually for some days, before the final very thin layer is applied and painted on. In Italian the term intonaco is also used much more generally for normal plaster or mortar wall-coatings in buildings.

Intonaco is traditionally a mixture ofsand (with granular dimensions less than two millimeters) and a binding substance. (Full article...)