impasto

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   painting: the technique of applying paint thickly enough for brush or palette-knife marks to remain visibly raised

   The painter used impasto to make the highlights catch the gallery light.

2. 2
   noun

   a thickly painted area or the raised paint itself

   The white impasto along the sleeve projected from the canvas.

3. 3
   verb

   rare: to apply or render in thick, raised paint

   She impastoed the flowers with quick strokes of the palette knife.

Borrowed from Italian impasto, 'dough, paste, mixture,' from impastare, 'to knead or mix into a paste.' Painters applied the term to thick masses of pigment whose physical texture remains visible and catches light across the surface.

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