Whether you’re an art student or a professional artist, we all forget fancy art words every once in a while. So, I’ve created a super-long list to help rejig your memory. I also plan to keep adding to it, as and when I learn new terminology.
Scroll down to uncover a long list of art words and phrases. Plus plenty of terminology for describing paintings.
If you spot a word that’s missing, please let me know in the comments below, and I’ll make sure it gets included.
Now. All that’s left for you to do, is to tap a letter below to jump to your desired section. Or scroll and read to your heart’s content.
Art words that start with A
Aboriginal art – This art includes (but is not limited to) painting on rock, leaves, wood and caves, plus rock carving, stone carving and sculpture.
Abject art – A term that describes art, which explores themes that threaten our sense of human cleanliness.
Abstract art – A frequently used term in modern art, which can be applied across any medium. In abstract art, traditional forms are replaced by seemingly random colours and forms.
Abstract expressionism – An painting term applied to forms of abstract art and include gestural brush-strokes or mark-making. Famous abstract expressionists include Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.
Académie Colarossi – A French art school established in the nineteenth century. It offered an alternative curriculum to the official Ecole des Beaux Arts
Acrylic paint – Colourful pigments combined with a water-soluble polymer media.
Action painters – Artists who practised between 1940 and 1960, and valued the physical act of painting as much as the finished work.
Aesthetic movement – An art movement that championed sensual qualities like beauty over moral or narrative ideas.
Afrofuturism – An African-American movement that combines historic African ancestry, fantasy and science-fiction.
Airbrush – A method where paint is applied with compressed air to deliver an even finish.
AkhRR – Founded founded in Moscow (1922) the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia created realistic images of everyday life after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Alla Prima – A technique that requires no underpainting, and the paint is applied in one application. Famous Alla Prima painters include Bob Ross.
Allegory – A style of painting that has a hidden meaning.
All-over space – An image with no focal point. The artist Jackson Pollock developed this style.
Alabaster – A soft white or translucent stone often used when carving sculptures.
Albumen print – A commonly used style of photographic print, where the paper is coated in albumen (egg white). It was developed in 1850.
Allegory – When an artwork symbolises a deep moral or spiritual meaning, like justice, virtue, life or death.
Analytical cubism – The early phase of cubism, between 1908 and 1912. Artworks are identified by fragmented appearance, overlapping planes and multiple points of view.
Animalier – A creator with animal subjects.
Animation – A sequence of static images arranged in such a way that they create an illusion of movement. Some of the first animations were created as flick books. Today, they are often made using software on a computer.
Anti-art – A word that describes any piece of art that challenges the socially accepted definition of art.
Antiquity – Art made by the Greeks and Romans before the Roman Empire collapsed.
Applied art – The design and decoration of functional objects, e.g. furniture, ceramics and glasswork.
Aquatint – An intaglio printmaking technique where resin is etched onto a copper or zinc plate and then heated.
Arab Image Foundation – Also known as the AIF, it is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1997, in Beirut. Together, they study, preserve and exhibit photographs from the Middle East, North Africa and the Arab diaspora, captured between the 1800s and today.
Arabesque – Artistic decoration featuring interlaced foliage, plants, motifs and lines. This style of art is typical of Islamic design.
Archive – A collection of records that can be used for research.
Art Deco – This art word represents glamorous, luxurious, and modern work. It is short for Arts Décoratifs.
Art Nouveau – A decorative art movement that was popular between 1890 and 1910. Practitioners took inspiration from natural forms like plants.
Art Workers’ Coalition – Also known as the AWC, this was a group of artist-activists who promoted artists’ rights and challenged the art establishment into implementing reforms in New York, in 1969.
Arte povera – A radical art movement that originated in Italy during the late 1960s. These artists explored unconventional processes and non-traditional materials to create art.
Automatism – A subconscious drawing technique wherein the unconscious mind guides the paintbrush or pencil.
Authenticity – Used to describe the qualities of original artwork, versus a forgery or print.
Avant-garde – Experimental art that pushes the boundaries of contemporary art. ‘Avant-garde’ comes from the French for ‘Advance guard’.
Autochrome – Louis Lumiere invented this colour photography technique in 1903, wherein a glass plate is covered in grains of dyed starch.
Art words that start with B
Baccanal – The term for artists who specialised in painting peasant scenes in the 17th century.
Banketjea – A still life painting that features food. It translates to ‘little banquet’ in Dutch.
Baroque – This style originated in Italy, around 1600. It creates drama within a composition using exaggerated motions. Famous Baroque painters include Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Bauhaus – A German art school founded by Walter Gropius. It was open between 1919 and 1933.
Biennial – A huge international art exhibition that is hosted every two years.
Biomorphic – These abstract forms or images refer to living forms, like plants, animals or the human body.
Black Audio Film Collective – An arts initiative founded in Britain, in 1982. This group of individuals pioneered a series of experimental works that merged black pop culture with British political culture.
Bricolage – The construction of an artwork or installation using any materials that are available.
British Black Arts Movement – A radical, political movement founded in Britain in 1982. It highlighted issues like gender, race and misrepresentation.
Burin – An engraving tool.
Bust – A piece of artwork displaying the head and shoulders of a sitter.
Byzantine – Art originating from the 4th century AD, around Constantinople in the Eastern Roman Empire.
Art words that start with C
Calligraphy – The art of beautiful, ornate handwriting.
Camera obscura – A photographic technique, wherein a darkened box with a convex lens (or aperture) projects an image of an external object onto an internal screen.
Canvas – Canvas is usually stretched across a frame and used for painting. The material is often made from linen or cotton.
Capitalist realism – A German art movement formed in 1963. It aimed to challenge American pop art in the Western world.
Caricature – A painting or drawing wherein the sitter’s characteristics have been exaggerated for a comic effect. This type of artwork is often used in parody art.
Catalogue raisonné – A complete list of artworks by a single artist.
Ceramics – Clay that has been fired, e.g. pottery and porcelain.
Charcoal – Burnt carbon that can be used for drawing.
Cire perdue – A casting process used while creating metal sculptures. During this process, a wax sculpture is made, it is coated in a refractory to form a mould, the wax is melted away and metal is poured into the vacant space.
Classicism – The art word for work that references ancient Greek or Roman styles.
Collage – Art created by arranging different types of paper, including, but limited to magazines, newspapers and photography.
Collective – A group of artists working together towards a shared goal.
Colour field painting – A style of abstract painting defined by its large blocks of colour. Famous colour field painters include Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler.
Colour wheel – A circle that illustrates our primary and secondary colours, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Some colour wheels go into greater depth, and also show darker or pastel tones.
Comic strip art – Any art that copies the style, subject matter or commercial printing techniques of traditional comic books.
Commission – When somebody requests a piece of art to be made.
Composition – The ‘ingredients’ used to create an artwork. For example, pastel, paper, acrylic paint, copper or time, depending on the artist’s methods.
Community art – Any artistic activity based in a community. This type of art can use any media, it often involves collaboration with local people and may involve a professional artist.
Complementary colours – Pairs of colours arranged at opposite ends of the colour wheel. They offer the greatest contrast than any other group of colours. Examples include red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple.
Composition – The arrangement of elements within a piece of art.
Conceptual art – The opposite of traditional art. In this style, the idea presides over aesthetic values.
Constructionism – Artists who created geometrical art using naturally occurring systems and rhythms.
Contemporary Art – A loosely used term to describe present-day art or avant-garde art made since the 1970s. This artwork is more about experimentation, freedom and social impact. And should not be confused with Modern art.
Creolisation – The combining of cultures and people to become one.
Cross-hatching – Two sets of closely-drawn parallel lines that overlap to indicate tone.
Cubism – A style of abstract art made popular in the early 20th century. This work features sharp, almost impossibly angular lines. Famous Cubist painters include Picasso.
Curator – An individual who selects pieces of artwork for an exhibition.
Art words that start with D
Dada – A European avant-garde movement, which formed in Zurich during the first world war. Practitioners used their work as a means of protest, which took many forms, including painting, collage, performance and poetry.
Daguerreotype – A direct-positive photographic process developed in the 19th century, which creates an image without the use of a negative. It is named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre.
Deboss – A stamp or design that is added to the surface of an object, which is indented. ‘Debossing’ is the opposite of ’embossing’.
Decalcomania – The process of squeezing paint between two surfaces, usually paper, to create a mirror image.
Decorative art – Highly ornamental artwork, including stained glass, ceramics and tapestries.
Degenerate art – While under Adolf Hitler’s reign, the German National Socialist (Nazi) party labelled artwork it didn’t approve of ‘Entartete Kunst’. This is the British translation.
Digital art – Art created or presented using digital software, technology or a screen.
Diptych – A series of two panels within the same artwork. They are sometimes hinged together and were originally used as devotional artworks during the Middle Ages.
Direct carving – A style of sculpture making, where the artist develops the form while carving, instead of trying to match a preconceived sketch or model.
Divisionism – A painting technique developed in the nineteenth century, that created the effect of light by combining small dabs of complementary colours. Famous divisionists include Georges Seurat.
Documentary art – This art word describes work made by people in the 1930s, who documented life during the Great Depression.
Documentary photography – A form of photography that portrays an honest representation of people, events, places and objects.
Drawing – An image created by pen, pencil or charcoal on paper or card.
Drip painting – An abstract method of painting that involves dripping, throwing or pouring paint onto a surface. Popular drip painters include Jackson Pollock.
Drypoint – A printmaking process, wherein an image is drawn onto a plate using a pointed, needle-like tool.
Art words that start with E
Egg tempura – A paint that’s pigment is combined with water and eggs. Not to be confused with ‘tempura’, which is basic poster paint.
Electronic media – Popular forms of digital media include audio, video, projections, presentations and screen-based content.
Emboss – To carve or stamp an image or design into the surface of an object, so that it stands out in relief. ‘Embossing’ is the opposite of ‘debossing’.
Enamelling – Where a substance is bonded to metal at a high temperature.
Enfant terribles –An art word that often describes young, brilliant artists who behave terribly in the public eye. Famous ‘enfant terribles’ include Jean-Michel Basquiat and Tracy Emin.
Engraving – The process of etching a design into a hard surface, like metal or wood.
Environment art – Also known as installation art or an environment, environment art often occupies a large space or room for a set amount of time. The artist invites their audience to walk in, around and maybe even interact with the work. It may be site-specific and can be crafted from any media.
Environmental art – This work usually addresses political or social problems that relate to urban or natural environments.
Environments – Also known as installation art or environment art, environments occupy a large space or room for a set amount of time. The artist invites their audience to walk in, around and maybe even interact with the work. It may be site-specific and can be crafted from any media.
Ephemeral art – This art only lasts for a limited amount of time.
Etching – An intaglio printmaking process, wherein areas of a highly polished metal plate are removed using acid. This allows the plate to retain ink for printing.
Expanded cinema – Any film, video, immersive environment or multi-media performance that goes beyond the norm of traditional cinema screens to challenge the relationship between viewer and screen.
Experimental ethnography – The study and interpretation of everyday cultures using experimental filmmaking and found footage, to challenge how we see the world around us.
Expressionism – A modernist art movement where the imagery evokes a particular mood. Popular expressionists include Wassily Kandinsky and Edvard Munch.
Art words that start with F
Fauvism – A painting style defined by strong colours and brushwork. Famous artists include Henri Matisse and André Derain.
Feminist art – Art created by feminist artists. Famous feminist artists include the collective Guerrilla Girls.
Figure drawing – A full-length painting or drawing of a human.
Figurative art – Any modern art with a strong reference to the real world or human figure.
Figurine – A miniature sculpture of a human figure.
Fin de Siècle – The French for ‘end of century’. This art term references the end of the nineteenth century, but specifically, the 1890s. This was historically seen as the peak of Art Nouveau, and the apocalyptic end of civilisation.
Fine art – The art term for work that was created to be beautiful, not functional.
Folk art – This art form encompasses the cultural heritage and folklore surrounding local communities. These decorative artworks are often toys, quilts or jewellery.
Font – The collective term for a set typeface, style and size.
Foreshortening – Using perspective to make an object appear three-dimensional.
Form – This could mean one of two things. The series of elements that create an artwork, i.e. line, shape, size, value and colour. Or the overall physical presence of an artwork.
Formalism – The study of art based on an analysis of its appearance.
Format – The term to describe the shape or proportions of support, e.g. for painting or canvas.
Formlessness – Georges Bataille, a French writer and philosopher, argued art should be removed from its elevated pedestal to its base materialism. And in this form, artwork should be celebrated for its creativity
Found object – Any full or partial natural or man-made object that is found or bought by an artist.
Fresco – A type of wall painting that is often applied to wet plaster.
Frieze – The art term for a continuous band of decoration seen in classical architecture.
Frottage – A creative method of reproduction that involves placing a piece of paper over a textured surface and rubbing with a drawing material like a crayon.
Fumage – A painting technique where an image is created with smoke from a lit candle into wet paint.
Futurism – An Italian art movement that celebrated progressive technology like cars and planes. Famous futurists include Giacomo Balla and Umberto Boccioni.
Art words that start with G
Georgia – Art that was created between 1714 and 1830, during the reigns of King Georges I to IV.
Generative art – Art made using a predetermined system and an element of chance. Famous generative artists include Harold Cohen and Keith Tyson.
Genre painting – An image that depicts everyday life.
Genres – Types of painting were codified during the seventeenth century in the order of importance: history, portrait, genre, landscape and still life. Please note, this order is subjective.
Gesso – A base layer often used for priming canvasses. It is often made by combining chalk, glue or plaster.
Gestural – An art term to describe applying paint with free, sweeping motions.
Glaze – This term has two meanings. 1. A transparent wash of paint over a second, may introduce a secondary colour. 2. A vitreous layer applied to pottery after the first firing.
Gouache – A type of opaque watercolour paint. It blends natural pigment, water and a binding agent.
Graffiti art – A modern form of visual communication and self-expression in public places. It often combines words and imagery using spraypaint. Famous graffiti artists include Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy.
Graphic design – A type of visual communication designed to share a message. These days, most graphic design is developed on a computer using software.
Graphite – A metallic grey material used for writing and drawing. It is usually found in the centre of pencils but can come in larger, chunkier forms or powder.
Grattage – A surrealist painting technique, which involves preparing a canvas with a layer of oil paint, laying it over a textured object and then removing sections of paint to create an interesting surface.
Guerrilla Girls – An anonymous group of American female artists, on a mission to find and expose discrimination in the art world.
Art words that start with H
Hackney Flashers – A female art collective who defined themselves as feminists and socialists, and created work between 1974 and 1980.
Happenings – Theatrical events developed by artists between 1950 and 1960.
Hard-edge painting – An abstract approach to painting characterised by areas of flat colour with clearly defined edges.
Hatching – A series of closely-drawn parallel lines that indicate tone. It is also the first stage of cross-hatching.
Hieroglyphs – A form of communication developed by the ancient Egyptians using images.
High art – Beautiful art depicting dignified subjects.
History of art – The history and evolution of the fine arts.
History painting – Paintings that represent a significant historic moment, like birth or death. Famous history paintings include Rembrandt’s Judas Returning The Thirty Silver Pieces.
Hue – A distinct shade of colour.
Hyper-realism – A form of realism across painting and sculpture in the early 1970s.
Art words that start with I
Iconography – Images or symbols in art that portray a subject, movement or idea.
Identity politics – An art term used in the mid-1980s that questioned marginalised people and groups’ identity, inequality, repression and injustice.
Illusionism – A two-dimensional artwork that uses perspective or an optical technique to portray a three-dimensional image.
Illustration – Imagery that often appears in a book or newspaper to illustrate a purpose.
Impasto – A painting technique, wherein a thick layer of paint is applied to a surface, using a brush or painting knife.
Impressionism – A French art movement that began in the 1860s. These images were spontaneously painted outside, as opposed to recreating a sketch indoors. Impressionism is characterised by its everyday subjects, depiction of light and elegant brushwork. Famous impressionist painters include Claude Monet and Edgar Degas.
India ink – A basic black ink made by combining finely ground soot (also known as lampblack) and water.
Indigenism – A Latin American movement from the 1920s, in which artists fought against the prominence of European art in favour of art that represented their own culture and embraced pre-Columbian-style art.
Industrial design – Mass-produced goods made by machines.
Ink – A medium used for drawing or writing in a liquid or paste. It is traditionally black or brown, but these days can come in almost any colour. Even white.
Ink wash – A style of painting using black ink, not paint. This style of painting originated in east Asia.
Installation art – Also known as an environment or environment art, installation art often occupies a large space or room. The artist invites their audience to walk in, around and maybe even interact with the work. Installation art may be site-specific and can be crafted from any media.
Institutional critique – The act of critiquing an institution, like a museum or art gallery, as an art practice.
Intaglio – A form of decorative printmaking where an image is created by cutting, slashing or incising a hard surface.
Interactive art – Any art that requires a spectator to participate.
Internet art – Also known as ‘net art’ or ‘computer art’, this is any piece of art that has been created on or for the internet.
Intimism – A French term used to describe quiet domestic scenes in a painting or drawing.
Art words that start with J
Japonisme – The influence of Japanese art and furniture on European art during the late nineteenth century.
Art words that start with K
Kinaesthetic art – A piece of art that deals with the movement of the human body.
Kinetic art – Work that requires motion for the full effect, like a mobile.
Kitchen Sink painters – The term for British artists in the 1950s, who painted ordinary scenes from everyday life.
Kitsch – Objects, craftwork or souvenirs created on a large scale for general sale. They are generally garish, ironic or sentimental but are usually appreciated by the recipient. It originates from the German word for ‘trash’.
Art words that start with L
Laboratoire Agit’Art – A revolutionary art collective from 1974, that fused traditional African creativity with a modern twist.
Land art – Also known as earth art, these artworks are made by sculpting the land or landscape, using natural materials like earth, branches, leaves, stones and twigs. Famous land artists include Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long.
Landscape painting – Where landscape scenery is the main focus of a painting. Famous landscape painters include JMW Turner and Vincent Van Gough.
Life drawing – A technical style of drawing that uses a real human model.
Lightbox – A sealed box with a translucent white surface. Inside, it features a fluorescent tube or incandescent bulbs to illuminate the surface and can be used for tracing images.
Limited edition – Some artists offer a limited edition of prints for sale. This involved the artist printing a piece of artwork a set number of times – maybe 5, 10, 50, 100 or more. They are usually numbered and sometimes signed.
Line engraving – The art word for engraving an image into a metal plate. The plate is then inked and printed onto paper.
Linocut – A printing process wherein a piece of linoleum is carved or incised to create an image.
Lithography – A type of printing where a design is drawn on a metal plate or flat stone using a greasy crayon. It is then inked and printed. Popular lithographers include Henri Mattisse and Joan Miro.
Live art – Performances or events staged by an artist or collective. These works are often innovative and exploratory.
Art words that start with M
Mail art – An movement wherein artists post small scale works to people. Popular mail artists include Mr Bingo.
Mandala – A religious art form often associated with Buddhism or Hinduism. They are usually circular to symbolise the universe.
Manuscript – A handwritten book. Usually medieval.
Maquette – A small, original model for a larger sculpture. Maquettes are made to help visualise the final piece, plan the build and decide on materials.
Matter painting – This is a painting technique that incorporates textured elements like sand, mud and cement within the mixture.
Medium – A vague art word for the material used by an artist, e.g. ink, paint, graphite or paper.
Memento mori – An artwork that reminds the onlooker how brief and fragile human life is.
Metal – A solid material frequently used by artists, like sculptors or jewellers.
Metaphysical Art – A twentieth-century art movement, characterised by surprising object juxtapositions within dream-like landscapes.
Mezzotint – A form of intaglio printmaking wherein a smooth copper plate is engraved with innumerable small dots to retain ink. It is then printed on paper.
Minimalism – A type of art that reduces shape, form and colour to its simplest state. Famous minimalist artists include Anthony Caro and Yves Klein.
Mixed media – When one or more materials are combined. For example, painting and collage. Or sculpture and metalwork.
Mobile – An elevated sculpture that hangs from a ceiling. It may be able to move.
Model – A three-dimensional replica of an object, animal or human. Sometimes made by hand from a pliable material like plasticine or clay.
Modern art – This type of art originated in the 19th century alongside impressionism. It is often associated with experimental artwork that has rejected traditional methods. Modern art is not to be confused with contemporary art.
Modernism – An art and philosophical movement that developed in Western society in the 19th century. This type of art breaks the classic mould of traditional art and was perceived as revolutionary.
Modern realism – This style of art represents people or objects in a realistic manner. It is particularly applied to painting or sculpture.
Modular – Art made from different elements that are free to be moved or separated.
Monochrome – An artwork made from a single colour.
Monotype – A printing process that creates a single print. Famous artists include Marc Chagall and Edgar Degas.
Mosaic – A form of decoration using small pieces of granite, marble, stone or glass. These designs often tell stories or display beautiful repeated patterns.
Motif – An image or design often repeated to create a pattern.
Multi-media – Works made from many mediums or materials. This could be pencil, pastel and collage. Metalwork, paint and plaster. Or even combine electronic elements like audio or video.
Mural – An image that is painted directly onto a ceiling or wall.
Muse – A source of inspiration for an artist. Most muses are often human.
Art words that start with N
Naïve art – Also known as ‘outsider art’, this is a simple, unsophisticated artwork. This term has, in the past, referred to art made by artists with no formal training.
Narrative – Art that tells a story.
Naturalism – A nineteenth-century art movement that portrayed images similar to how we see them.
Neo-dada – American artists practising between the 1950s and 1960s, which echoed the dada movement.
Neo-expressionism – There was a major revival of expressionist-style painting, during the 1980s.
Neo geo – Also known as neo-geometric conceptualism, this artwork criticised the mechanisation and commercialism of the modern world, during 1980s America.
New British sculpture – This term applies to artwork made by young British sculptors in the 1980s. These artists adopted a more traditional approach to materials, techniques and imagery, after rejecting minimal and conceptual art.
New English Art Club (NEAC) – This club originated in London in 1886. It was founded by artists who were influenced by impressionism, and their work was rejected by the Royal Academy for being too conservative.
New figuration – An art term that refers to the revival of figurative art in the 1960s, throughout Europe and America. This followed an era that was dominated by abstract art.
New media – This is the art term for innovative technologies now widely available for artists to use and produce digital art, since the 1980s.
Non-objective art – This is a form of simplistic abstract art that is often geometric.
Nude – A naked human being.
Art words that start with O
Objective abstraction – A non-geometric style of abstract art developed in 1933.
Objet trouvé – The French term for a ‘found object’.
Oeuvre – An artist’s total output.
Offset lithograph – A printing process where ink is transferred to a primary surface (e.g. a rubber blanket) before committing the image to paper.
Oil painting – A type of paint that combines pigment with oil, and is perfect for canvas or board. This paint delivers rich colours and fine detail. Famous oil painters include Johannes Vermeer and Leonardo Da Vinci.
Old master – A great European artist who practised between 1500 and the early 1700s.
Op art – Also known as illusion art, this style of painters from the 1960s created optical effects using geometric lines or forms.
Original art – A unique piece of artwork. Prints or limited editions may be created later, but the original is the most revered.
Outsider art – Also known as ‘naïve art’, this is a simple, unsophisticated artwork. This term has, in the past, referred to art made by artists with no formal training.
Art words that start with P
Painterly – This refers to paint being applied in a less controlled manner. As such, you can often see visible brushstrokes in a finished piece of work.
Painting – The art word for applying paint to a surface.
Palette – The tool used by a painter to hold or mix colours.
Panorama – A large scale artwork that shows an expansive view of a scene.
Paper – A thin sheet of cellulose fibres that have been processed and compressed together. It can be made by hand or a machine and is used by most modern artists or printers for developing ideas.
Papier collé – A form of collage that allows artists to experiment two-dimensionally. Famous artists include Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso.
Parody art – Also known as satire art or spoof art, these works make a dark, satirical or comedic comment on an artwork or topic of the times.
Pastel – A type of crayon made by combining pigment and a binding agent. Pastels come in all colours and can even be combined to create new tones.
Pastoral – A piece of art that shares a romanticised rural scene.
Patina – This is characterised by the oxidised green or brown surface on bronze.
Performance art – Art that is performed by an artist or participant. This could be live, recorded, scripted or spontaneous.
Perspective – Any depth or three-dimensional illusion in an image.
Photogram – A photographic print that is made by placing or layering objects on top of photographic paper, and then exposing it to a light source.
Photography – Imagery produced with a camera. Famous photographers include Irving Penn and Rankin.
Photogravure – A sophisticated photo developing process used by photographic printmakers.
Photojournalism – A type of journalism that shares a story through images. Photojournalists were originally commissioned by broadcasters for news stories.
Photomontage – Multiple artworks displayed in a single composition. Be that via film or a canvas.
Photorealism – An almost photographic style of painting real-life objects.
Pieta – An artwork that features Christ’s dead body and the Virgin Mary.
Pigment – The ingredient in paint that delivers colour.
Plein Air painting – This form of painting takes place when the artist is immersed in nature and became more popular when easels became portable. Famous Plein Air painters include Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Plinth – A box, usually painted white, that serves as a stand for a sculpture.
Pluralism – Within the art world, this refers to a time between the 60s and 70s when art, culture and politics began to merge, and art became more socially and politically responsive.
Pochade – A sketch used by painters to capture colours and the atmosphere of a scene.
Polyptych – A painting that features three or more panels.
Pop art – An art movement that features imagery from popular cultures, like western music, soup cans and famous icons like Marilyn Monroe. Fanous pop art artists include Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and David Hockney.
Portfolio – A number of artworks based on a similar theme that are presented together. They’re usually created by the same artist.
Portrait – An artistic representation of a human, usually the shoulders and head. This could be a photograph, painting, collage or print.
Postcolonial art – Any artwork that was made after colonial rule. It often addresses issues like race, ethnicity, and national and cultural identity.
Postmodernism – The rejection of modernist ideas and values, following modernism’s dominance in the early and middle decades of the twentieth century. These artworks critique ideas about objective realities and universal truths.
Poster – Something printed on paper to change opinion, challenge perception, or share a message. It could be text, images or both.
Poster paint – Also known as ‘tempera’, this is another word for inexpensive paint that most children use.
Pottery – A ceramic art where somebody shapes clay by hand or on a wheel. It’s then left to dry and then, depending on the type of clay, fired in a kiln. Some pottery is then decorated.
Pre-Raphelites – A group of Victorian painters and poets who welcomed nature and classical art, and rejected industrialisation. A famous Pre-Raphelite was Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Primary colours – These are the raw colours that can be combined to make any other colour. They are red, yellow and blue.
Print – Anything that has been reproduced on paper or fabric.
Process art – Where the process of making artwork is an important as the completed work.
Proof – A term used in printing to check the progress of the image. One or more impressions can be made of a single artwork before the image on the printing plate (or block) is complete.
Proportion – The relationship between one element and any other form.
Psychedelic art – Often associated with the 1960s and any piece of artwork made while under the influence of LSD.
Public art – Art displayed in the public domain, purchased with public or private money and located on public or private property.
Purism – An art movement that formed in 1918. Its paintings represented objects as powerful basic forms with minimum detail.
Art words that start with Q
Quattrocento – Italian art made during the 15th century.
Art words that start with R
Rayograph – This was Man Ray’s style of creating photograms. In which, objects or human-like shapes were arranged on photographic paper, and then exposed to light.
Readymades – Mass-produced objects reimagined as a work of art. The most famous readymade artist was Marcel Duchamp.
Realism – A style of painting that features everyday objects as the subject matter.
Relief sculpture – A technique used in sculpture where the subject remains attached to the background. e.g. a sculpture on a wall or a person’s face on a coin.
Renaissance – This art concentrates on realism and the noble nature of humanity. Famous renaissance artists include Botticelli and Michelangelo.
Replica – An almost identical copy of an original piece of art.
Representational – An umbrella term for art that portrays an aspect of reality.
Reproduction – An identical copy of an original piece of art.
Resin – A mixture of organic compounds that can be shaped or sculpted. It is solid, often transparent and can be coloured or combined with other materials.
Resistance art – Art made to challenge the apartheid rule and celebrate African strength and unity. This art movement emerged in South Africa in the 1970s.
Rococo – Also known as Roccoco or Late Baroque, this style blends theatrically elaborate art, architecture and decoration, e.g. gilding, scrolling curves and sculpted moulding.
Romanticism – An art movement from the early nineteenth century that prioritised romantic feelings and ideals over realistic ones. This was often achieved by merging images of nature with suggestions of personal feelings.
Art words that start with S
Screenprinting – A style of printing that involves creating a negative stencil using ultraviolet light. Ink is then pushed through the mesh to create an image on paper or cloth. Multiple layers can be added to build up different colours.
Sculpture – A person, animal or object carved into a tough material like wood, metal or stone.
Self-portrait – A representation of an artist created by the same artist in any media. Vincent Van Gough was well known for creating self-portraits.
Site-specific art – An artwork built in a specific location that can’t be moved.
Sketch – A quick drawing made from pencil, pen, charcoal or ink.
Social realism – Any painting created in a realist style that also displays a social or political message.
Social sculpture – The idea that everything is art and every facet of life can be approached creatively. As such, everyone has the potential to be an artist. This theory was conceived in the 1970s by Joseph Beuys.
Stencil – A piece of paper with a cutout image, which can be used to produce an image by applying ink or paint. Famous stencil artists include Banksy.
Still life – A style of painting that recreates everyday objects like food or flower.
Stippling – A painting or drawing technique that creates an image with lots of small dots.
Street art – Art created and displayed in public places. This artwork often incorporates a wide range of media and is often more related to graphic design. Unlike graffiti art, which is often made soley from spray paint.
Street photography – Photography captured in public places.
Study – Any art created before the main artwork, which aided the artist and their work.
Surrealism – A cultural movement that features illogical art. Famous surrealists include Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte.
Symbolism – An art movement that rejected naturalism and realism, and strived to communicate truths via language and metaphorical images.
Synaesthesia – A neurological condition where one sense can trigger a second. e.g. If a taste is stimulated, it could trigger the hearing of a sound.
Systems art – This is the umbrella term for a radical collective, who practised between the 1960s early 1970s. Together, they strived to make their art more responsive to the world around them.
Art words that start with T
Tableau – The art word used to describe an image that contains characters, who are arranged for dramatic effect and are unaware of the onlooker.
Tempera – Also known as poster paint, this is another word for inexpensive paint that most children use. It’s not to be confused with ‘egg tempura’, which is an artist-grade paint made by combining the pigment with water and eggs.
Tone – The lightness or darkness of a colour or shade.
Triptych – An artwork made of three panels or sections.
Trompe l’oeil – The art word for an artistic illusion that makes a subject matter appear three-dimensional. It is the French term for “deceives the eye”.
Art words that start with U
Ukiyo-e – A woodblock printing method in Japan.
Underground art – This art term was used to describe all kinds of creatives, including artists, writers and thinkers who lived on the edge of popular culture. It was first used in the 1960s.
Art words that start with V
Vanishing point – The place in an image where perspective lines (often receding parallel lines) appear to meet.
Vanitas – A type of still life painting from the 16th century, which contain symbols of death to remind the viewer of their mortality.
Verso / Recto – ‘Recto’ means ‘right’ or ‘front’, and ‘verso’ means ‘left’ or ‘back’. So, these are the words that describe the front and back of a single sheet of paper. Or the right- or left-hand pages of an open book.
Video art – A digital contemporary art form.
Virtual reality – Technology that allows humans to interact with a virtual reality or environment. These locations could be real or imaginary.
Visual art – A wide range of art disciplines that can be appreciated by sight, including paintings, sculpture, pottery and metalwork.
Vitrine – A glass cabinet that displays artwork.
Art words that start with W
War artists – An artist who has been commissioned by the military or a publication to record their firsthand experience of the war. This art could be but is not limited to, illustration, photography, video or painting. Famous war artists include George Matthews and Dan Eldon.
Watercolour – A type of paint that is made from a water-soluble binder and can be thinned with water. Famous watercolour artists include Ashley Jackson and William Blake.
Watermark – A mark within a sheet of paper that can only be seen when held up to a light source.
Woodblock – Also known as woodcut, this is the process of creating a print by carving a wooden block.
Art words that start with X
Art words that start with Y
Young British Artists – Also referred to as ‘YBAs’, this term was given to a group of British artists who began exhibiting together in 1988. They were known for their entrepreneurial attitude, shock tactics and willingness to experiment with materials and processes.
Art words that start with Z
Zoomorphic – A representation of an animal, sometimes in a motif.
Conclusion
And there you have it; my large (and growing) list of art words.
As I mentioned earlier, this list will keep growing as I uncover new art terminology. So, if I’ve missed any particularly good terms, please drop me a message below to share your wisdom.
That’s all for now ✌️
Your paint-pal
Hi there; I’m Rebecca, a British artist and copywriter, and I’ll never be ‘ready enough’ to write a bio in the third person. I’ve been practising my crafts ever since the day I picked up my first pair of scissors in primary school and glued my fringe to a collage. Tasteful, eh?
When I’m neither painting nor writing, you’ll find me gardening, snowboarding, baking cinnamon buns or practising Muay Thai.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fancy word for art?
Adroitness. Aptitude. Artistry. Craft. Craftmanship. Dexterity. Expertise. Imagination. Ingenuity. Inventiveness.
What are the 7 art expressions?
The 7 artistic art elements considered the foundation of art itself, are shape, colour, texture, line, form, space and value.
What is an art lover called?
An aesthete. This person loves and appreciates works of art and beautiful things. Other synonyms include ‘connoisseur’, ‘dilettante’ and ‘esthete’.
What is today’s art called?
Contemporary art. This art was created between the second half of the 20th Century and the 21st Century. Today’s artists create the most technologically advanced work we have ever seen in a globally influenced environment.
What Are the 7 Different Forms of Art?
These are, in no particular order: painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, theatre, music and cinema.
