Painting Technique: Impasto

Impasto is a technique used in painting where paint is laid on an area of the surface (or the entire canvas) very thickly, usually thickly enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provides texture, the paint coming out of the canvas. 

Painting oil is most suitable to this technique, due to its thickness and slow drying time. The latter can even be extended with additional linseed oil. Acrylic paint can also be impastoed, though the technique is rarely used because of the faster drying time of this material. Impasto is not possible in watercolor or tempera, owing to the inherent thinness of these media.

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