Impasto:
 is one of the most famous and often-mentioned artistic techniques employed in order to create texture and volume on a flat canvas. The artist applies paint in thick strokes of a brush or a palette knife, leaving three-dimensional lumps behind. Due to its structure and consistency, oil paint is the most popular medium for impasto. Other paints like acrylic or tempera require additional viscosity-creating materials.

 

The technique of impasto has been known to artists since the earliest days of oil painting. In particular, Rembrandt van Rijn was known for his thick and textured layers of paint. However, the most famous instances of impasto belong to the artists of Modernity who used texture for additional emotional and sensory impact. In the Expressionist works of Gerhard Richter and Frank Auerbach, the impasto layers are so thick that flat paintings almost turn into three-dimensional sculptures, challenging traditional labels.