Art Appreication, Gateways to Art, Chapter 1.8

principles

the "grammar" applied to the elements of art- contrast, balance, unity, variety, rhythm, emphasis, pattern, scale, proportion, and focal point

Elements of Art

the basic vocabulary of art--line, shape, form, volume, mass, texture, value (lightness/darkness), space, color, motion, and time

focal point

the center of interest or activity in a work of art, often drawing the viewer's attention to the most important element

value

the lightness or darkness of a plane or area

Subordination

the opposite of emphasis; it draws our attention away from particular areas of a work

color

the optical effect caused when reflected light of the spectrum is divided into separate wavelengths

outline

the outermost line or implied line of an object or figure, by which it is defined or bounded

composition

the overall design or organization of a work

background

the part of a work depicted furthest from the viewer's space, often behind the main subject matter

emphasis

the principle of drawing attention to particular content in a work

Rhythm

the regular or ordered repetition of elements in the work

contrast

a drastic difference between such elements as color or value (lightness/darkness)

implied line

a line not actually drawn but suggested by elements in the work

line

a mark, or implied mark, between two endpoints

Woodcut

a relief print made from a design cut into a block of wood

primary colors

three basic colors from which all others are derived