Meaning & use
aquarelle
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
A method of painting in which colors are thinned with water and applied so the paper shows through, or a picture made this way.
Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the technique (painted in aquarelle); countable when talking about one picture (an aquarelle).
Patterns
- paint in aquarelle
- an aquarelle by someone
- a collection of aquarelles
She works mainly in aquarelle, letting the white of the paper stand in for light.
The gallery hung a small aquarelle of the harbor beside the large oil painting.
His aquarelles are prized for their soft, transparent washes.
Word forms
| plural | aquarelles |
|---|
Common combinations
- paint in aquarelle
- He prefers to paint in aquarelle rather than in oils.
- a delicate aquarelle
- A delicate aquarelle of a meadow hung above the desk.
- an exhibition of aquarelles
- The museum is holding an exhibition of aquarelles by local artists.
- aquarelle technique
- The aquarelle technique demands quick, confident brushstrokes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- watercolor
- This is the everyday term in both American and British English; aquarelle sounds more artistic or formal and is mostly used in art writing.
- gouache
- Gouache is also water-based but is opaque, so it hides the paper instead of letting it shine through like aquarelle.
Word family
- aquarellist noun
- An artist who works mainly in aquarelle.
Commonly confused: aquarelle or watercolor?
aquarelle vs watercolor
Watercolor is the normal word in everyday English; aquarelle is a borrowing from French and appears mostly in art criticism or gallery labels.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'aquarelle' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Aquarelle is a water-based painting method, so it fits the sentence about pale washes and visible paper. Linseed oil belongs to oil painting, marble belongs to sculpture, and a piece of music would be a composition, not an aquarelle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aquarelle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.