When you practice an art form that’s hundreds of years old, there’s always an equally impressive vocabulary. On the left are some of the most common terms you will encounter in the decorative arts.

Antiquing or Aging – Any method used to give a surface the appearance of being aged or worn.
Basecoat – Refers to the application of a colored paint layer. Many different types of decorative finishes can then be applied on top of this basecoat.
Border – Usually a stenciled or hand painted design often used on walls, ceilings and floors to add decoration and interest.
Burnish – A technique, often used in plastering, that requires the artist to hand rub the surface with a trowel to obtain a smooth or glass-like finish.
Color Wash – A technique used by the artist to manipulate semi-transparent glazes over a base coat. Often, layers of glaze are used to show depth in the final finish.
Combing – A decorative paint technique in which a comb instrument is pulled through paint, glaze or texture to create a variety of effects. This instrument can be made of metal, plastic, rubber, leather or other materials unique to the artist.
Crackle – This technique is used in painted and plastered finishes. This cracking of the surface is intentionally created to allow the undercoat to show through. Crackles are caused when the topcoat dries at a different rate than the basecoat.
Distressing – To create an aged or worn look using paints, plasters or textures.
Faux Bois - Creating the illusion of wood using glazes and paints.
Faux Finishes – This is a French word meaning false, fake, imitation or artificial. This term is often used to describe marbleizing, wood-graining or other finishes that are replicating a natural material.
Fresco – A mural technique where pigments are painted on wet, uncured plaster. Faux frescos are produced to give the appearance of aged or weathered frescos using a variety of paint or plaster products.
Frottage – A decorative painting technique that comes from the French word meaning to rub. This term refers to a technique where paint or glaze is applied to a base coat. The paint or glaze is then manipulated with plastic, paper or fabric to create interesting effects.
Gilding – The application of metallic leaf, foil, paint or powder to a surface area.
Glazing – The process of applying a semi-transparent paint over a basecoat to create an interesting effect. Often a series of glaze colors will be applied either at the same time or in layers to create a rich finish with a feeling of depth.
Grisaille – A method of painting in monochrome to suggest solid form, sculpture or decorative plaster motifs.
Harlequin Diamonds – Diamond patterns that are either painted or plastered on walls, ceilings, floors or other surfaces in an interesting, artistic manner.
Inlay – Decorative ornamentation set into a surface. The appearance often imitates exotic woods or stones.
Italian Plaster – Any of a variety of plasters imported from Italy that are lime-based or modified with resins. Most Italian plasters use marble dust as an additive to create the look and feel of stone.
Marbleizing – A faux finish that creates the illusion of a variety of marbles.
Metallic Finishes – Decorative finishes that use metallic paints or plasters.
Mural – A painting or other work of art executed directly on a wall, ceiling, floor or other surface.
Open-Time – The amount of time that a glaze stays wet or workable.
Patina – A green or brown film on the surface of certain metals caused by oxidation over a period of time.
Pigments – Powders or liquids mixed into paint bases to create colors.
Plaster – A soft mixture of lime or clay mixed with water. Sometime resins are added to the mixture along with aggregate. Plasters are troweled on walls and ceilings to form either a smooth or textured surface.
Primer – The first coat of product applied to a surface to reduce absorbency and to ensure adhesion of subsequent coats.
Sample – A rendering on a small surface to show the final outcome of the decorative finish.
Stencil – A thin sheet of plastic, paper or metal with a pattern or letters cut out of it. Paint, plaster or other colored material is then applied through the stencil and the design is transferred to the surface area.
Stipple – A decorative treatment also known as “Pouncing.” A glaze or paint is applied to a surface and while it is wet, a stipple brush is pounced onto the surface causing the glaze to disperse into tiny dots. Stippling gives a very even film of glaze while removing brush strokes.
Stone Block – A paint or texture technique used to give the appearance of old stone block.
Strie – A technique used for achieving a subtle mix of fine lines by pulling a wide stiff brush through wet glaze, paint or plaster.
Texture – A term used to describe any material applied to a surface to create a raised or rough appearance. Textures are often applied with trowels.
Trompe L'oeil – A French expression meaning, To deceive the eye. A painting technique in which an illusion of depth and reality is created by emphasizing highlights and shadows.
Venetian Plaster – Pigmented limestone and marble dust, many times mixed with synthetic additives, that when applied with a trowel or spatula can create the look and feel of stone.