<P> Impasto is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface in very thick layers, usually thick enough that the brush or painting - knife strokes are visible . Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas . When dry, impasto provides texture; the paint appears to be coming out of the canvas . </P> <P> The word impasto is Italian in origin; in which it means "dough" or "mixture"; the verb "impastare" translates to "to knead", or "to paste". Italian usage of "impasto" includes both a painting and a potting technique . According to Webster's New World College Dictionary, the root noun of impasto is pasta, whose primary meaning in Italian is paste . </P>

An extremely thick application of paint is called