Fantasy - Art inspired by the creative imagination; unrestrained fancy.
Fabricate - In general, to make, to create. Often more specifically, to construct or assemble something.
Fat - Describes an oil paint having a high proportion of oil. Also, see fat over lean and lean.
Fat Over Lean - Refers to the principle in oil painting of applying paint with a higher oil-to-pigment ratio ("fat") over paint with a lower oil-to-pigment ratio ("lean") to ensure a stable paint film since it is believed that the paint with the higher oil content remains more flexible paint with fewer oil pigments drys faster and is less flexible. Therefore, they are more brittle. Paint with a higher oil pigment content takes longer to dry but is more flexible and less likely to crack.
Faux - French for false, artificial, fake.
Ferrule - The metal or plastic device that aligns and anchors paintbrush bristles or hairs in an adhesive. The ferrule is attached to the handle by crimping or by binding wires. The ferrule pictured here has a brassy color.
Fiber Arts - Artworks created from yarn, thread, or cloth (for example, stitchery and weaving).
Fired - Hardened by great heat; usually refers to clay. For example, in ceramics, clay objects are fired in a kiln.
Fixative - A substance sprayed over charcoal, pastel, or pencil drawings to make those materials adhere permanently to the paper and prevent smearing.
Fluorescence - The absorption of light at one wavelength and re-emission at a longer wavelength, typically converting ultraviolet to visible light.
Focus - The central aspect of an image or drawing the viewer's attention.
Foreground - The part of an artwork that appears nearest the viewer or in the front of the scene.
Form - is the effect of the visual elements in a work of art, the way it looks. The simplest definition of a shape is a closed contour or an element defined by its perimeter. Form is the shape and structure of a dimensional component within a given composition. The form can be both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, realistic, abstract, or somewhere in between. The terms form and shape are often synonymous. The form is derived from the point, line, and shape combination.
Form Shadow - The shadowed side of an object, as opposed to a cast shadow. Also called the attached shadow.
Free Mixing - Producing paint mixtures as needed throughout the painting process. Also called an open palette. See also Premixing or Color Strings.
Fresco - This is done by applying pigment directly to damp plaster, making this wall painting medium one of the most permanent forms of wall decoration.
Front Lighting - A lighting arrangement where the critical light shines directly forward on the subject, leaving a little visible shadow. Also called front lighting.
Frottage - refers to the technique or process of taking a rubbing from an uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art.
Functional - Something that is designed with a specific purpose in mind.
