Art Jargon: A Short List

One thing that is, at times, unfortunate about the world of art is that, unless someone has grown up around it or is an artist themselves, it can be intimidating; after all, when artists talk about their work, sometimes it can sound like a foreign language to people that aren’t familiar with the jargon.  It may even keep you from inquiring about something you’re interested in learning more about. 

I felt like this before I started my own exploration into art back in the 90’s.  Just going to the art store to purchase supplies for the first time was absolutely terrifying--one of my main obstacles was that I just didn’t know what all of these paints, supplies and tools were for, nor how to use them, and for some reason I felt like I should know. 

 But like everything, the more I learned, the more I realized that most artists and even art galleries would gladly give you a little education if you asked for it.  The language might have seemed foreign to me, but with just a little experience or exposure, I realized that it was pretty easy to understand.  

If you love art but sometimes feel a bit ‘on the outside’ simply because the descriptions and terms seem foreign to you, then I hope this helps.  This is certainly not an exhaustive list of terms (in fact, it’s quite small), but it’s a start.  And if you have any questions in particular, please comment or send me an email--I’m more than happy to answer them!

Some of the ways artists talk about the art they make:

What is Abstract Art?  

Abstract Art is simply a piece of art that does not/is not meant to look like a real life object

What is Contemporary and Modern Art? (confession:  I had to look this one up)

Technically, Modern Art was created roughly between the 1860s - the late 1960s.  Contemporary Art is a term that is used to describe a lot of things (in my opinion) but generally, it refers to art that is made now, in the current age.

What is Fine Art?

In general, Fine Art refers to art that is created for no other purpose than to be aesthetically pleasing.  Many artists use this term to describe the high caliber of their work.

How artists describe their materials:

What is Art Medium?

Art medium refers to art materials or art supplies but here’s where it can get confusing--medium can also refer to a binder or additive for paint

Many artists refer to themselves by describing the material(s) they use.  

For instance they might call themselves one of the following:

• Oil Painter

• Acrylic Painter

• Watercolor Artist

But it may get more confusing when they say something like:

• Mixed Media Artist

• Collage Artist

What is Mixed Media?

Mixed media art employs more than one medium--or art supply--into one piece of art. (i.e. acrylic paint with charcoal and collage)  Just for reference, I refer to myself as a mixed media artist because I usually use many different materials in one painting.

What is Collage?

Collage is art that is made by gluing or attaching different things (like photographs or pieces of paper or even objects) onto the surface of the painting

What is composition?  

Composition simply refers to the way in which all the elements of the piece work together.  In a landscape, it might refer to where the physical objects (like trees, clouds, water) are placed.  In abstract works it might refer to colors, lines, and shapes and the way they interact, including negative space (which is how we refer to empty space around the objects in a painting).

What is a substrate?

Substrate refers to the kind of surface that a print is mounted, but sometimes this term is used to refer to any surface you paint on.

What is an unstretched canvas?

Unstretched canvas means the painting is simply on canvas and can be rolled up to ship.

Stretched canvas means that the canvas has been stretched onto stretcher bars and is ready to hang on a wall.

I hope this was helpful and makes you feel more at ease relating to art that you love.  Because in the end, the most important thing about art is the way you relate to it--the emotional and aesthetic connection--if you don’t have that, what’s the point?  All of the rest are just words we use to describe art, and those are easy enough to understand.

If I can help you find or better understand some art, let me know.  I’m happy to help.