The pastose is the adjectival form of the word impasto. When a work of art is said to be pastose or having pastose qualities, it refers to the brushwork being heavy and visibly 3D in character. Impasto is either a by-product for achieving a certain look and feel or it is a deliberate act of providing the art with a tactile authentic quality that e.g. a flat art print could not achieve. Acrylic paint can further have texture gel or sand added to great effect.
