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Art Terms
A - B
C - E
F - L M - S
T - W
Maquette A small clay or wax example for a large
sculpture, or a sketch model for sculpture or stained glass
windows.
Medium In general,
the process employed by the artist, such as etching, silkscreening,
painting, etc. that is used to create the work of art.
Mezzotint A process of
engraving in which the design is produced by scraping the half tones and
highlights from a specially roughened black printing surface. The copper
plate is first roughened with a rocker, ( a tool with a wide, curved,
serrated edge) which is used to rock the surface of the plate uniformly at
a number of different angles causing an even burr, which holds the ink and
makes it possible to print a rich, velvety black. The artist then scrapes
out with a rnezzotint scraper those areas of his design which he desires
to print in a lighter tone, or completely rubs the burr out for those
areas to be printed white.
Mixed Media Generally, when an artist has used more than one
medium in creating the work. As an example, a lithograph with etching
would be considered a mixed media.
Museum Mount, or Museum
Framing The safest method of hinging, matting
and framing artwork that utilizes only acid-free
materials.
Offset Printing
Lithographic printing which is done not directly from the
lithographic plate. Offset printing is usually considered to be a
photo-mechanical process.
Original
Considered as a work of art conceived and produced solely by
the artist, or under his direct supervision. Graphic works such as
lithographs, silkscreens, etchings, etc, are considered to be "original
multiples" as the finished print is the only manifestation of such
work.
Patina The surface color
on metal sculpture.
Plate
Mark
The indented impression on the damp paper made
by the etched plate when passed through the press. Prints taken from wood
blocks or lithographic stones seldom show impressions of this
kind.
Primary
Colors Yellow, red and blue, which,
when mixed, yield all other colors but can not themselves be produced by
any combination of colors.
Print
Any impression taken on paper
(or silk, canvas or any other material) from any kind of plate or block,
worked either by hand or by photomechanical means.
Provenance The pedigree, or history of
ownership, of a work of art.
Publisher's
Proof
Designated as "P.P.", it is simply a portion of the total
number of prints in an edition. They are sometimes retained by the
publisher, although often are available for sale. Prints designated as
"Publisher's Proof" have no higher (or lower) "value" than any other
prints within the edition. The "P.P." can also mean "printer's
proof".
Rag
Board Matboard Made form 100% cotton, 100%
acid-free, used in museum mounting and framing. (At one time, rag board
was actually made from cotton rags).
Remarque A small unique drawing or
painting made by the artist, usually in the margin area of one of his
limited editions prints. Remarque prints usually sell at a higher price.
Pronounced simply as
re-mark.
Silkscreen
or Serigraph A printing process which
involves the use of various screens or stencils. The design is drawn on
the screen (at one time silk was the general material of choice, before
technology provided better materials at less cost) and is either cut out
(stencil) or stopped out with varnish. Ink or paint is then wiped or
squeegeed across the screen, and penetrates to the paper placed
immediately below the screen. Different colors usually require the use of
different screens, with the many colors being built up on the paper with
each successive squeegee of ink or paint.
Signed
in the Stone or Plate When the artist's
signature is printed along with the image. After creating the image on the
plates or stones, the artist will then "sign in the stone" and then the
edition is pulled. Not the same as the hand-signature of the
artist.
Soft-ground
Etching An etching process which
produces a print with a quality of line and tone resembling a pencil or
chalk drawing. A soft, acid-resisting ground is laid on the metal plate.
The design is then drawn with a sharp pencil upon thin paper stretched
over the ground plate. This causes the ground to adhere to the paper where
it has been pressed down with the pencil. Thus, when the paper is removed,
the metal is left exposed in somewhat irregular or ragged lines. The plate
is then immersed in acid, the drawing is bitten into the plate, and then
prints are pulled in the standard procedure.
State
A term applied to the stages in making an
etching, lithograph, etc. As the work progresses, the artist pulls proofs
in order to examine condition or effect.
Suite When two or more images are
published or released together, the grouping is referred to as a suite, as
in "this is a suite of four pieces."
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