On today’s 2-Minute Tip Session, we are going to talk about five Italian art terms you’ll encounter on your painting journey.
Oh there are more but they wouldn’t all fit in a two minute segment. Every time I hear these terms I think of my Italian Grandparents and smile. Grandpa’s family was from Northern Italy and Nonni’s family was from Sicily. They would argue about pronunciation of words but it was always done with love.
Impasto
No I’m not talking Noni’s pasta, I’m talking thick paint here. Paint so thick it stands out from the canvas.
Pentimento
This could be the mere fact that you painted over an earlier work or actual evidence of a work you painted over.
The word is actually Italian for repent. And when I think about painting over an existing work, that really makes me smile.
No-Finito
Kinda self explanatory when you think about it. No-Finito means unfinished.
Here’s one that felt done even though it was unfinished, so I let it be. It’s a miracle I didn’t go back in and try to make her “pretty”.
Chiaroscuro (Pronounced Keeairascuro)
Using light and shadow to create 3-dimensional form. Here’s my modern version. I can really feel the space and form in this piece.
Sfumato
Thin strokes that are invisible. Completely lost edges. They evaporate like smoke, blending like crazy so that no brush strokes are evident. One of my teachers said I was the “Queen of Overblending.” My character defects sure paid off here!
So now you know. I love that these single lyrical words can say so much.
Check out my Painterly 2-Minute Tip Video for a demonstration on the subject:
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