Acrylic A painting medium containing pigment suspended in a plastic binder (acrylic resin). Water soluble until dry.

Airbrush A tiny spray gun allowing a fluid to be finely sprayed onto a surface.

Alabaster A variety of gypsum or calcite of dense, fine texture usually white, but also red, yellow, gray, and sometimes banded.

Anodizing An electrolytic process in which a metal is given a protective or decorative coating. Anodizing by application of a uniform layer of aluminum oxide protects the metal from corrosion, and greatly increases its ability to permanently hold paints and other coating materials.

Architectural Glass Glass made by an artist/craftsperson that is intended to form an integral part of a building, or that is created especially for it.

Artist's Proof A small run of prints or castings, which are, set-aside for the artist's use.

Assemblage A three-dimensional composition made of various materials such as found objects, paper, wood and cloth. See also collage.

Basketry A weaving technique that employs semi-rigid materials to create a self-supporting object.

Beret Headgear worn by all serious artists to impress those of the opposite sex.

Big Art Exterior applications applied to the walls of buildings. See Murals.

Blown Glass Glass made by blowing air into a molten ball gathered on a blowtube. Produces relatively thin glass shapes.

Bonsai The growing of dwarfed, ornamentally-shaped shrubs or trees.

Bronze An alloy of copper and tin, sometimes containing small proportions of other elements such as zinc and phosphorus. It is stronger, harder, and more durable than brass, and since antiquity has been the metal most extensively used in cast sculpture.

Calligraphy The art of "beautiful writing." Specifically, a style of decorative penmanship highly developed in Asia, featuring a flowing, controlled line, often with gradations from thick to thin.

Cartography The art and science of making charts or maps.

Casting In sculpture, the process of duplication. A modeled or fabricated original in which a mold is used to make a cast in plaster, metal, polyester, or other hard-setting material.

Ceramics The art of making objects out of clay; also, the objects themselves.

Charcoal A black crayon made of charred twigs of wood, usually willow or pieces of vine.

China Painting The decoration of chinaware with ceramic colors.

Clay A ceramic medium composed of earthy material that is malleable when moist, but hard when fired.

Cloisonné A process of enameling employing cloisonné (partitions), cells made of metal wire or a narrow metal strip that is soldered edge-up to a metal base to hold enamel or other decorative materials.

Collage The use of various materials (e.g., cardboard, metal, plastic, paper) adhered to a surface to create an image.

Collagraph A relief or intaglio process in which a print is made from a plate built up by collage.

Color Wheel A circular arrangement of hues based on some particular color theory. Often an arrangement of the hues in a rainbow plus intermediary colors.

Computer Graphics A still-emerging medium that uses computer programs to generate designs and images on the surface of a computer monitor. The images are often manipulated and/or transferred to other surfaces and mediums. Usually refers to works done for commercial and graphic design.

Digital Imagery The finer art of electronic manipulation of photographic or video images.