Glossary

Category: General (Select letter)

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Achromatic
Black, white and greys. Artwork that is executed without color.


Acrylic
Thicker and stronger than tempera or watercolor paint, Acrylic is a water-based "plastic" paint.


Albumen Print
This printing process is used in photography printing processes. Egg whites are used in the emulsion.


Alternative Process
This photography term covers approximately 35 different processes for the final unconventional effect.


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.


Armature
A structure used beneath something else for support. For example, a sculptor might create a clay sculpture with a wood or wire armature beneath it as support. Think about the frame of a house being constructed before all of the brick or siding is built on top.


Artists Proof
A small group of outstanding prints for the artists use which have been set aside from the edition prints.


Artist's Proof
An Artist's Proof is one outside the regular edition, but printed at the same time or after the regular edition from the same plates without changes. By custom, the artist retains the A/Ps for his personal use or sale. 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.