Life Style / Painting Glossary

Leveling: Ability of a film to flow out free from ripples, pockmarks and brush marks after application.

Lifting: The softening and penetration of a previous film by solvents in the paint being applied over it, resulting in raising and wrinkling.

Lightfast: A pigments resistance to fading on long exposure to sunlight. Watercolors are rated lightfast on a scale of I-IV. I and II ratings are the most permanent.

Lightfastness: No loss of color due to exposure to light, heat or weathering.

Limning: An obsolete term for drawing or painting.

Linseed Oil: A darker and slower drying oil that can be added to paint. Once prevalent in paint and stains, it now has limited use.

Local Color: The actual color of an object being painted, unmodified by light or shadow. (An orange is orange)

Mahlstick: A long wooden rod with a pad at one end that is used by the painter to steady his hand when working on fine details. He holds the mahlstick in his left hand and lays the pad on the canvas an . . . View Full Definition

Marbling: A decorative painting technique that imitates the color and figure of marble.

Marine Varnish: Varnish specially designed for immersion in water and exposure to marine atmosphere.

Masking: Temporary covering of areas not to be painted.

Masking Fluid: A latex gum product that is used to cover a surface you wish to protect from receiving paint. Miskit by Grumbacher and Art masking fluid by Winsor & Newton are two such products. Also referr . . . View Full Definition

Masking Tape: A strip of paper or cloth similar to adhesive tape, which can be easily removed, used to temporarily cover areas that are not to be painted.

Mastic: A heavy-bodied paste like coating of high build often applied with a trowel.

Mat: The surrounding area between the frame and the picture.

Matte: A dull surface.

Medium: The method in which an artist works; oil-painting, gouache, pastel, pen and ink, etching, collage, sculpture, etc., are all media for his expression. In another sense medium may be used to d . . . View Full Definition

Megilp: (also termed: mcguilp, magilp) An 18th-century oil-painting medium, a mixture of linseed oil, mastic varnish and lead driers. It is a jelly-like substance slightly cloudy and yellow. It does . . . 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