Art Glossary

Definitions of Art Forms, Mediums, and Movements

Textile

Textile refers to a flexible material made by weaving, felting, crocheting, knitting, or knotting long strands of natural or synthetic yarn or thread. Textile artists often create their own materials (...) read more

Image © Oleksandr Berezko/Shutterstock
Video art

Video art is an art form that uses video and audio data, primarily featuring moving images. It emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the advent of new technology and consumer video equipment (...) read more

Image © Vegorus/Shutterstock
Watercolor

Watercolor refers to both the medium and the resulting artwork created using pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle. Watercolors are known for their luminous, transparent appearance because (...) read more

Image © Phil Darby/Shutterstock
Wax

Wax is a solid material derived from plant, animal, and petroleum sources. It is used to protect paints from wear, create sculptures, make wax crayons and colored pencils, and for encaustic painting. (...) read more

Image © Sawarut Triratanachat/Shutterstock
Wire

Wire is a single strand or rod of flexible metal. It has been used since ancient times to make chains and jewelry decorations. Wire comes in various thicknesses and can be bent, braided, and cut (...) read more

Image © PRILL/Shutterstock
Wood

Wood is one of the most ancient and versatile materials used in creating art. It has served as a base for paintings, brush handles, pens, and pencils, as well as for easels, wood engraving, woodcut, (...) read more

Image © Redsapphire/Shutterstock
Woodblock printing

Woodblock printing is a technique that uses a carved wooden surface to create an image on materials such as paper or cloth. Ink or paint is applied thinly to the carved surface, which is then pressed (...) read more

Image © Anna Kepa/Shutterstock
Woodcut

Woodcut is a printing technique where an image is carved into the surface of a woodblock using gouges, with the remaining flat surface holding the ink for printing. The areas cut away by the artist (...) read more

Image © Anna Kepa/Shutterstock
1345
Next »

Est. 2005 — twenty years of collecting, online.