estomper

Estomper is a French verb meaning to soften, blur, or fade, especially in drawing and painting. In art terminology, estomper refers to creating smooth transitions between adjacent tonal areas by blending the edges of strokes rather than leaving hard lines. The related noun estompe denotes a blending tool used for this purpose, commonly a blending stump, tortillon, or soft tissue rolled into a cone; other implements such as a finger or a shim of paper can also be employed.

Technique: To estomper a gradient, an artist lays down a sequence of values and then lightly rubs the estompe over the boundary to merge them. Pressure, direction, and the material's texture influence the result. Blending with charcoal, graphite, or pastels is typical. The term also covers larger-scale softness in painting, where edges are softened to imply light, distance, or atmosphere.

Usage and context: In French-language sources and instruction, estomper is common; in English writing, the verb itself is rare and the concept is described with to blend, to smudge (with caveats), or to fade. The reflexive form s'estomper describes things that fade or recede from view, such as outlines or colors blending into a background. Metaphorically, events or memories can s'estomper over time.

See also: shading, blending stump, tortillon, charcoal drawing, pastel.