What is impasto?

Impasto is when paint is thick and stands out from the canvas like bumps on a cake.

Imagine you're eating a chocolate chip cookie, the chips are thick and you can feel them under your teeth. Impasto works the same way, but with paint instead of cookies.

When artists use impasto, they often mix paint with something like flour or gel, making it thicker than normal. Then, they scoop it up and squish it onto the canvas, kind of like how you might press play-doh into a shape.

This makes the painting look 3D, almost like you could touch the bumps and feel them under your fingers. You can see this in famous paintings by artists like Van Gogh, who used thick layers of paint to make his artwork come alive.

Think about a textured wall, some parts are smooth, others have ridges or bumps. Impasto is like that, but with color and art instead of bricks and plaster.