Glossary-G

The letter ‘G’ is especially valuable because G includes many essential terms across materials, techniques, elements of art, and historical styles. These terms help build foundational art knowledge and spark creative exploration, including:

Genre painting – Art that depicts scenes of everyday life, popular in 17th-century Dutch art and beyond.

Gesso – A white paint-like primer used to prepare surfaces like canvas or wood for painting.

Gesture drawing – A quick, expressive sketch that captures movement or pose.

Gothic art – A major European art style from the Middle Ages known for its architecture, stained glass, and illuminated manuscripts.

Gouache – An opaque, water-based paint that behaves like watercolor but has a more solid finish.

Gradation – A gradual transition between colours, tones, or textures—important for realism and depth.

Graphite – A core material in pencils, essential for sketching and drawing.

Ground – The surface or background area of a piece, especially in painting and drawing.

 

A   |   B   |   C   |   D   |   E   |   F   |   G   |   H   |   I   |   J   |   K   |   L   |   M   |   N   |   O   |   P   |   Q   |   R   |   S   |   T   |   U   |   V   |   W   |   X   |   Y   |   Z

 

VIEW ALL GLOSSARIES