Notes on the Topic Vocabulary for ART/PAINTING

Note the difference between these pairs of words / word combinations:

a work/piece of art [a product of the fine masterpiece [the best example/product

arts, especially a painting or sculpture] of the arts]
a master [a great painter] a craftsperson / artisan [a skilled
workman who practices a craft]
an art critic/ an art historian [makes a connoisseur (of art / music / wine)
judgements about art as part of their job] [knows a lot about art / music / wine]
the subject / subject matter of a the plot of a film/book/story
painting/picture
subjects / characters of a characters of a film/book/story
painting/picture
to paint from nature [looking at a to paint from life [looking at a living
landscape/natural scene or inanimate model/sitter]
object]
brushstroke(s) [mark(s) left on a surface daub(s) [covering of a soft, sticky
by a single application/movement of a substance; + poorly executed pictures]
brush or palette knife]
dull colours [negative] muted / low-key(ed) colours [positive]
a gaudy/vulgar picture/painting tasteless food
an exquisite painting [having rare sophisticated special effects [showing
beauty or delicacy] advanced skills, with the latest
improvement]
to differ (from something/somebody) [be to be distinguished by something [to
different from] have something as a distinctive quality]
to refuse an offer / refuse to do smth [to to give up / sacrifice / abandon
say ‘no’ / be unwilling to accept (smth something [stop doing smth / believing
offered) to do smth ] in smth as a sacrifice]
an exhibition / a show [a public display an exhibit [a work of art
of works of art] shown/exhibited/displayed in a museum,
etc.]
the artist’s output [all the works Artistic/cultural/historic(al) heritage
produced by the artist] [the customs, traditions, art forms and
works of art, etc. which a nation or
ethnic group inherits from its ancestors]

Note these collocations:

to execute / do / produce / create / work on / paint a painting / a picture / a portrait
to visit / go to an/the exhibition / museum
to hold / host an exhibition
to house / keep / hold a collection / works of art (pictures/paintings/sculptures, etc.)
one-man/one-woman/solo exhibition/show
exhibition halls/rooms
museum of (the) applied arts / of fine arts / of modern art

Note the prepositions in these phrases:

a work of art/masterpiece (painting/picture/portrait/sculpture etc.) by someone
in a/the painting/picture/portrait/landscape/still life
(The picture is executed/painted/drawn) on paper, canvas, carton
(The picture is executed/painted/drawn) in watercolour, oil, pastel, charcoal, BUT:
with oils (oil paints), watercolours, pastels
in the foreground / in the background
to be placed/posed against something (against the landscape background / against
the background of something)
to specialize in something
there is an exhibition on at the museum / gallery
at an/the exhibition
to be (to be put) on display / on show / on exhibition
(to be) famous/notable/noted/renowned/known for something
(to be) typical/characteristic of something

Countable Nouns Uncountable Nouns

Water colours, oil paints/oils, pastels, Ink, charcoal, sepia, tempera, acrylics
crayons
Engravings, etchings, woodcuts Stained glass, ceramics/pottery,
/marquetries, prints, frescoes crystal(ware), embroidery
A canvas [= an oil picture or a piece of Canvas [= strong rough cloth]
strong rough cloth for it]
A painting [= a picture] Painting [= art]
A/the history painting, a/the genre History painting, genre painting, portrait
painting/scene, a/the landscape, a/the painting/portraiture, landscape
still life (pl. still lifes), a portrait (painting), still life (painting) [names of
[pictures] genres]