noun
pointillism
POYN-til-iz-um/ˈpɔɪntɪlɪzəm/
A painting technique using small, distinct dots of color.
The artist uses pointillism to build the pear and bowl from separate dots.
Etymology
Pointiller means to cover with small dots, so the name identifies the painting technique by its basic action. Its dots are the small marks behind the related English word point.
In context
today we just call it Pointillism. The idea was simple but groundbreaking: instead of mixing paints on a palette, he wanted our eyes to do the mixing. He'd carefully place many small dabs of paint
More examples
- From a distance, the colors in pointillism seem to blend.
- We practice pointillism by placing separate dots of paint side by side.
- Her portrait shows how pointillism can capture subtle changes in light.
Forms
pointillism
pointillist noun — An artist who paints with small dots.
Similar words
- stippling
- Uses dots to build tone, often with one color.
- divisionism
- Separates colors into distinct marks, not necessarily small dots.