ART 101
Grisaille
decoration in tones of a single color and especially gray designed to produce a three-dimensional effect
Blind Contour
drawing made by looking only at subject to capture a line of extreme sensitivity to the subject's edges
Emotive Line
expressive lines, convey movement and/or emotion based on their character and weight
Figure-Ground
relating to or being the relationships between the parts of a perceptual field which is perceived as divided into a part consisting of figures having form and standing out from the part comprising the background and being relatively formless; the differentiation of the foreground (figure) and background (found) in a drawing
Value
relative lightness or darkness
Open Composition
running off or cropped by the edges of the picture plane making a composition that appears that the image extends beyond the borders
Cross-hatching
series of parallel lines that traverse other parallel lines, creating a sense of value, volume, and texture
Structural or Organizational Line
the layout and organization of a form or drawing
Axis
- a straight line about which a body or a geometric figure rotates or may be supposed to rotate - a straight line with respect to which a body or figure is symmetrical (also called axis of symmetry)
Perspective
1. the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye; specifically, representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance 2. the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions
Lyrical Line
a subjective line that is graceful, ornate, and/or decorative
Horizon Line
Where the sky and earth meet, providing that the ground is flat and nothing blocks the view; horizon line corresponds to eye level
Implied Line
a line in an artwork that is not physically there but suggested by points in the artwork ex) dotted line
Linear Perspective
a process by which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon
Mass
a shape that appears to stand out in 3D from the space surrounding it or appears to create the illusion of a solid body of material
Tone
a specific unit of value on a gray scale or color scale
Two-point Perspective
a technique in which a three-dimensional object is represented in two dimensions, and in which parallel lines in two of its dimensions are shown to converge towards two vanishing points
Chiaroscuro
a technique of representation that blends light and shade to create the illusion of three dimensions boldly
Cone of Vision
all that can be seen without moving your eyes or head (from a fixed viewpoint)
Mechanical Line
an objective line that unvaryingly maintains a width ex) engineering drawing, blueprints
Closed Composition
contained in or not touching the edges of the picture plane making a composition that is held within the borders
Focal Point/Emphasis
focus
Shade/Shading
gradation from dark to light on the surface of an object that gives the illusion of light striking the object and creating shadows
Ground Plane
horizontal line that extends front the bottom of the picture plane to the horizon
One-point Perspective
in 1-pt perspective, only one vanishing point exists; lines that recede into space radiate outwardly from this point
Atmospheric Perspective (Aerial Perspective)
the expression of space in painting by gradation of color and distinctness
Picture Plane
in painting, the picture plane refers to the flat surface of the canvas or the physical material onto which the paint is applied; it generally refers to the front or the surface image, especially in the case of illusionary depth, although it can also refer to the picture's ground; the illusion of depth and three dimensionality that accompanies certain types of pictures is described as penetrating the picture plane; an imaginary vertical plane that slices through the cone of vision and runs perpendicular to the sight line
Three-point Perspective
included two vanishing points on the horizon line and another above/below the horizon line
Searching Line/Gestural Line
line that captures and defines the essential, implied movement or physical state
Cross-contour Lines
lines that define the outer surface of volumes, establishing their undulations and turning on their surfaces
Foreshortening
technique used to create the illusion of an object receding strongly into the distance
Juxtaposition
the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side; also, the state of being so placed
Volume
the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object; mass or the representation of mass in art or architecture
Cast Shadow
the dark area that occurs on a surface as a result of something being placed between that surface and a light source
Composition
the essential structure of a picture apart from subject, style, and meaning
Contour Line
the line that delineates both the outside edge of an object and the edges of planes; lines that delineate the edges of forms, separating them from neighboring forms or spaces
Line Quality
the physical and/or psychological descriptors of a line
Highlight
the portion of an object that from the observer's position, receives the greatest amount of light
Shape
the quality of a distinct object or body in having an external surface or outline of specific form or figure; the flat, 2D aspects of form as opposed to its three dimensional volume
Local (Inherent) Value
the relative light and dark of a surface, seen in the objective world, that is independent of any effect created by the degree of light falling on it
Line Weight
the relative strength and darkness of a line, governed by the pressure of your drawing tool
Luminosity
the sensation of light, radiance, or glow in an artwork
Negative Space/Shape
the unoccupied or empty space defined by the positive elements in a composition
Realism or Naturalism
unstylized, factual, accurate depiction, as opposed to style or stylization
