1. Plural of impasto; thick applications of paint or pigment laid on a canvas or other surface so that brushstrokes or palette-knife marks are visible.
Usage: art term; primarily used in painting and visual arts

Examples

• The artist used bold impastos to create texture and depth in the landscape.
• Van Gogh's impastos are characteristic of his expressive painting style.
• The canvas showed heavy impastos where the painter had applied paint with a palette knife.
• Modern abstract artists often employ impastos to add dimension to their work.
• The impastos in this portrait give it a three-dimensional quality.