Life Style / Painting Glossary

Gloss: The luster or shininess of paints and coatings are generally classified as flat, semi-gloss, or gloss; the latter has the higher reflecting ability.

Gloss Meter: A standard scale for measuring the shininess or light reflectance of paint. Different brands with the same description such as semi-gloss or flat may have quite different ratings on the gloss meter.

Gold Ground: Many of the painters of the 15th and 16th centuries used grounds either covered or partially covered with gold-leaf. The underlying ground would be gesso. On top of this would be brushed a t . . . View Full Definition

Gouache: In a broad sense it is a water-colour carried out with opaque or body colours instead of just transparent. The earliest signs of the method are traced back to the Egyptians, when they bound . . . View Full Definition

Graded Wash: A wash that smoothly changes in value from dark to light. Most noted in landscape painting for open sky work, but an essential skill for watercolour painting in general.

Grading: The handling of a water-colour wash to give it a lightening or darkening effect as the colour flows down the paper. This is done by adding water to the bowl of colour or more colour.

Graduated Color: The range of color from light to dark or from warm to cool that results in a gradually changing effect.

Grain: The basic structure of the surface of paper, as in fine, medium and rough grain.

Grain Raising: Swelling and standing up of the wood grain caused by absorbed water and solvents.

Graining: Simulating the grain of wood by means of specially prepared colors or stains and the use of graining tools or special brushing techniques.

Granulation: An effect that can be achieved with wash work when using colours with heavy pigment particles. French ultramarine, ivory black, umbers, siennas and ochres will leave a granulated broken effe . . . View Full Definition

Graphite: A type of carbon used for pencils, transfer sheets and as a dry lubricant. Synthetic graphite is made from carborundum

Graver: (also termed: Burin) A hard steel instrument for metal- or wood-engraving. The section of the cutting tool can be lozenge, diamond or rectangular. The tool is set in a small wooden handle de . . . View Full Definition

Grisaille: A type of monochrome painting execured in greys. The results often resemble sculpture. Excellent examples are St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist which are on the back's of the tw . . . View Full Definition

Ground: The name that is applied to the coating of the surface on which the painting is to be carried out. Thus gesso is the ground for a wooden panel. A canvas is given a ground by sizing and then . . . View Full Definition

Ground Coat: The base coat in an antiquing system that is applied before the graining colors, glazing or other finish coat.

Gum Arabic: Gum arabic is produced from the sap of the African acacia tree and is available in crystalline form or an already prepared solution. It binds watercolour pigments when used with water and gl . . . View Full Definition

Gums: The principal binder for water-colour is gum arabic, it comes from certain acacia trees growing in Africa, Asia and Australia. Gum tragacanth is used as a binder for chalks and pastels; it i . . . View Full Definition

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27