A thin, transparent layer of paint that is applied over an opaque layer of paint. Glazes may also be applied on top of one another as a means of creating a sense of depth and translucency. The quantity of paint medium is much greater than the pigment concentration in the paint used for a glaze, allowing light to pass through the layer and reflect off the paint layer below.

Although glazes can theoretically be made with all paint media, they are most commonly associated with oil painting. The rich, translucent nature of oil paint, which can be mixed with resins in order to facilitate the handling and transparency of paint, lends itself to glazing techniques.

Source: Looking at Paintings: A Guide to Technical Terms / eds. Tiarna Doherty and Anne T Woollett. (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009), p. 38.