pastose

P3A1S1T1O1S1E1
/pæsˈtoʊs/

adjective

Charged with paint or colour, especially if impastoed.

Scrabble 9
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

adjective
  1. Charged with paint or colour, especially if impastoed.

    Christ's gesturing but rather shapeless hand is painted thinly in brown, wet-in-wet over the more pastose light paint of the architecture. The child's head is summarily indicated in thin brownish paint, with a pinkish touch to indicate[…]

    2013 December 12, Ernst van de Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings V: The Small-Scale History Paintings, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 601
    1 more example

    But in the (mainly light) passages executed in pastose paint they are much more primitive in quality and cruder in execution than one would expect of Rembrandt. Compare the two paintings, for example, with the equally small Abraham and[…]

    2014 November 11, Ernst van de Wetering, A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings VI: Rembrandt’s Paintings Revisited - A Complete Survey, Springer, →ISBN, page 315
  2. etcBroad, and produced by light pressure, as if with a paintbrush.

    Pastose writing [:] Literally, the word means “full of paint” and indicates a thick line of writing softly applied as if by a brush. It refers to simulated heavy pressure through the use of a broad nib lightly used.

    1996 03, Chris Morgan, Handwriting Analysis: An Introduction to the Science of Graphology, Book Sales, →ISBN
    4 more examples

    Pastose writing is produced by those who are physically oriented and very much in tune with their senses. ... The scent of a rose might drive a pastose writer wild, or the sound of the birds singing early in the morning.

    2007 January 2, Sheila Lowe, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis, 2nd Edition: Discover The Hidden Messages in the Words People Write, Penguin, →ISBN, page 131

    In general, the pastose stroke is broad, such as that produced with a paintbrush. People who choose broad felt-tipped pens are more likely to produce pastose strokes. They choose such a pen because it reflects an inner wish to create[…]

    2008 November 1, Marc Seifer, The Definitive Book of Handwriting Analysis: The Complete Guide to Interpreting Personalities, Detecting Forgeries, and Revealing Brain Activity Through the Science of Graphology, Red Wheel/Weiser, →ISBN

    Roman (1952) discusses the phenomenon of pastose script, writing: an ink saturated, pastose ductus produces an effect of warmth and color, and has a sensuous appeal. This is borne out by an analogous reaction quite commonly obtained in[…]

    2012 June 1, Annette Poizner, CLINICAL GRAPHOLOGY: An Interpretive Manual for Mental Health Practitioners, Charles C Thomas Publisher, →ISBN, page 56

    Because the pastose stroke is produced without pressure and is made by a long hold on the pen (further back on the barrel), it suggests someone who wants to enjoy creature comforts without expending a lot of energy to get them.

    2018 September 1, Sheila Lowe, Reading Between the Lines: Decoding Handwriting, Write Choice Ink, →ISBN, page 159
Cite this entry
APA

pastose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastose

MLA

“pastose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastose. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pastose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastose.

Source: pastose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.