Farley Lewis

When I first entered the world of art, I found the amount of artist jargon daunting. After nearly 60 years of experience* in the art field, I’ve learned some of this artsy language myself.

[*See below, in Glossary of Terms for the Art Collector]

Here are some common terms you may encounter, and the practical definition.

Words and Phrases to Know for The New Artist

Composition – This comes from the root word “compost” and describes the process of a painting breaking down, as in the sentence: “This painting started off good, but now the composition looks like kitchen waste stirred into yard clippings.”

Two-Point Perspective – These are the commonly accepted two points of perspective:

Point #1 – When drawing a barn, make it look like a barn, not a high school geometry assignment, for crying out loud.

Point #2 – If train tracks really did vanish off in the distance, think of all the train wrecks that would cause.

Plein Air – This refers to air that is just “plain,” like plain yogurt. Air unflavored by smog or dust, as “This painting was not done in the exhaust-flavored air of downtown Detroit, but thirty miles out of town in plein air.” The unfortunate typo in the word “plain” was done by some French painter years ago, and it stuck. 

Be true to your artistic voice – Don’t try anything new.

Glossary of Phrases for the Art Collector

40 Years’ Experience in Fine Art – These kinds of figures often include an artist’s early work, done in crayon before their fifth birthday.

Artist’s Private Collection – When a painting is said to be “in the artist’s private collection,” that means the artist can’t seem to sell it.

Nationally Recognized Artist – The artist posts on social media and has received likes from more than one state.

Award-Winning Artist – This phrase is completely meaningless, as I have never met an artist who hasn’t won an award of some kind for something. We artists still like the term, however, and have no plans for abandoning it any time soon.

Fellow artists, I would love to hear your own suggestions for these glossary of terms. If I like it, and I’m free to edit it if needed, we’ll add it to the list.