art 101 chapter 1
high relief
a carved panel where the figures project with a great deal of depth from the back ground
style
a characteristic way in which an artist or group of artists uses visual language to give a work an identifiable form of visual expression
shade
a color darker in value than in its purest state
tint
a color lighter in value than its purest state
actual line
a continuous uninterrupted line
temperature
a description of color based on our associations with warmth or coolness
motif
a design or color repeated as aunt in a pattern
contrast
a drastic difference between such elements as color or value (lightness/darkness)
plane
a flat surface
in the round
a freestanding sculpted work that can be viewed from all sides
fauves
a group of early twentieth century french artists whose painting used vivid colors
impressionism
a late nineteenth century painting style conveying the impression of the effect of light
pointillism
a late nineteenth century painting style using short strokes or points of differing colors that optically combine to form new perceived colors
implied line
a line not actually drawn but suggested by elements in the work
line
a mark, or implied mark, between endpoints
grid
a network of horizontal and vertical lines;in an artwork's composition, the lines are implied
classic period
a period in the history of greek art 480-323 bce
renaissance
a period of cultural and artistic change in europe from the fourteenth century to the seventeenth century
one-point perspective
a perspective system with a single vanishing point on the horizon
three point perspective
a perspective system with two vanishing points on the horizon and one not on the horizon
foreshortening
a perspective technique that depicts a form at a very oblique (often dramatic) angle to the viewer in order to show depth in space
balance
a principle of art in which are used to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical
woodcut
a print created from an incised piece of wood
etching
a printmaking process that relies on acid to bite (or etch) that engraved design into the printing surface
relief
a raised form on flat background for examples the design on a coin is "in relief"
mandala
a sacred diagram of the universe, often involving a square and a circle
still life
a scene of inanimate objects such as fruits, flowers, or motionless animals
bas-relief
a sculpture carved with very little depth
cast
a sculpture of art work made by pouring a liquid (for example molten metal or plaster) into a mold
positive shape
a shape defined by its surrounding empty space
mime
a silent performance work; actors use only body involvements and facial expressions
op art
a style of art that exploits the physiology of seeing in order to create illusory optical effects
linear perspective
a system using converging imaginary sight lines to create the illusion of depth
isometric perspective
a system using diagonal parallel lines to communicate depth
fresco
a technique where the artist paints onto freshly applied plaster. from italian word fresco which means fresh
color field
a term used by a group of twentieth century abstract painter describe their work with large flat areas of color and simple shapes
cubism
a twentieth century art movement that favored a new perspective emphasizing geometric forms
golden section
a unique ratio of line divided into two parts so that a+b is to a as a to b
implied texture
a visual illusion expressing texture
mass
a volume that has, or gives the illusion of having, weight, density, and bulk
kinetic art
a work containing moving parts
conceptual art
a work in which the ideas are often as important as how it is made
performance art
a work involving the human body, usually including the artist in front of an artist
collage
a work of art assembled by gluing materials, often paper, onto a surface. From the French cooler, to glue
highlight
an area of lights value in a work
pattern
an arrangement of predictably repeated elements
surrealist
an artist belonging to the surrealist movement in the 1920s and later, whose art is inspired by dreams and the subconscious
futurism
an artistic and social movement originating in italy in 1909 passionately in favor of everything modern
installation
an artwork created by assembling and arrangement of objects in a specific location
vanitas
an artwork in which the objects remind the viewer of the transience of life
negative space
an empty space given by its surround, for example the right pointing arrow between E and x in FedEx
axis
an imaginary line showing the center of a shape, volume, or composition
found object
an object found by an artist an presented, with little or no alteration, as part of a work or as a finished work of art in itself
form
an object that can be defined in three dimensions (height, width, and depth)
dada
anarchic anti art and anti movement dating WWI that reveled in absurdity and irrationality
facade
any side of a building, usually the front or entrance
abstract
art imagery that departs from recognizable images from the natural world
representational
art that depicts figures and objects so that we recognize what is represented
non objective
art that does not depict a recognizable subject
neutral
colors (such as blacks,whites,grays, and dull gray-browns) made by mixing complementary hues
analogous colors
colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel
secondary colors
colors mixed from two primary colors (red and yellow=orange) (red and blue= purple ) (yellow and blue=green)
complementary colors
colors opposite one another on the color wheel
gestalt
complete order and indivisible unity of all aspects of an art works design
hue
general classification of color; the distinctive characteristics of a color as seen in the spectrum such as green or red (same as in the rainbow)
two-dimensional
having height and width
three-dimensional
having height, width, and depth
monumental
having massive or impressive scale
monochromatic
having one or more values of one color. work that only uses one hue
concentric
identical shapes stacked inside each other sharing the same context for example the circles in a target
orthogonals
in perspective systems, imaginary sight lines extending from forms to the vanishing point
automatic
suppressing conscious control to access subconscious sources of creativity and truth
mobile
suspended moving sculptures usually impelled by natural air currents
principles
the "grammar" applied to the elements of art- contrast, balance, unity, variety, rhythm, pattern, scale, proportion, and focal point
elements
the basic vocabulary of art- line, form, shape, volume, mass, color, texture, space, time and motion, and value (lightness/darkness)
focal point
the center of interest or activity in a work of art, often drawing the viewer's attention to the most important element
pigment
the colored material used in paints often made from finely ground materials
perspective
the creation of the illusion of depth in a two dimensional image by using mathematic principle
saturation
the degree of purity of a color
depth
the degree of recession in perspective
abstraction
the degree to which an image is altered from an easily recognizable
space
the distance between identifiable points or planes
variety
the diversity of different ideas, media, and elements in a work
motion
the effects of changing placement in time
unity
the imposition of order and harmony on a design
value
the lightness or darkness of a plane or area
medium (plural media)
the material on or from which an artist chooses to make a work of art for example canvas and oil paint, marble, engraving, video, or architecture
subordination
the opposite of emphasis it draws our attention away from particular areas
color
the optical effect caused when reflected white light of the spectrum is divided into a separate wavelength
outline
the outermost line of an object or figure, by which it is defined or bounded
composition
the overall design or organization of a work
middle ground
the part of a work between the foreground and background
foreground
the part of a work depicted as nearest to the viewer
background
the part of the work depicted furthest from the viewers space, often behind the main subject
vanishing point
the point in a work of art at which imaginary sight lines appear to converge suggesting depth
emphasis
the principle of drawing attention to particular content in a work
palette
the range of colors used by an artist
rhythm
the regular or ordered repetition of elements in the work
postitive-negative
the relationship between contrasting opposites
proportion
the relationship in size between a works individual parts and the whole
intensity
the relative clarity of color in its purest raw form, demonstrated through luminous or muted variations
figure-ground reversal
the reversal of the relationship between one shape (the figure) and its background (the ground) so that the figure becomes background and the ground becomes the figure
format
the shape of the areas an artists uses for making a two dimensional
scale
the size of an object or artwork relative to another object or artwork, or to a system of measurement
volume
the space filled or enclosed by a three dimensional figure or object
picture plane
the surface of a painting or drawing
ground
the surface or background onto which an artist paints or draws
texture
the surface quality of a work, for example fine/coarse, detailed/lacking in detail
shape
the two-dimensional area the boundaries of which are defined by lines or suggested by changes in color or value
hatching
the use of non overlapping parallel lines to convey darkness or lightness
cross hatching
the use of overlapping parallel lines to convey darkness or lightness
primary colors
three basic colors from which all others are derived (red, yellow, and blue)
kinetic sculpture
three dimensional art that moves impelled by air currents, motors, or people
stela (plural:stele)
upright stone slab decorated with inscriptions or pictorial relief in carvings
gothic
western european architectural style of twelfth to sixteenth centuries characterized by the use of pointed arches and ornate decoration