Impasto is the painting technique of applying paint so thickly that brushstrokes or palette-knife marks remain visible and create a raised texture on the canvas. The word comes from the Italian for “dough” or “mixture.”
Oil paint has traditionally been favored for impasto because its rich consistency and slow drying time allow artists to build substantial layers. Acrylic paint can also be used, especially when mixed with heavy-body gels. The thick ridges catch and reflect light differently from flatter passages, making the surface appear almost sculptural.
Artists use impasto for both physical and expressive reasons. A raised stroke can suggest the folds of fabric, a jewel, or a glint of light, but it can also record the speed and pressure of the artist’s hand. Rembrandt, Titian, Vincent van Gogh, and many Abstract Expressionists used the technique in distinctive ways.
Impasto is often confused with glazing, which involves thin transparent layers, or scumbling, which uses a relatively dry, broken layer of lighter paint. Trompe-l'œil is different again: it is an illusionistic style intended to make painted objects appear real or three-dimensional.