GLOSSARY OF ART TERMS AND DEFINITIONS Abstract- an art form in which the subject matter is represented in a simplified manner, without an attempt at realism. Abstract Expressionism- an art style in which paint was dribbled, spilled, or splashed onto huge canvases to express a feeling. Acrylic- synthetic paints with a water base, fast drying- waterproof- can be opaque or transparent- cleaned up with soap or water. Additive- a sculpting method produced by adding to or combining materials. Advertising- a written, often illustrated means of attracting public attention, visually to a product or service. Aerial Perspective- the achievement of an effect of atmosphere and apparent distance by receding values and indistinctness of color. Aesthetics- the philosophy or study of the nature and value of art. Anatomy- the study of body structure, human or animal- muscles, bones. Architecture- the planning and creating of buildings. Art Criticism- studying, understanding, and judging works of art. Art History- the study of art from past to present. ARt Movement- a trend formed when a group of artists band together to create works of a single style. Assemblage- a technique of combining together pieces of "This 2 That" to create a three dimensional artwork. Asymmetrical- informal balance- arrived at by the informal distribution of elements. Atmospheric Perspective- aerial perspective. Background-(1) area furthest away in the landscape or seascape (2) the area surrounding the subject matter in a picture. Balance- in composition, a visually favorable distribution of elements. Billboard- a large flat structure used to display artwork, posters, or advertisements, usually outdoors. Blending- to merge colors applied to a surface. Book Jacket- a cover or wrapper used to protect as well as advertise a book (dust jacket). Cathedral- a large, complex church created as a seat of office for a bishop. Casting- a sculpting method in which melted material is poured into a mold. Charcoal- a black porous carbon made from charred wood - vines and twigs makes the best charcoal for drawing. Chiaroscuro- (Italian for light or dark) strong emphasis on the change from light to dark in a drawing or painting. Cityscape- landscape containing elements found in cities- buildings, roads, etc. Classical Proportion- pertaining to the art of Leonardo Da Vinci (also Greek/Roman) in which the human figure measures 7 1/2 heads high. Collage- (French for pasting) bits and pieces of paper, fabric, or any objects or materials pasted on the picture's surface to serve as the design. Composition- the way the art principles are used to organize the art elements of color, line, shape, form, space, and texture. Cone- a form in which the base is circular and the sides taper up to a common point (apex). Contour- the outer limit of a figure, form or object; an outline. Contrast- the difference in high and low values used for emphasis in a picture. Converge- the tendency of two or more lines to approach each other at a common point. Crest- a crown or coat of arms. Cube- a solid form consisting of six equal square sides. Cubism- abstract art movement- early 20th Century; initiated by Picasso and Braque to represent volume on a two dimensional plane without resorting to the illusion of depth. Cylinder- a pipe-like form. Cylindrical- like a cylinder. Depict- to show in the form of a picture. Dominance- the principle of design in which one thing is the most conspicuous in the work of art- such as color or shape. Dominant- having a paramount importance in a picture or design. Drapery- fabric arranged in loose folds. Dry Brush- a method of painting with very little color or moisture on the brush creating a skipped effect. Dutch- from Holland (Netherlands). Earth Tones- (colors) pigments made from minerals such as iron, copper, manganese and used since pre-historic times. Elements of Design- basic visual symbols artists use to create works of visual art; the elements of design are line, shape, form, space, value, color, and texture. Ellipse- a curved elongated oval shape. Emphasis- the principal of design that stresses one element of design or makes an area in a work of art stand out. Enlargement- make something larger than its original size. Exterior- the outside of an object or building. Facial- the front part of the human head. Features- parts of the face; eyes, nose, mouth...... Focal Point- the center of interest in a picture. Foreground- the area in a picture that seems to be closest to the observer. Form- the three dimensional shape and structure of an object. Format- layout or makeup of a book, paper or magazine; its appearance in size, shape, type, and design. Found Objects- objects and parts of objects used in collage assemblage or sculpture. Free Standing- surrounded on all sides by space. Fresco- a painting medium in which pigment is applied to a wall spread with wet plaster. Full Figure- from the top of the head to the feet. Gargoyle- a carved grotesque human or animal figure projecting from the roof of a building which was papular in the Middle Ages; originally used as a rain conductor, water-spouting from the mouth. Genre Pieces- art works that focus on a subject or scene from everyday life. Gesture Drawing- a way of drawing action, or movement of a figure in motion which is not detailed; drawn quickly to express feeling of movement. Gothic- (European art and architecture 12th-15th Century) emphasizing pointed arches, ornamentation and monumental scale in architecture; painting strived for classical ideals. Gradation- a gradual transition from one form or element to another, usually in slight changes in value. Graphics- any representation by printing, drawing and painting. Graphic Designers- artists that work in the field of art known as graphic design. Graphics Illustration- the reproductive arts of engraving, etching, woodcut, lithography. Grout- thin mortar used to fill narrow cavities. Harmony- a principle of art concerned with blending elements to create a more calm, restful appearance. Hieroglyphics- picture characters (signs or symbols) in Egyptian and other early writings. Horizon Line- a straight line, going across, at the line of sight- the line extending from the viewers eyes to the picture plane. Horizontal- parallel to the horizon. Ideal- something regarded as perfect or as a standard for attainment or imitation. Illustration- a picture that tells a story. Impressionism- art movement beginning in France in the 1870's which was concerned with the components of light and the visual impression of a scene using unconnected colors that were to be mixed by the eye. Intensity- to make bright or strong- the brightness or saturation of a color-the chroma. Interior- the inside of an object or building. Kinetic Sculpture- 1950's and '60's to present- any artwork that includes moving parts. Landscape-- a view of scenery as the subject of a picture or design. Layout- a rough or general planning of a page, ad,...showing position of type and illustration. Lettering- letters drawn by hand as opposed to mechanical means. Linear Perspective- a means of giving an illusion of distance of a three dimensional space on a two dimensional surface by the location of lines. |
Madonna- a work showing the Virgin mary with the Christ Child. Mannequin- a wooden figure with moveable parts; a substitute for a live model. Media- the plural of medium. Medieval Art- art produced in the Middle Ages in Europe 500-1500 A.D. Medium of Art- a material used to create a work. Mobile- a sculpture made by delicately balancing movable parts- suspended on a wire, moved by air currents. Model- (1) a person posing for an art class (2) a scaled-down representation. Modeled/Modeling- (1) sculpting- the act of shaping or manipulating clay into desired forms (2) drawing- the suggestion of three dimensional forms through the use of planes, value and color. Monochromatic- rendered in variations of one color. Mosaic Tiles- (1) tiles, glass, pebbles used to make a mosaic (2) process of decorative art using small colored pieces of tiles, glass or pebbles pressed into laster or other ground (grout). Motif- a repeated design or pattern; the main idea or theme in a design. Movement- rhythm- regular repetition of any of the elements of design, with or without periodic alteration. Mummy- an embalmed Egyptian, wrapped in linnen to preserve the body for the after life. Mural- a wall or ceiling painting painted directly on the surface or permanently fixed in place. Negative Space- the space in an artwork not occupied by subject matter, but utilized by the artist as part of the design. Neo-Classic- and art style that borrowed from the early classical period of ancient Greece and Rome. Non-Objective- art arrived at without the influence of real or natural forms. Non-Representational - art that does not represent real or natural things in any manner. One Point Perspective- perspective in a drawing or painting, usually of a structure, having a single vanishing point. Op art- an art style that made use of precise lines and shapes to create optical illusion. Opaque- opposite of transparent; not allowing light to pass through. Oriental- Chinese, Japanese, East Indian or other Eastern culture. Oriental Perspective- an intellectual assumption that the top of the picture is the farthest away from the observer and the bottom is nearest. Overlapping- a position of one unit covering a portion of another. Papier-Mache- a sculpting technique using newspaper and liquid paste. Perceive- to become aware of through the senses of the special nature of objects. Petroglyphs- rock carvings and paintings. Pieta- a work showing Mary mourning over the body of Christ. Pigment- a finely ground powder that gives every paint its colors. Pointillism- a technique in which small, carefully placed dots of color are used to create forms. Portfolio- a carefully selected collection of art work kept by students and professional artists. Portrait- a painting of a person, Post-Impressionism- an art movement that appeared after the Impressionists. Printmaking- a technique in which an inked image from a prepared surface is transferred onto another surface. Proportion- a principle of art concerned with the relationship of one part to another and to the whole. Realism- (1) a way of painting without distortion (2) a philosophy of painting led by Courbet, centered on unidealized everyday subject matter. Rectangular Solid- a three dimensional form having four sides of equal length, and two sides of a different length. Relief- a variation of elevation in sculpture- raised effect from low (bas-relief) to high (alto-relievo). Renaissance Art- 14th, 15th, 16th Century art in Western Europe- characterized by the revival of classical design and concern for humanistic value. Render- (1) the process of drawing or painting (2) to make a detailed drawing. Repetition- a pattern occurring several times in a design (or an element of design such as line or shape in a composition. Representational Art- artwork that purports to represent what is seen (objective artwork). Rhythm- a principle of art concerned with repeating an element to make a work seem active or to suggest vibration. Sarcophagus- a stone coffin decorated with carvings. Scroll- Japanese- a vertical artwork displayed periodically, often following seasonal changes or dedication to a birth, etc. Sculpture- the art of the three dimensional or relief carving and modeling. Seascape- a view of the ocean and/or the surroundings as composed in a picture. Self Portrait- an artist's rendering of him/herself often done by looking in a mirror. Shade- a degree of color obtained by adding black to a hue. Shading- suggesting various shadow values in a drawing or painting by gradation of tone. Shape- two dimensional configuration. Shield- a piece of armor carried on the arm to protect the body. skeleton- the supporting structure of an animal body, consisting of bones. Sphere- a globular form in which all parts on the surface are equidistant from the center; one of the basic forms used in construction drawing. Stabile- a stationary sculpture. Stylized- to modify natural forms and make a representation in a preset style or manner. Subtractive- a sculpting method produced by removing or taking away from the original material. Symbols- the art of depicting hidden meanings using symbols. Symmetry- formal in balance, with elements of equal or near equal weight on either side of a real or implied center fulcrum. Tempera- opaque coated colors such as poster paint originally pigment ground with egg emulsion that dries hard, quickly and permanently. Textile Design- (1) texture woven into fabric (2) a painted design printed on fabric. Three Dimensional- showing height, width, and depth. Tint- white or another light color with a small amount of hue added. Tone- the relative lightness or darkness in a picture; the value quality of color or black and white. Transparent- able to see through. Two Point Perspective- perspective in which objects in a picture viewed on an angle will have two vanishing points, with verticals remaining parallel to the sides of the picture plane. Unity- the arrangement of the elements and principals with media to create a feeling of completeness. Value-the range from light to dark including white, grays, and black. Vanishing Point- in perspective, a point or points on the horizon on which parallel lines converge. Vertical- up and down at right angles to the base line. Volume- bulk, mass, space occupied. Wash- a thin liquid application of paint in any medium brushed on in a free flowing manner. Watercolor- paint that uses water as the medium. Wet-On-Wet- painting additional color into already wet area - creating a soft, glowing effect. |
