Fresco is a form of mural painting used to produce grand and often beautiful works on plaster. One of the most famous examples is the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo. Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, c.1512 The word “fresco” means “fresh” in Italian, referring to the damp lime plaster which frescos are typically painted on.…
Écorché
Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What is Écorché Écorché (which means “flayed” in French) refers to anatomical studies of human or animal forms without skin, having the underlying muscles and tissues exposed. The term is not specific to any medium—it could refer to a drawing, painting, sculpture,…
Representational Art
Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What is Representational Art? Representational art refers to art which represents something, whether that be a tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art which is clearly identifiable as something…
Raking Light
Raking light refers to a light source which is set at an acute or nearly parallel angle to objects in a painting. Objects being hit by raking light will be half in light and half in shadow and will have long cast shadows. Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico used raking light…
Triptych Art
Triptych refers to art that is made up of three panels. The term originates from the Greek word ‘triptykhos’, meaning ‘three-layered’ or ‘three folds’. The panels that form a triptych are often attached to one another with hinges, allowing the two outer panels (or wings) to fold inward and cover the central panel. However, contemporary triptychs…
Dappled Light
Bonus Download: Before diving into this post, make sure you grab my free Landscape Painting Starter Kit. Dappled light refers to that spotted light which typically comes through gaps in a tree canopy. Below is a great example by Claude Monet—notice the spots of light orange amongst the dark purple shadows. Claude Monet, Garden Path,…
Contrapposto
Contrapposto is Italian for “opposite” or “counter”. In art, it refers to the natural standing position of the human body, with weight leaning on one leg and a shift in the body to counter this. Michelangelo’s David is a perfect example of this. Putting the weight on one leg forces David’s hips, spine and shoulders…
Chiaroscuro
Bonus Download: New to painting? Start with my free Beginner’s Guide to Painting. What Is Chiaroscuro? Chiaroscuro refers to the use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface. The term translates to “light-dark”; chiaro meaning bright or clear and scuro meaning dark or obscure. The term is…
Sfumato
Bonus Download: Grab my free Color Theory Cheat Sheet. What Sfumato Means Sfumato is a painting technique which involves blending the edge between colors so that there is a soft transition. The term “sfumato” is Italian which translates to soft, vague or blurred. The technique was popularized by the old masters of the Renaissance art movement,…
Color Schemes in Art
Bonus Download: Grab my free Color Theory Cheat Sheet. What Are Color Schemes in Art? A color scheme is used to describe the overall selection of colors in an artwork. The major color schemes in art are analogous, complementary, split-complementary, triadic, rectangular and monochromatic. These color schemes utilize colors at certain locations on the color wheel.…
