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The Decorative Painter's Glossary

Here are the basic terms so you can "talk the talk" of painters.

Basecoating:

1. The application of acrylic paint as a background color. A couple of coats with a light buffing with brown paper bag between coats is best.

2. The action of filling in an area of your painting that will then be painted over with shading, highlighting or blended colors.

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Color Washes:

Mixtures of paint and water (usually more water than paint). This produces a translucent covering that allows to grain of the wood or basecoating to show through.

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Ferrule:

The metal part of a paintbrush. It holds the bristles securely in place and keeps the handle from splitting.

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Floatshading:

A technique that allows for an application of paint that gradually goes from solid color to clear water.

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Highlight:

Using a lighter color to create an area of illumination on an object.

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Inky:

This is a watered=down paint that resembles ink. It flows from your brush; it feels different than when you put paint onto your projects.

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Load:

Filling up your paintbrush so there is enough paint to complete at least one stroke of your work.

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Naval Jelly:

The brand-name of a product that takes rust from metal.

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Palette Knife:

A flexible knife for mixing and moving paint on your palette.

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Pressure:

This is spreading your brush bristles out by pushing down on them in a motion that goes from ceiling-to-floor. It helps your brush to do 90% of the work for you.

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Shading:

The creation of darker areas of an object in your painting that could be caused by the shape of the object, a recession of the area or something casing a shadow on your object.

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Sizing:

A glue of wax that is put on the bristles of a paintbrush to protect them from dust and damage during shipping.

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Speckle:

Droplets of paint spattered on your project by dipping a toothbrush in paint and running your fingernail over the bristles. Plain paint makes small speckles; the more water you add to the paint, the larger the speckles. Experiment with this and test it before applying it to any project.

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Strokework:

The application of paint with a single motion of the brush. Unlike painting-in an area with several strokes and the blending of colors to create the effects, strokework can make a whole object, section of an object, shadow or highlight with just one movement of the brush.

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Stylus:

A pointed instrument used for marking. Usually a toothpick or an inkless ballpoint pen, if not a special tool made just for this purpose.

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Tacky Cloth:

Cheesecloth or any other lint-free cloth that is treated with a mixture of varnish and linseed oil. It removes sawdust from a sanded piece of wood.

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