Two-Dimensional Media: Support, Drawing Media, Brushes, and Techniques

Vocabulary flashcards covering paper types, supports, drawing media, brush varieties, drawing kinds, shading techniques, and essential tools from Lesson 1.2 on Two-Dimensional Media.

Laid Paper

Paper with parallel lines from the mold wires; lightly textured, good for sketching with pastel.

Textured Pastel/Charcoal/Craft Paper

Paper pressed with fine irregular texture; suited to pastel or charcoal and light layering.

Wove Paper

Paper made on woven wire cloth, producing a fine, smooth surface ideal for ink and realistic pencil drawings.

Rough-Grained Paper

Bumpy-surfaced paper favored by watercolorists; pits let paint pool in washes and leave specks of white.

Medium-Grain Paper

Paper with subtle fine grain that works well for shaded pencil work.

Smooth Hot-Press Paper

Paper hot-rolled to a very smooth, flat surface, allowing extremely fine detail without texture interference.

Canvas

Closely woven heavy cotton cloth prepared for painting.

Gesso

Primer coat applied to a support (e.g., canvas or wood) before painting.

Hardboard (Wood Support)

Wooden panel support commonly called hardboard for painting.

Masonite

Trademarked hardboard made of wood fibers and resin pressed into flat sheets.

Plywood

Support made from thin wood veneers glued together; can use local hardwoods or softwoods.

Wall (Mural Support)

Traditional stone or masonry surface used for wall painting or fresco.

Charcoal

Organic drawing medium made from burnt wood, producing rich blacks and broad tonal range.

Vine Charcoal

Thin, easily blended sticks of charcoal that create lighter blacks and erase readily.

Compressed Charcoal

Powdered charcoal pressed into sticks; produces darker blacks than vine charcoal.

Graphite

Common pencil core material; cleaner and less messy than charcoal for drawing.

Brush (General)

Tool whose main function is to transfer paint or ink to a surface.

Bristle Brush

Stiff brush for thick, impasto paint; too abrasive for delicate watercolor.

Sable Brush

Soft, resilient hair brush (often Siberian mink) that holds water and pigment well; favored in watercolor.

Dome-Shaped (Wash/Sky) Brush

Large rounded brush used to cover broad areas such as skies.

Pointed Brush

Brush with tapered tip for precise linear markings.

Flat Brush

Brush with flat edge ideal for broad, even strokes.

Oriental Brush

Traditional Asian brush with deer, fox, hog, or goat hair tufts; numeric sizes differ from Western scales.

Drawing

Process of moving a tool over a surface to leave a line; often first step in 2-D art.

Life Drawing

Drawing based directly on observed subject from life.

Emotive Drawing

Drawing style that prioritizes expression of feelings over accuracy.

Sketching

Quick, spontaneous drawing done on the spur of the moment.

Perspective Drawing

Technique of depicting three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

Shading

Use of light and shadow to give drawings volume and depth.

Hatching

Shading technique using parallel lines running in the same direction.

Cross-Hatching

Shading technique using intersecting sets of lines to build darker values.

Blending

Shading method of gradually changing value for smooth transitions.

Stippling

Shading method employing dot patterns to create tonal variation.

Kneaded Eraser

Pliable eraser that can lighten charcoal and create highlights by lifting pigment.

Paper Stump (Torchon)

Rolled paper stick used to blend charcoal or graphite into smooth gradations.

Chamois Cloth

Soft cloth used to blend or remove charcoal, though it cannot restore pure white areas.

Stages of Drawing

Sequential process: Look, Transfer information, Block in background, Add volume, Finish details.