Glossary of Terms

Works on Paper: Works on Paper include artworks drawn, painted or otherwise created on paper using a variety of media.

Acrylic: Water-based plastic paint consisting of pigments bound in an acrylic resin mixture. Can be thinned with water while wet, but become tough and water resistant once dry.

Charcoal: Charcoal refers to the drawing utensil employed by artists as a medium for sketches, finished works, and under-drawings for paintings. The black and crumbly nature of charcoal produces a freer and less dense line than graphite.

Collage: The word collage derives from the French, coller, which means to glue. Here a work of art is created by clipping and adhering flat articles, such as photographs, newspaper and fabric, to a two-dimensional surface.

Coloured Pencil: Coloured pencils are hand-held writing or drawing instruments typically used to create designs on paper.

Crayon: Crayons are sticks of coloured wax used for writing and drawing.

Gouache: Gouache is a painting medium similar to watercolour that is characterized by pigments suspended in water. However, due to the presence of chalk, gouache produces a heavier and more opaque image than a watercolour.

Graphite: Graphite is a medium known for its greasy texture and metallic grey colour which can be easily removed with an eraser.

Ink / Wash: Ink is a liquid medium composed of a variety of pigments and dyes used to colour a surface. It is often used for drawing or writing with a pen or brush. Thicker inks are used in letterpresses and lithographic printing.

Mixed Media Work on Paper: A mixed media work on paper employs multiple media to create a final piece.

Oil Paint: This term refers to the technique developed during the 15th and 16th centuries in which slow drying paint is made by mixing colour pigments with an oil base.

Pastel: Pastels are sticks of colour, typically made from oil or chalk. Artists use pastels to create a soft and delicate image. The medium can often be unforgiving, as it is difficult for the artist to fix a mistake.

Chalk pastels: Soft chalk pastels are brightly coloured, easily blended, and the most widely used form of pastel.

Oil pastels: Oil pastels have similar characteristics to chalk, or soft, pastels. However, they are difficult to blend and have a more buttery consistency.

Tempera: Tempera is a medium that was prevalent in Orthodox paintings of Southern Europe's Middle Ages. The artist combines egg yolk, egg whites, and oil to bind a range of pigments on a rigid support such as wood panelling.

Watercolour: Watercolour painting is characterized by colourful pigments dissolved in water producing a translucent image.