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