Art Equipment: English Vocabulary List

a writing instrument with an oil-based ink solution and a small metal or plastic ball at the writing tip

"Ballpoint pen uses oil based ink."

"A ballpoint pen uses a tiny rotating ball to dispense oil based ink for smooth writing."

a thick, stiff paper used for items like greeting cards, business cards, and other projects that require durable paper

"Card stock is thick paper."

"Card stock is thick and heavy paper used for greeting cards postcards and paper crafts."

a type of heavyweight, acrylic-coated paper known for its durability and glossy finish

"Steinbach paper is strong."

"The artist chose Steinbach paper for her watercolor paintings due to its ability to handle heavy washes without buckling."

a darkened and filtered pane of glass that was used by landscape painters in the 18th and 19th centuries

"Claude glass reflects landscape like painting."

"A Claude glass is a dark tinted mirror used by landscape painters to study scenes in reduced tones."

a thin, lightweight tissue paper made from shredded paper pulp that is crimped to give it a textured appearance

"Crepe paper stretches and crinkles."

"Crepe paper is thin textured paper that stretches slightly when pulled and is used for crafts."

a tool used to apply the wet paint film in a consistent and reproducible manner

"Drawdown card tests paint color."

"A drawdown card is used to test the color of a paint sample by spreading it smoothly."

a special paper that is used by sketchers or draftsmen

"Drawing paper has textured surface."

"Drawing paper has a textured surface suitable for pencil charcoal and pastel drawings."

a wooden frame, usually a tripod, that an artist uses to support a canvas

"Artist wooden easel."

"The artist placed his canvas on a wooden easel before starting to paint the landscape yesterday."

a lightweight slanted sketching and drawing board with an angled surface that provides stability for drawing tools while reducing neck strain for artists

"Egbert board helps drawing."

"The art student found that using an egbert significantly improved her posture and comfort during long drawing sessions."

a small tool used for removing the marks of a pencil from a piece of paper

"May I borrow your eraser please?"

"The eraser was old and hard so it smudged the paper instead of removing the pencil marks cleanly."

a tool used by artists to protect areas of a drawing or painting while erasing unwanted parts

"Erasing shield protects surrounding areas."

"An erasing shield is a thin metal sheet that protects surrounding areas when erasing pencil marks."

a metal or plastic ring or cap that fits around the end of a rod or tube to provide reinforcement, protection or to allow it to be attached to a handle

"Ferrule secures brush parts."

"The ferrule is the metal band that connects a brush handle to its bristles for durability."

a pen that can be refilled with ink

"Elegant fountain pen."

"Writing with a fountain pen requires a steady hand because the ink flows continuously without pressure."

a pen that uses thick gel ink that dries quickly and allows for smooth strokes with varied shades and colors

"Gel pen lays opaque ink."

"Gel pens dispense water based gel ink that writes smoothly and dries quickly without smudging."

an eraser made of synthetic rubber that can be manually shaped and reformed

"Kneaded eraser lifts graphite gently."

"A kneaded eraser can be molded into any shape to lift graphite from paper without leaving residue."

a jointed model of the human figure that could be put into different positions, used by artists

"Lay figure poses for artists."

"A lay figure is a jointed wooden model used by artists for posing human figures accurately."

a support tool used by artists to steady their hands while drawing or painting

"Maulstick steadies painting hand."

"The maulstick is a stick used by painters to steady their hand for fine detail work."

a pencil with a button on top that can be pushed or turned to get more lead out

"Mechanical pencil is convenient."

"The mechanical pencil never needs sharpening because its lead advances automatically with a click."

a hand tool used to apply paint to large surfaces quickly and evenly

"Paint roller covers large areas quickly."

"A paint roller covers large flat areas quickly with an even coat of paint for walls."

a tool used to apply paint smoothly and evenly to surfaces

"Paint pad edges corners neatly."

"A paint pad is used for painting edges and corners more precisely than rollers can."

a box containing a set of dry pigments, used by artists in painting

"Paintbox contains organized paints."

"A paintbox contains a set of paints in a portable case for artists to use outdoors."

a tool with a flat metal blade used to apply and spread thick layers of oil or paint onto a surface

"Painting knife spreads thick paint."

"A painting knife applies thick paint to canvas with a flexible metal blade for texture effects."

a spatula with a thin steel blade used for mixing or moving paint by artists

"Use palette knife for paint."

"The artist used a palette knife to mix the oil paints on their wooden board."

a thick, sturdy type of paper made by forming several layers of paper pulp into a single sheet

"Paperboard is thicker than paper."

"Paperboard is thicker than paper but thinner than cardboard used for packaging and crafts."

a tool with a slim piece of wood and a thin, colored part in the middle, that we use for writing or drawing

"The pencil is broken."

"The artist used a soft pencil to sketch the outline of the portrait before filling in the details with charcoal and colored pastels."

a coated board that artists cover with white pigment and then scrape lines into using a pointed tool, revealing the contrasting black surface underneath to create high-contrast linear artwork

"Scratchboard reveals black surface."

"Scratchboard has a black ink layer over white clay for scratch drawing with a sharp tool."

a piece of equipment like a gun that is used to spray a liquid on a surface by an air compressor mechanism

"Spray gun atomizes liquid paint."

"A spray gun atomizes paint into a fine mist for even coverage on large surfaces."

a type of paint that comes in an aerosol can. It is applied to a surface by spraying

"Spray paint comes in aerosol can."

"Spray paint comes in an aerosol can for quick and easy application on various surfaces."

a thin metal wire used to assemble and join paper and cardboard pieces into forms and structures

"Staple wire joins paper sheets."

"The staple wire was used to join the cardboard pieces together to form the model."

a thin sheet of material with a design or words cut out of it, used to put the design or words on a surface below it by putting paint over

"Stencil repeats shapes consistently."

"A stencil is a cut sheet that allows paint to form a repeated pattern on a surface."

a bar with hooks used to stretch and secure canvas for painting

"Strainer bar holds canvas tight."

"The strainer bar is essential for keeping the canvas taut and ready for painting."

a rectangular wooden or metal frame used to stretch and secure canvas for painting

"Stretcher bar stretches canvas tightly."

"Stretcher bars create a wooden frame that holds canvas tight without warping for painting."

a writing or drawing tool used with digital devices and touchscreens

"Stylus draws on tablet."

"She used a stylus to precisely draw the intricate details on her digital tablet."

a type of black ink made from soot and glue used in East Asian brush painting

"Sumi ink is black."

"The artist carefully mixed the sumi ink with water before beginning the brush painting."

a type of cloth, typically made of cotton, that is coated with a sticky substance such as wax or resin, used to remove dust and dirt from surfaces

"Tack cloth removes dust before painting."

"A tack cloth is a sticky cloth used to remove dust from surfaces before painting for better adhesion."

a type of writing instrument, typically made of metal, with a fine, pointed tip that is used to draw precise lines and details

"Technical pen draws consistent line widths."

"A technical pen draws lines of consistent width for drafting illustration and architectural drawings."

any tool used to securely fasten or tighten screws, bolts, or other fasteners, including wrenches and spanners

"Tightening key turns bolt."

"He used a tightening key to ensure the bolt was securely fastened to the frame."

a type of parchment made from animal skin, typically calfskin, used for writing or printing

"They wrote on vellum."

"Important historical documents were carefully written on durable vellum many centuries ago."

a piece of equipment using compressed air that an artist employs to spray paint on a surface

"Airbrush sprays fine mist paint."

"An airbrush sprays fine mist of paint using compressed air for detailed work and smooth gradients."

a paintbrush with straight, untapered bristles that produce a straight edge when applied to a surface

"Flat brush makes straight edges."

"A flat brush has a square end for bold strokes and washes of paint on canvas."

a specialized type of paint brush used for applying ink

"Ink brush has fine point."

"An ink brush has a fine point for calligraphy and ink painting with smooth flowing strokes."

a large, roughly textured paintbrush used for applying thick paint in an impasto style

"Mop brush washes large areas."

"A mop brush holds a large amount of water for wet washes and blending large areas."

a brush used by a painter to apply paint to a surface

"Paintbrush applies liquid color."

"A paintbrush is a tool with bristles used to apply paint or ink to a surface."

a specialized paintbrush designed for creating very thin, precise lines and patterns

"Pinstriping brush paints long lines."

"A pinstriping brush is very long and thin for painting straight lines on vehicles and signs."

a tool used to apply paint or ink in a dotted pattern

"Stippler makes dotted textures."

"A stippler creates textured dotted effects in painting by dabbing the brush repeatedly."

a specialized paintbrush used for creating a "drawn-on" or "ragged" style line

"Rigger brush paints fine lines."

"A rigger brush is very long and thin for painting fine lines such as ship rigging or hair."