Painting

Painting Terms I

Many terms used in painting are self-explanatory or give some indication what they are just by their names.  Here we will discuss a few terms that perhaps just beg to be explored.  With names like alla prima, backruns and dribbling, maybe there is something new to discover that may have actually been around for a while.

Alla prima is a painting technique that means “at first.”  It describes a piece of art that an artist does in one sitting.  Started with a rough drawing and made with only a few tones of paint usually applied with dry brush, details and more colors are added.  This is very similar to the way many of us learned to paint…umber sketch strokes with color added on top.  Quickly add light colors into the dark sketch and then continue to add tones to complete the work.  Some highlights can be added as the work dries, but can also be applied as the last tone.  Color glazes can be added to tone and soften the look after the work is completely dry.  There is a translucent look to the finished work.

Backruns—also called blossoms, blooms, oozles, watermarks or runbacks—comprise another watercolor “technique.”  The surface tension of watercolor paper, water and the pigments in the paint all work in a type of capillary action and seek dryer sections of the paper.  As wetter areas move into dryer ones, they pick up pigment and trail it along the outer edges.  Lighter tones remain inside and the perimeter achieves a darker, irregular edge.  Backruns can be subtle or dramatic, depending on the amount of paint and moisture in both areas.  They can be created by adding paint or water to a previously painted area as it dries.  Another technique is to blot a wet area, which causes the remaining wet to draw towards the blotted spot. Backruns are used to create a flare of light or simply a decorative effect.

Dribbling is not a proper term, but does describe one painting method that allows the artist to drip color onto canvas in a variety of doses.  Whether tiny droplets or huge swashes of color, the artist drops the paint on, rather than applying it directly on the surface with a brush.  The dripping can be done with a brush, such as the work of Jackson Pollock.  When dripped onto wet canvas, the paints spread and diffuse.  When applied to dry canvas, especially unsized, the paint stays put and becomes a series of droplets.  Color and texture are everything in this technique.  While it looks as though the artist had no plan in mind, most of the works done in this technique are well thought out and precisely planned.

With all the terms and techniques out there, here are a few more to experiment with and perhaps discover a new style, new direction or a fresh look in the way you paint.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 19 No. 1 — November 2008