Lesson T2.1.2

T2.1.2 Painting techniques and media Quiz: KS3 Art & Design, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.1.2, Painting techniques and media: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Art & Design (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Techniques, media and materials, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which paint dries quickly, is water-based, and forms a flexible film when dry?

    • Egg tempera, which is pigment bound with egg yolk and painted onto wood panels
    • Fresco, which is painted into wet lime plaster so the pigment bonds to the wall
    • Acrylic paint, which dries quickly and forms a flexible, durable film
    • Oil paint, which dries very slowly and needs a solvent to clean the brushes

  2. What is the main feature of watercolour paint?

    • It is an oil-based paint that must be cleaned with turpentine after use
    • It is always painted on canvas stretched over a wooden frame in the studio
    • It is opaque, so it completely covers the surface beneath it in one coat
    • It is transparent, so the white of the paper shows through the colour

  3. What is gouache?

    • A type of clay that is fired in a kiln to make a glaze for pottery
    • A powdered chalk that is rubbed onto paper with the fingers to blend tone
    • A transparent oil paint used for thin glazes laid over a stretched canvas
    • An opaque, water-based paint that covers the surface beneath it in flat colour

  4. Which technique applies paint thickly so that brushstrokes stand out from the surface?

    • Stippling, where many small dots of colour are placed to build up soft tone
    • Sgraffito, where a top layer is scratched away to reveal the colour below it
    • Impasto, where paint is applied thickly so the texture and marks stand out
    • Glazing, where thin transparent layers of colour are built up over dry paint

  5. What does 'wet on wet' mean in watercolour?

    • Using a wet brush to lift paint off a finished painting to correct a mistake
    • Applying wet paint onto damp paper, so that the colours spread and blend softly
    • Painting while the paper is soaked in oil so that the paint slides off the page
    • Applying wet paint onto a dry surface, so that the edges of shapes stay sharp

  6. What does 'wet on dry' achieve in watercolour?

    • Soft edges where the colours spread out and merge into one another on the page
    • A thick, raised texture similar to impasto oil paint applied with a palette knife
    • Crisp, sharp edges between areas of colour that do not spread on the paper
    • A shiny finish that reflects the light like glossy enamel paint on a board

  7. What is a wash in painting?

    • A thin, even layer of diluted paint laid over an area of the surface
    • A stain made by pressing a wet cloth onto the surface of a finished painting
    • A thick layer of paint applied with a palette knife across the surface
    • A coat of clear varnish brushed onto the painting at the very end

  8. What is a common use of masking fluid in watercolour?

    • To add thick texture to a painting by mixing it into the paint on the palette
    • To make the paint dry faster so that the painting can be finished sooner
    • To clean brushes after each colour has been used during the lesson
    • To reserve white or light areas by covering them before the colour is applied

  9. Which technique uses a nearly dry brush with little paint to catch the raised texture?

    • Impasto, where paint is applied thickly so that the brush marks stand out
    • Scumbling, where a thin broken layer of colour is dragged over a dry surface
    • Wet on wet, where colours are applied to damp paper so they blend together
    • Dry brush, where the colour catches the top of the paper's textured surface

  10. Which technique paints thin, broken layers of colour that let the layer below show through?

    • Sgraffito, where a top layer is scratched away to reveal the colour below it
    • Masking, where areas are covered before the paint is applied to the paper
    • Scumbling, where a light broken layer lets the colour beneath show through
    • Impasto, where paint is applied thickly so that the brush marks stand out

  11. What is an underpainting?

    • A thick final layer of paint applied to the edges of a finished canvas
    • An initial layer of paint that sets up the tones and colours for later layers
    • A coat of clear varnish that is brushed on before a painting is framed
    • A paint used only for signing the back of a finished painting in the studio

  12. What is the purpose of a mural?

    • A small framed painting made on paper for display in a gallery room
    • A large painting made directly on a wall or other fixed surface in a space
    • A painting made on a moving object, such as a bicycle or a skateboard deck
    • A painted pattern used only on the inside of a clay pot after it is fired

  13. Which medium is painted into wet plaster so that the colour becomes part of the wall?

    • Gouache, where opaque water-based paint is used to fill flat areas of colour
    • Poster paint, where bright opaque colour is brushed onto card for display
    • Watercolour, where transparent colour is washed over paper to build up light
    • Fresco, where pigment is painted into wet lime plaster and bonds as it dries

  14. What is egg tempera?

    • A paint made from clay that is fired in a kiln after the painting is done
    • A paint made from pigment mixed with egg yolk as a binder for the colour
    • A paint made from sand and glue, used on textiles and printed fabric designs
    • A paint made from pigment mixed with wax and heated with a flame to set

  15. Why do painters test colour mixes on a palette before applying them?

    • To use up the paint so that the palette is clean for the next lesson
    • To keep the paint wet for longer so that the surface dries more slowly
    • To check the colour and tone before committing to the final painted surface
    • To make the paint thicker so that it stays on the brush without dripping

  16. What does 'value' mean in painting?

    • How expensive a paint is compared with other paints in the art shop
    • How light or dark a colour or area is in the painting
    • How quickly a paint dries on the surface after it has been applied
    • How many colours are used in the painting from start to finish

  17. What is a glaze in oil or acrylic painting?

    • A thin transparent layer that changes the colour of the layer beneath it
    • A clear adhesive used to stick paper collage onto a canvas or board surface
    • A thick coat of white paint used to cover mistakes completely on the canvas
    • A dark brown oil used only for drawing outlines on the canvas before painting

  18. A pupil wants a painting to look soft and blended. Which technique is most suitable?

    • Scratching through a dry layer to reveal the colour that lies beneath it
    • Blending wet colours together on the surface so the transitions are smooth
    • Applying thick impasto that leaves sharp ridges of paint across the surface
    • Painting dots of colour that do not touch each other on the surface

  19. What is a palette knife used for in painting?

    • Sharpening pencils and charcoal sticks before a drawing lesson in the studio
    • Spreading, scraping and applying thick paint to create texture on the surface
    • Cutting paper and card into shapes for a collage on the table top
    • Measuring the proportions of a subject by holding it at arm's length

  20. Which of these is a characteristic of acrylic paint compared with oil paint?

    • It can only be cleaned with a solvent, so water cannot be used at all
    • It takes several weeks to dry through, so layers must be left for long periods
    • It cannot be used on canvas, so it is only for paper and card surfaces
    • It dries much faster, so layers can be built up in a single session

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