Common Art Words in Spanish [With Audio]
Art soothes the senses, offers peace in troubled times and challenges us to see the world through the eyes of another.
It really is a universal language—so getting some art words in Spanish into your conversational skill set is a super idea.
All of these words will be helpful beyond the art world, too. Use them in everyday conversations or in school or office situations—just about anywhere!
Let’s check out all the terms you’ll need to know to chat about art in Spanish like a local!
Contents
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Basic Spanish Art Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el arte | art |
| el artista/la artista | artist |
| la creatividad | creativity |
| el estudio | studio |
| la exhibición/la exposición de arte | art exhibit |
| el ilustrador | illustrator |
| los materiales | materials |
| el museo | museum |
| la obra maestra | masterpiece |
| las técnicas | techniques |
| la temática | theme |
Examples:
El artista dedicó años de esfuerzo y dedicación a su obra maestra. (The artist dedicated years of effort and dedication to his masterpiece.)
Experimenta con diferentes técnicas y materiales en su estudio. (She experiments with different techniques and materials in her studio.)
El ilustrador fue invitado a hablar sobre su proceso creativo en la exposición de arte. (The illustrator was invited to speak about his creative process at the art exhibition.)
Painting Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| las acuarelas | watercolors |
| las brochas/los pinceles | paint brushes |
| el caballete | easel |
| los colores | colors |
| los colores pastel | pastel colors |
| la espátula | painting/palette knife |
| la esponja | sponge |
| el lienzo | canvas |
| el marco | frame |
| el óleo | oil paint |
| el paisaje | landscape |
| el paisajismo | landscape painting |
| la paleta | the palette |
| pintar | to paint |
| el pintor/la pintora | painter |
| la pintura | paint/painting |
| la pintura acrilica | acrylic paint |
| la pintura al óleo | oil painting |
| la plantilla | stencil |
| la trementina | turpentine |
Examples:
El pintor mezcló los colores en su paleta antes de aplicarlos al lienzo. (The painter mixed the colors on his palette before applying them to the canvas.)
El óleo es en una elección popular entre los artistas. (Oil paint is a popular choice among artists.)
La artista usa un pincel fino para pintar los detalles de su obra. (The artist uses a fine brush to paint the details of her work.)
Sketching Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el aguafuerte | the etching |
| el boceto | the sketch |
| el bolígrafo | pen |
| el carboncillo | charcoal |
| los crayones | crayones |
| dibujar | draw |
| el dibujo | drawing |
| el lápiz | pencil |
| los lápices de colores | colored pencils |
| los detalles | details |
Examples:
El estudiante de arte disfruta haciendo bocetos en su libreta durante su tiempo libre. (The art student enjoys sketching in his sketchbook during his free time.)
Los niños usaron bolígrafos de colores y crayones para dibujar. (The children used colored pens and crayons to draw.)
El artista comenzó su obra con un boceto a lápiz para planificar los detalles. (The artist started his work with a pencil sketch to plan the details.)
Sculpting Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la arcilla | clay |
| esculpir | to sculpt |
| el escultor/la escultora | sculptor |
| la escultura | sculpture |
| la estatua | statue |
| la madera | wood |
| la piedra | stone |
Examples:
El escultor está utilizando arcilla para esculpir una nueva obra maestra. (The sculptor is using clay to sculpt a new masterpiece.)
La escultura de madera es impresionante por su detalle y belleza. (The wooden sculpture is impressive for its detail and beauty.)
La piedra se utiliza en escultura desde hace muchos años. (Stone has been used in sculpture for many years. )
Photography Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| blanco y negro | black and white |
| el papel mate | matte paper |
| el papel brillo | glossy paper |
| la fotografía de naturaleza muerta | still life photography |
| la fotografía de retrato | portrait photography |
| la fotografía moderna | modern photography |
| la luz natural | natural light |
| el modelo/la modelo | model |
| la cámara | camera |
| la apertura | aperture |
| el tamaño de apertura | aperture size |
Examples:
Me gusta mucho la foto en blanco y negro. (I really like the black and white photo.)
La modelo sonrió para la fotografía de retrato. (The model is smiling for the portrait photo.)
Art Movements in Spanish
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el arte abstracto | abstract art |
| el arte moderno | modern art |
| el arte renacentista | Renaissance art |
| el cubismo | cubism |
| el expresionismo | expressionism |
| el impresionismo | impressionism |
| el minimalismo | minimalism |
| el modernismo | modernism |
| el movimiento artístico | art movement |
| el muralismo | muralism |
| el neoclasicismo | neoclassicism |
| el postimpresionismo | post impressionism |
| el realismo | realism |
| el romanticismo | romanticism |
| el surrealismo | surrealism |
Examples:
El impresionismo es conocido por sus hermosas pinturas de paisajes. (Impressionism is known for its beautiful paintings of landscapes.)
Hay mucha experimentación y expresión personal en el arte moderno. (There’s a lot of experimentation and personal expression in modern art.)
El cubismo fue creado por Pablo Picasso y Georges Braque. (Cubism was created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.)
Bonus Art Words
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| un artista deconocido/una artista deconocida | an unknown artist |
| un artista famoso/una artista famosa | a famous artist |
| una colonia de artistas | an artist colony |
| en venta | for sale |
| una edición limitada | a limited edition |
| firmado | signed |
Examples:
Este cuadro fue pintado por un artista desconocido y está en venta. (This painting was done by an unknown artist and is for sale.)
La exposición de arte presenta obras de artistas famosos de todo el mundo. (The art exhibit showcases works by famous artists from around the world.)
El boceto es una edición limitada y está firmado por el artista. (The sketch is a limited edition and is signed by the artist.)
How to Practice Art Words in Spanish
The best way to practice these Spanish art words is to use them in your daily conversations. Try to find someone who you can talk to about art in Spanish—ideally a native speaker with a shared passion for the art world.
Here are some more ways you can get practice with this new vocabulary:
Observe and discuss art whenever you get the chance.
Of course, the best option is to visit a museum in a Spanish-speaking country, like the Picasso museum in Spain or another of the country’s incredible museums. If that’s not an option, try to find a museum in your city or state that offers information in Spanish. For example, you may find a Mexican heritage museum. You can also find virtual museum tours online.
You can find plenty of art outside museums, and likely come across it in your normal errands. For example, when you’re shopping or sitting in a cafe, stop to admire what’s on the walls. Think about or write down the medium and the techniques and materials used to create it. If possible, spend a few minutes talking with someone (or record yourself talking) about the artwork, either in the moment or later on.
Join a Spanish-language art class or art appreciation group.
Lots of museums, colleges, libraries and social centers offer art classes in Spanish. You could learn to sculpt or enjoy photography—and it’s a great way to use your art words. Get started by exploring art-related groups on Meetup or calling your local library to ask about art classes—oftentimes, these are even free!
Not a fan of going places solo? Try to find an art buddy who can go with you to galleries or enroll in a class with you. Challenge yourselves to only speak Spanish as you discuss art.
If you’re in a spot with limited in-person options, consider some of the fantastic online opportunities available, like an art application or appreciation class. Many distance offerings are set up with chat rooms, so you can practice your Spanish art words with like-minded art lovers from the comfort of your own home!
Practice with a language learning program.
Most programs offer basic vocabulary resources that cover art words, but some are more advanced and customizable than others. For example, FluentU lets you search for specific words in the video library, and watch Spanish videos where native speakers discuss art and culture.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)
Whether you’re an art expert, a budding artist or simply an art admirer, knowing some Spanish art terminology is very beneficial.
Learn these core words and phrases to build a solid foundational art vocabulary that’ll take you from art studios to museums and help you engage in conversations with other art connoisseurs!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing…
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.
Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
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