What does alla prima mean?

Question

I've heard this term before when referring to oil painting but I don't know what it means.

Answer 1

It's an Italian meaning to say "wet on wet". In oil painting it is the process of completing an oil painting in a single session rather than a long period of time.

Answer 2

Alla Prima in Italian actually means "first attempt" and describes the process of finishing a painting while any lower layers are still wet. Usually this happens in a single sitting although it's possible to still be considered alla prima if the lower layers are still significantly "wet" before additional layers of paint are added.  Although alla prima usually refers to oil painting, it can sometimes be in reference to fast painting methods in another medium like watercolor.