| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | archival | suitable for long-lasting preservation |
| 2. | background | the farthest area in a scene |
| 3. | backrun | a cauliflower-like watercolor mark |
| 4. | balance | visual stability in an image |
| 5. | bleed | color spreading into wet areas |
| 6. | blend | to merge colors smoothly |
| 7. | bloom | a backrun caused by extra moisture |
| 8. | board | rigid support under watercolor paper |
| 9. | brush | a tool for applying paint |
| 10. | cityscape | art showing an urban view |
| 11. | cold-pressed | paper with medium texture |
| 12. | complementary | opposite on the color wheel |
| 13. | composition | the arrangement of visual elements |
| 14. | contour | the visible edge of a form |
| 15. | contrast | difference between visual elements |
| 16. | cool | visually cool or receding color |
| 17. | cropping | trimming the image boundaries |
| 18. | deckle | a rough natural paper edge |
| 19. | depth | the sense of spatial distance |
| 20. | drawing | the underlying linear structure |
| 21. | drybrush | brushwork with little moisture |
| 22. | easel | a stand supporting the work |
| 23. | edge | the boundary of a painted shape |
| 24. | feathering | softening an edge with strokes |
| 25. | ferrule | metal part holding brush hairs |
| 26. | filbert | a rounded flat brush shape |
| 27. | flat wash | an even area of color |
| 28. | flow | the movement of wet paint |
| 29. | focal point | the main area of interest |
| 30. | foreground | the nearest area in a scene |
| 31. | form | the illusion of three dimensions |
| 32. | gesture | a loose expressive initial drawing |
| 33. | glaze | a transparent layer over dry paint |
| 34. | gouache | opaque water-based paint |
| 35. | graded wash | a wash changing in value |
| 36. | gradient | a gradual shift in value |
| 37. | granulation | textured settling of pigment particles |
| 38. | gum arabic | common watercolor paint binder |
| 39. | hard edge | a crisp sharply defined edge |
| 40. | harmony | pleasing unity among elements |
| 41. | highlight | the lightest bright area |
| 42. | hot-pressed | paper with smooth texture |
| 43. | hue | a pure color family |
| 44. | landscape | art showing natural scenery |
| 45. | lifting | removing paint from the surface |
| 46. | lightfastness | resistance to fading in light |
| 47. | limited palette | few colors chosen for unity |
| 48. | line | a mark defining direction or edge |
| 49. | liner | a brush for thin lines |
| 50. | luminosity | glowing effect from transparent layers |
| 51. | masking fluid | liquid used to preserve whites |
| 52. | mat | border mount around artwork |
| 53. | middle ground | the area between front and back |
| 54. | mixing | combining pigments to make colors |
| 55. | moisture | amount of water present |
| 56. | mop | a large soft watercolor brush |
| 57. | movement | the path the eye follows |
| 58. | muddy | dull from overmixing or contamination |
| 59. | negative space | space around and between subjects |
| 60. | neutral | a subdued low-intensity color |
| 61. | opacity | how much a paint blocks light |
| 62. | pad | a bound stack of paper |
| 63. | palette | a surface for mixing colors |
| 64. | paper | the surface used for painting |
| 65. | perspective | system for showing depth |
| 66. | pigment | the colored substance in paint |
| 67. | plein air | painting outdoors from observation |
| 68. | point | the fine tip of a brush |
| 69. | portrait | art depicting a person |
| 70. | quill | a full soft brush type |
| 71. | reference | source material used for painting |
| 72. | rhythm | repeated visual movement or pattern |
| 73. | rigger | a long brush for fine lines |
| 74. | rough | paper with pronounced texture |
| 75. | round | a pointed versatile brush shape |
| 76. | saturation | the intensity of a color |
| 77. | shadow | the darker area from blocked light |
| 78. | shape | a flat enclosed area |
| 79. | sketch | a quick preliminary drawing |
| 80. | soft edge | a blurred gently merging edge |
| 81. | staining | tendency to sink into paper |
| 82. | still life | art of arranged inanimate objects |
| 83. | subject | the thing being depicted |
| 84. | texture | surface quality, real or implied |
| 85. | thumbnail | a small planning sketch |
| 86. | timing | choosing the right wetness stage |
| 87. | tooth | the surface texture of paper |
| 88. | transparency | how much light passes through |
| 89. | triad | three evenly spaced wheel colors |
| 90. | tube | container of liquid watercolor paint |
| 91. | ultramarine | a deep transparent blue pigment |
| 92. | underpainting | an initial layer beneath later work |
| 93. | value | the lightness or darkness of color |
| 94. | variegated wash | a wash with mixed colors |
| 95. | varnish | protective final coating, rarely used |
| 96. | warm | visually hot or advancing color |
| 97. | wash | a broad diluted layer of color |
| 98. | water | the solvent in watercolor painting |
| 99. | wet-on-dry | painting wet paint on dry paper |
| 100. | wet-on-wet | painting into a wet surface |