Acrylic
A fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints are water-soluble, but become water-resistant when dry.
After, Estate or Posthumous Editions
This is an edition printed from a matrix usually after the death of the artist. Note the term after can also apply to a print that was created after a painting or drawing as well. These works have usually been authorized by the artist's heirs or is the product of a publisher who previously purchased the matrix from the artist. It should be limited in some way (though not necessarily hand-numbered) or it becomes simply a limitless restrike. Posthumous editions of prints that were pencil signed in their original edition frequently bear stamped signatures authorized by the artist's heirs or the publisher.
Aquatint
An etching process in which tone is created by treating a plate with fine particles of acid resistant material (like powder resin) and then placing the plate in an acid bath. The acid bites into the plate between the grains of resin and when printed, the mass of tiny spots produces a textured area with tonal effects similar to watercolor wash.
Arches Paper
Arches paper is a brand of air-dried paper that is used by printers and watercolorists. It has a warm white colour and is produced in hot-pressed, cold-pressed, and rough varieties. Arches paper is made in the village of Arches in the Vosges, France.
Artist's Proof (AP or EA)
Artist's Proofs (Épreuve d'Artiste) is a print exactly the same as those from the complete edition run in quality and image though they are outside the numbered edition. They are identified with ‘A.P.’, ‘E.A.’ or ‘Artist’s Proof’ on the impression. They are often retained by the artist or publisher.
Assemblage
A sculpture created out of common everyday (found) objects and other common art materials.
Bon à Tirer
Meaning ‘good to pull’ in French, this term refers to the first print the artist decides to use for an edition run.
Cancellation Proof
When the edition is complete, the matrix - a block, plate, stone, mylar, or other - is affected, crossed out or otherwise ‘cancelled’. An impression is then taken from this matrix, showing that the plate has been ‘cancelled’. This ensures that no further impressions can be pulled.
Carborundum
The trade name for silicon carbide, carborundum began its use in printmaking as an abrasive which was used in effacing lithographic stones. The particles, when mixed together with glue can also be used to draw on a plate - sometimes creating a raised surface - which is then inked and printed with the ink being held in the spaces between the particles. The resulting prints are often textured due to the raised areas of the printing surface.
Catalogue Raisonné
A scholarly catalogue which should include all the known works by an artist at the time of publication. Essential information by which works are identified is included.
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate and camphor) was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate.
Ceramic
A solid material comprising an inorganic compound of metal, non-metal or ionic and covalent bonds. Common examples are earthenware, pottery, porcelain, and brick.
Charcoal
A form of dry art medium made of finely ground organic materials that are held together by a gum or wax binder or produced without the use of binders by eliminating the oxygen inside the material during the production process. Charcoal can produce lines that are very light or intensely black, while being easily removable, yet vulnerable to leaving stains on paper. The dry medium can be applied to almost any surface from smooth to very coarse.
Chromogenic Color Print (C-Print or C-Type)
Is a photographic print made from a color negative, transparency, or digital image, and developed using a chromogenic process. They are composed of three layers of gelatin, each containing an emulsion of silver halide, which is used as a light-sensitive material, and a different dye coupler of subtractive color which together, when developed, form a full-color image. Term commonly used for most color photography. Also known as a silver halide print, or a dye coupler print.
Oil
Process of painting with pigments with a medium of drying oil as the binder. Commonly used drying oils include linseed oil, poppy seed oil, walnut oil, and safflower oil.