Artist's Resources∼Artist's Dictionary C
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C
C
Symbol on tube of paint indicating a fugitive color.
© The copyright symbol indicating the exclusive right granted by law to sell, distribute, or
reproduce the ArtWork.
Cabinet projection
A system of projection similar to isometric, where the lines of an object are drawn parallel to 3 axels,
one horizontal, one vertical and one 45 degress to the horizontal.
Calendar painting
Term applied to painting that may be pleasant to look at, having pleasing subject
matter, but seldom has lasting value as Art.
Calendar printing
In textile design, same as direct printing.
Calendered paper
A smooth-surfaced paper.
Calico
In textile design, a tiny all over floral print, originally with a bright yellow, dark red, or black
background, but now includes all colors.
Calipers
An instrument with two adjustable arms used to measure thickness or distance between two
points.
Calligra-cote
Trade name for a protective spray for calligraphy; used with waterbase inks, markers or
watercolor.
Calligram
A calligraphic notation; picture or conveyance.
Calligraphy
1. The Art of fine handwriting. 2. A typeface that resembles such writing. 3. Any calligraphic-type
line Work used in drawing or painting.
Calligraphy brush
A specially balanced Oriental brush made from weasel, raccoon and horse hairs, used for lettering;
only the tip is submerged in ink.
Camaieu, en
(French, as "a cameo") Painted in tones of only one color,
usually for decoration.
Camel-hair brush
Any of a number of soft-hair watercolor brushes made of squirrel, badger, goat,
skunk, etc. (True camel hair is unsuitable for brushes)
A small carving in relief, usually on a gemstone.
Cancellation proof
A proof made from a cancelled plate or stone to show that no more prints can be pulled;
usually a large "X" is drawn on the plate before the final proof.
Canvas
A fabric (cotton, linen, jute, etc.) prepared as a surface for painting; also a
term used for the finished painting.
Canvas Board
Canvas laminated onto cardboard.
Canvas carrier
A frame-shaped metal device made to carry two to four wet canvases without touching.
Canvasette
See Canvas paper.
Canvas pins
Double-point pins used to seperate two wet canvases when carrying or storing them.
Canvas preparation
1. Coating a canvas with gesso or some other primer.
2. On an already primed canvas, painting a tone or underpainting.
Canvas scraper
A tool with a curved blade, used to scrape oils or acrylics from a canvas.
Canvas seperator clips
Spring-controlled clips used as canvas pins.
Canvas stretcher strips
See Stretcher strips.
Cap
A border frame without a liner or mat.
Caravaggisti
The followers of Caravaggio, a prominent Italian painter. (1573-1610)
Caravaggio, Michangelo Merisi da
Italian painter, considered a
tenebrist
for his low-key paintings. An accomplished Artist
who is noted for his precise details and chairoscuro painting.
Carbon paper
Transfer paper coated with carbon.
Carbon pencil
See Wolf's carbon pencils.
Carborundum
Trade name for an abrasive used in graphics; used as a surface in collagraphs to
produce gray masses; available in powder form and as a coated cloth.
Car card
A small poster advertisement displayed in buses, subways and streetcars.
Cardboard cut
A design sut into cardboard, used in a printing technique.
Cardboard relief
A collage made up of pieces of cardboard for relief block printing.
Caricature
A distortion of physical characteristics to create a humorous or satirical likeness.
Carolingian Art
Art of a period from the mid 8th to the early 10th century, beginning with the
reign of Charlemagne; modeled after the style of Rome during the reigns of Constantine
and Theodosius, and after the Byzantine Art of the 6th and 7th centuries. It is characterized
by elaborate illumination of manuscripts and decoration with gold and gems. See also
Ada School.
Carpenter's pencil
A flat, graphite pencil sizes 2B to 6B, used for sketching.
Carpus
In Anatomy, the bone of the wrist.
Cartoon
1. A satirical drawing or caricature; a comic strip.
2. A drawing for a mural or large painting used as a full-size guide to the
final painting.
Cartouche
1. An ornamental scroll-like design sometimes used in printing and hand-lettering.
2. Studio useage refers to all types of scroll outlines and irregular shapes.
3. A signature in picture form from the Egyptian era.
Caryatid
In sculpture, a supporting column carved in the form of a woman. See
Atlantes.
Casein
A binder made from casein glue, a milk derivitive, combined with pigments. It resembles
opaque watercolor and is used on paper or board, for light impasto, for underpainting, wall decoration, etc. but is too inflexible
for canvas. It dries quickly with a waterproof surface and may be varnished.
Casein painting
A technique in which a piece of Masonite board is built up to about 1/16" thickness in multiple layers of casein. An engraving is then
made on this hardened surface, and a sealer used to provide a good printing surface.
Cassatt, Mary
(1844-1926) American born, Mary Cassatt spent much of her time in Paris, where she
was associated with the impressionists, a friend of Degas; she is noted for her paintings
and prints of mothers and children.
Cast
1. To form in a mold. 2. A reproduction of classic or other sculpture used as subject
in drawing classes.
Casting off
Computing the amount of space a column of type will occupy when set in a desired typeface
of a given size and line measure.
Cast shadow
A shadow cast upon a surface, such as a shadow from a tree upon the grass.
Catch light
The tiny red dot painted into the eye to give it more form and sparkle.
Cat's tongue
A long-haired, flat painters brush, shaped like a filbert but witha thinner, rounded tip;
also spelled "kat's tongue".
Cavilier projection
A type of oblique projection.
Cavo-rilievo
(Italian, "hollow-relief") In sculpture, relief carving in which
the highest part is level with the surface and the rest is below level; also
called "Intaglio."
Cel
In animated cartooning, the plastic sheet on which an animation drawing is traced
and painted before being photographed; from celluloid, a trademark for the
material of motion \picture film.
Cellocut
In graphic arts, a plastic plate (acetate, lucite or plexiglass)
also a plastic varnish used to build up or texture a design.
Celluclay
A papier-mache in powdered form to be mixed with water.
Cement
A general term for adhesives, a special mixture of Portland cement is sometimes
used as a base for mural paintings. See
Rubber cement.
Cenacolo
A painting of The last Supper.
Center of vision
In perspective, the viewer's eye position in relation to the picture plane and
the horizon line.
Cercle et Carre
(French, "Circle and Square") A group of painters founded in 1929 by Michel Seuphor and
Torres-Garcia. Mondrian was the major figure in the group.
Cerography
Painting in which wax is employed as a binder. Also called
"Encaustic painting."
Cezanne, Paul
(1839-1906) A French postimpressionist whose use of color and structured compositions
had a profound influence on aesthetic princibles of several 20th century movements.
Chagall, Marc
(1887-1981) A Russian who spent much of his career in France, he is classified as an
expressionist whose Work combines fantasy with Russian folklore. An illustrator,
painter, designer and printmaker, he is well known for his whimsical and decorative
paintings.
Chamois Pronounced shammy
1. A soft, pliable skin used to blend and shade pastels and charcoals, and wipe plates in graphics.
2. An obsolete name for yellow-ochre.
Champleve
Carving on metal to form a design with raised lines, wells or cell areas
in which enamel is laid; after which the piece is fired and polished; resembles
cloisonne.
Character
1. In lettering and type, a letter punctuation mark, or other graphic symbol.
2. Also refers to the personality of the style or face of lettering in relationship to
surrounding elements, atmosphere and mood.
Charcoal holder
A handle used to hold charcoal, crayons, or pastels.
Charcoal paper
A paper with a "tooth" used for charcoal pastel drawings and other dry mediums.
Charcoal Pencil
A pencil with charcoal as the inner rod or marking material.
Charcoal vine
Thin sticks of charcoal about 6" long, available in soft, medium, and hard grades,
also called "Willow stick."
Charge the brush
A term generally used in Watercolor Work, meaning to fill the brush with color or
ink.
Chase
1. To ornament metal by chasing. See
Chasing. 2. In letterpress
printing, a frame made from metal, used to lock up type and plates so they will
retain their position while in the press.
Chaser
One who is skilled in the Art of chasing. See Chasing below.
Chasing
A process in metalwork and sculpture in which chasing tools or punches are tapped
with a hammer to create an indented design; also a name for the surface finishing of
a metal cast.
Cheesecloth
A soft guaze-like cloth used to wipe plates in graphics. Also used as
"tackcloths"
when removing wood dust, stonedust from carvings and sculptures.
Cherub
See Putto.
Chevron nbsp;
A "V" pattern repeated vertically.
Chiaroscuro
(Italian, "light/dark") Strong emphasis on the change from
light to dark in drawing or painting.
Chia hua
(Chinese) A painting made by using fingers and fingernails in place of brushes.
China bristle
Bristle hair from China for manufacturing brushes.
China-marking pencil
A pencil that has grease crayon substance as the rod; used for marking on glass, ceramics,
china and other slick surfaces.
Chinkinborl
(Japanese) A lacquer technique using gold dust sprinkled on black lacquer.
Chinoiserie
(French, "Chinese things") European style of decoration that was inspired by Chinese Art,
beginning in the 16th century.
Chipboard
Newsboard, a heavy, stiff cardboard, used for mounting, backing or as a cutting
board surface.
Chip carving
Carving by cutting wedge shapes and triangular shapes from a wood surface.
Chiro-Xylograph
A woodblock in which a space is left empty so that text can be put in by hand.
Chisel
A cutting tool with a sharp, beveled edge used for carving.
Chisel brush
A brush with hairs shaped like a chisel, useful in sign-writing.
Chisel draft
In sculpture, marks on the edge of a stone or other solid material that are used as
a cutting guide.
Chisel point
1. A manner of shaping a pencil point to that of a chisel-type edge.
2. A lettering brush.
Chroma
The intensity, strength, or saturation of color, distinguishing the chromatic
colors from black and white.
Chromatic colors
All colors are chromatic; black, white and the mixture of black and white to create
grays are "archromatic."
Chungking bristle
The finest bristle used for brushes, from the province of Chungking, China.
Cinquefoil
(French "5-leaved") A motif using 5 leaves in a pattern.
Circle cutter
An adjustable tool used to cut exact circles.
Circumference
The boundary line or border of a circle; the distance or length around a circle.
Cire perdue
(French, "lost wax") See
Lost wax process.
Classic
Having permanent quality in accordance with established princibles of excellence;
pertaining to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.
Classical Art
Pertaining to the Art of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Claude Lorraine glass or Claude glass
See Black mirror.
Clean color
A pure color, not reduced.
Cleaning agent
In printmaking, ammonia, whiting, salt and vinegar are used to remove fingerprints
from metal plates.
Cleaning bag
A cloth bag that contains a powder that absorbs dirt, used to clean drawings.
Clean lines
Lines in ArtWork that are stated simply but suberbly.
Cleavage
Flaking off of paint as it cracks and seperates from its ground.
Cliche verre
(French "exposure of glass") A graphic Art in which clear glass is covered with opaque
pigment, a design is scratched into the coating with a stylus, and the glass is
exposed on photo-sensitive paper.
Cloisonne
A form of painting of the 1880's marked by gray lines between the areas of color;
developed by Emile Bernard and
Paul Gauguin; resembles the
metallic line seperating lines in cloissonne.
Closure
The ability to of the mind to complete a pattern or picture where only a
suggestion is exists.
Cockled
A term applied to paper that is rippled or slightly wrinkled.
Cold-pressed Oil
Vegetable oil extracted from seeds and nuts by pressing them without heat.
See also Linseed Oil.
Cold-pressed Paper
A handmade watercolor paper made with a medium to rough texture, made as chemically
pure as possible.
Collage
(French, "pasting") Bits and pieces of paper, fabric, nuts, shells, bolts, etc, any
objects or materials are then pasted on the pictures' surface to serve as the design;
may be combined with paints.
Colophon
(Greek, "finishing touch") An inscription giving information about a publication a
or Artist, usually placed at the end of a book or on the Mat of a picture.
Colophony
A rosin
used in the process of relining paintings on canvas.
Color fatigue
Tiring of certain color receptors in the eye, causing inaccurate color perception.
Color seperation
1. A photographic process used in photolithography that seperates colors
through the use of filters; the standard fout color process reduces each
full-color picture to four seperate plates-magenta, yelloe, cyan and black,
but more than four colors can be used; when printed one over the other, a
reasonably accurate reproduction of the original is acheived.
2. By hand, color seperation is usually accomplished by using
acetate or rubylith overlays keyed to the base Art; or colors can be indicated on
tissue overlays from which a camera process creates seperate negatives that are
used to make the required printing plates.
Color Slide
A photographic transparency; Artists often send color slides, rather than their
Work, to be viewed for prospective Shows or for Sale.
Color symbolism
The use of color to express an emotional, political, religious or other meaning.
Color Triad
Three colors spaced an equal distance apart on the Color wheel, such as red, yellow,
and blue; or orange, green and violet. See also
Color Wheel.
Color Wheel
A divided or sectioned circle with colors in a spectrum effect. See also "
Triads,
Complementary colors,
Ives color wheel,
Munsell theory,
Newton's color wheel,
Ostwaid system,
Primary colors,
Secondary colors,
Tetrads,
Tertiary colors".
Commercial Art
Art that is created to serve a specific business purpose, such as selling a product;
advertising illustration, textile designing, packaging, lettering and fashion
illustration are some of the facets of Commercial Art.
Commission
An authorization to create a Work of Art for a stated price.
Compass cutter
A drawing compass, but with a blade to cut circles.
Complementary colors
Colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel, such as yellow-purple, red-green
and blue-orange are called complementary pairs.
Composite Shape
A group of two or more objects or shapes (sometimes including shadows)
that form an easily recognizable shape or unit.
Composition Brayer
A soft gelatin roller used in graphics.
Cone of Vision
In mechanical perspective, the visual field, in a cone shape of about 45 to 60 degrees,
in which a person views the points in a picture.
Constructivism
An abstract movement in sculpture, begun in Russia about 1917, that used metal, wood, plaster, tin, and other industrial
materials to build 3-dimensional sculptures, paintings, and graphics; a form of Art
and everyday life; also called "Tatlinism", after Vladamire Tatlin (1885-1953) a champion
of Art form.
Contact screen
A halftone screen.
Conte crayon
Trade name of a unique French drawing crayon that is made in square sticks or in pencil form, is
grease-free and available in several colors, the reddish crayon is sometimes called a
"Sanguine." Conte also manufactures a line of pencils, pastels and chalks.
Contemporary Art
Art of our era or times.
Cool colors
Colors in which blue, green or violet predominate.
Copal painting medium
A medium made from resin, pure oil and rectified turpentine, used with oil paints.
Copal Varnish
A quality varnish sometimes used as a finish coat on an oil painting after it is
thouroughly dry (six to twelve months)
Copper tooling
Creating a design or picture on copper by means of pressing a tool into the surface
either from the front or back; sulphur is then applied to make different values.
Copper Wheel engraving
The process of engraving a design on glass with various copper wheels and abrasives. The copper
wheels are fitted on a small lathe and the object to be engraved is held against
the spinning wheel.
Coptic Art
Early Christian Art, mainly in Egypt during the 5th to the 8th centuries.
Corundum
An extremely hard mineral abrasive used to smooth or grind.
Counter-etch
To resensitize a lithographic or other printing plate so that it will accept crayon
or tusche.
Cover paper
A heavy-duty colored paper used for covers of brochures, catalogs and cards, etc.
Cover Stock
A type of smooth or textured papaer produced in single or double weight, in white as well as in different colors;
used for covers, advertising, greeting cards, etc.
Cray-pas
Trade name for oil-stick colors that combine qualities of crayons and pastels, do
not need to be fixed, and can be used with turpentine to create a special effect.
Crest
In design, a crown or coat of arms. See also
Heraldic.
Creve
In etching, the collapse of a whole area of a plate where lines are close together
and the plate is left in the acid too long.
Criblee
Covered with dots punched on an engraving plate to create an image; also
a technique of surface decoration with dots; also called "dotted manner,
maniere criblee, schrottblatt".
Critique
A constructive discourse covering a Work or Works of Art, pointing out areas that
are well done as well as things that might be improved upon.
Crop marks
Marks or indications on ArtWork or photographs to be reproduced that give
instructions where to crop or cut.
Croppers
Two "L" shaped pieces of MAt board held aound a picture to judge how a composition can most
effectively be cropped.
Croquis
(French, "Sketch") Sketch and notes that will be used for a full Art rendering at
a later date; often used in fashion drawing.
Crosshatch
A means of creating a tonal effect by repeated and parallel horizontal, vertical
or diagonal lines.
Crossmarks
See "Registration marks."
C-scroll
A design in the shape of the letter "C".
Cubism
An abstract Art movement of the early 20th century, initiated by Pablo Picasso and
Georges Braque; in painting, a means of representing volume in a 2-dimensional
plane without resorting to the illusion of depth as usually developed within the picture
space. In sculpture, in Africa, Oceania, and Alaska, cubistic form was used at much earlier
dates.
Curve ruler
A piece of rubber or plastic with a piece of flexible metal in center (and covered)
that has the ability to bend into various curves as an aid in scribing lines.
Cycladic Art
Art of the islands of the Aegean sea called the Cyclades, about 2600-1100 B.C.; consisted
mainly of pottery and sculpture.