Art Appreciation

saturation

(intensity or depth of color)

aesthetic

A branch of Greek philosophy that deals with visual and/or sensory values-perhaps what we call 'taste.' Aesthetics pertain to what individuals find visually pleasing. In our culture, it may be said to pertain to what we consider 'beautiful' and by extension, to the appreciation of any form of art, whether it is 'beautiful' or not. Everyone forms their own aesthetics.

realism

An artwork that is realist also resembles the natural world, but once again, realism is a general term and exists on a continuum.

implied line

An implied line is not a literal line, but one that is composed of multiple elements arranged to suggest a line. The viewer's eye completes an implied line. An important implied line is called an EYELINE. Implied lines work to move the viewer's eye throughout the composition.

medium

Any materials used to create a work of art-the paint, pastel, graphite, clay, paper, bronze, glass, etc. The word media is the plural form.

style

Basically, there are 2 ways to talk about style. Artists have their own unique manner of visual expression that is distinct from others. It is consistent within context of their artistic output. This is called style. Within history, we can also say that a particular style dominates certain eras-this is because of the cultural and social factors that influence art and artmaking. Thus, Impressionism, for example, is a style occurring in France in the 19th century. But it appeared in other artists' personal styles in the U. S. as well as many other countries during that same century. In fact, even in our time, some artists still use this style of painting.

pictorial depth

The aspect of composition on a two-dimensional plane (flat) in which a three-dimensional space is depicted. The illusion of depth on a 2-D surface. This " depth" ranges from shallow to deep.

outlines

The edge of a shape or figure depicted by an actual line drawn or painted on a flat 2-D surface. OUTLINES CREATE FLAT IMAGES.

picture plane

The flat, two-dimensional surface of a work of art, the "window"

form

The literal shape, mass, appearance, and look, of an object or figure. More generally, how the materials come together to make a work of art, the ways in which these materials are utilized in terms of the formal elements (line, light, color, etc.), and the composition that results.

content

The meaning of an image (artwork) beyond its subject matter.

composition

The organization or arrangement of the formal elements in a work of art.

contour line

The perceived line that marks the border of an object in space. This is to say that CONTOUR lines attempt to show mass (dimensionality). They often overlap each other.

verisimilitude

The quality or state of being the "truth." In the visual arts, this means that something looks life-like, or 'real.' (this can be used to talk about the degree of optical realism in a work of art).

naturalism

The quality that makes a work of art appear close to or resemble the natural world-it looks 'real,' whatever that is. In general, this term is synonymous with representational. Naturalism also exists on a continuum. (this can be used to talk about the degree of optical realism in a work of art) (You might also say that naturalism, realism, and representationalism are interchangeable).

symbolism

The use of symbols to represent the invisible, intangible, or abstract (ie: God, death, birth, spirit, good/bad...)-t o represent many things. For example, a painter in the 15th century may paint a lily near the Virgin Mary in a scene. Historically, a lily has come to symbolize the purity of the Virgin. (St. .John the Baptist, halo--a holy person in Christian art...). Symbols vary from culture to culture and across history as well.

form, content, process

What are the three components of any work of art?

representational

When an artwork is representational, it resembles something from the natural and visual world around us, that is, the world of natural appearance. (this can be used to talk about the degree of optical realism in a work of art).

mixed media

a contemporary term. Many artists today don't stay within the confines of a single medium. Rather, they enjoy mixing their media. For instance, my art is 3-D paper sculpture that I paint and draw onto to get the surface to become interesting.

expressionistic

an artwork that is expressionistic, emphasizes the emotional and psychological content of the work. In general, to do this, artists often distort and personally interpret the formal tools like line and color. There is also an historical period in European 20th century art called Expressionism (capital 'E'). Don't confuse them.

tenebrism

an extreme use of shading (chiaroscuro) used for the purpose to enhance, the drama, the tension, the seriousness, & the movement of a composition.

found objects

any sort of natural or manufactured object that is not made by the artist but found by them and put into their artwork. This is an interesting way to let chance have a hand in the creation of your artwork.

Name the five principles of design.

balance, emphasis or focal point, scale and proportion, repetition and rhythm, unity and variety

visual literacy

being educated in the language and terminology of the visual arts.

arbitrary color

color as interpreted by the artist for expressive purposes.

narrative

in any kind of creative endeavor, it is the story of what is being depicted, sung, described, written about...

light

is either implied (an illusion) or it is a real component in the artwork

art appreciation

learning the language used in production & viewing of art in general; looking closely at works to understand how they are composed & if there is meaning; then making a decision about whether or not this is meaningful to you. 'Appreciating' something is an objective experience while 'liking' something is more subjective and possibly involves an emotional reaction to it.

Name the eight formal elements of art.

line, color, value/light, time/motion, space, shape/mass, texture, pattern

subject matter

literally the subject of an artwork-what the work is about: (For example, portrait, man plowing the fields, the signing of the Declaration, landscape, etc. It may be a painting of a shipwreck (the subject matter), but the meaning (content) is about the difficulties of life.

figurative

means recognizable

art criticism

objectively considering the successes and/or failures of a work of art and judging it as successful (or not!).

shade

occurs when BLACK is added to a color. ( VALUE IS LOWERED)

tone

occurs when GREY is added to a color. ( VALUE IS MIDRANGE)

tint

occurs when WHITE is added to a color. ( VALUE IS HEIGHTENED)

triadic

palette based on the full-range of colors around the wheel

Pointillism or divisionism

technique whereby the artist paints dots of color next to each other and the viewer's eye must mix them

criticism

the art of evaluating or analyzing with knowledge and propriety works of art or literature; to consider the merits and demerits of and judge accordingly

gestalt theory

the brain tries to organize and make sense of information

afterimage

your vision persists even when you stop looking at an object.

markmaking

A contemporary term but one that is really old as time. It describes the attempts by any artist, craftsperson, shaman, or any human to put their mark on something, to announce their existence in the world. In artwork, markmaking can be done using almost any device-pencil, paintbrush, awl, clay tool, scraper, knife, carver....and using any medium-graphite, paint, clay, chalk, dirt.... Some people say mark making is what differentiates humans from animals. The desire to make a mark indicates higher brain function-to create meaning.

line

A mark left by a moving point, actual or implied, and varying in direction, thickness, and density.the most basic tool available to an artist, sculptor, or architect

hatching and cross hatching

A series of parallel lines & cross-parallel lines. In drawing (or printmaking, which is drawing on a hard plate), hatching & cross-hatching are ways that an artist builds up areas of shading to create form & dimensionality

three-dimensional

Height by width by depth. If we say a work of art is three-dimensional, we mean that it is fully articulated in space-that is to say it can be viewed from any angle and exists in the viewer's space. Usually, three-dimensional works can be walked around, yet there are artists (me, for one) who create 3-D works that are hung on the wall, and thus the back is not important.

two-dimensional

Height by width; a flat surface ie: drawing paper or canvas. (2-D)

process

How the work was created, the materials and media used (the paint, pastel, clay, bronze, paper, etc.). Also, the techniques and skills used to create work. Often, an artist's process is a well-kept secret!

value

In 2-D artworks, light is expressed as value which is the relative lightness or darkness in color or black and white

abstract

In art, this term means the rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplified way, yet they remain recognizable; the formal or expressive aspects are emphasized. Abstract is a relative term. Often when we speak of abstraction in the visual of arts, we must consider the DEGREE of abstraction. This is to say that abstraction exists on a continuum. At one end of the continuum something might be simplified but look almost realistic. Moving along the continuum, this object becomes MORE simplified-almost to the point of not being recognized. When an image is abstract, there is always some vestige of the natural world; otherwise, we would call it NON-OBJECTIVE .

Chiaroscuro

Italian for " light and shadow." A technique whereby value (areas of light and dark) are used to simulate the effects of light and shadow on a 2-D surface. Yes, this is related to modeling. Chiaroscuro is a special term used by artists to talk about the subtleties of modeling.

formal analysis

Literally, analyzing the form of the art work. This means taking inventory of all the elements and tools used by an artist, considering the composition, and understanding how all these components are implemented to create meaning.

iconography

Literally, in its original Greek, the word means 'image writing.' Iconography is an area of art history that involves the study and interpretation of images and symbols. It often involves consideration of the symbol within context to the history and traditions of the culture in which the symbol exists. In other words, each culture's iconography is unique and must be viewed within the context of that culture.

art history

considering art & creative production from a historical point of view; drawing conclusions about artworks that are related culturally in time & place

What are the line duties?

define form, focal point, stops eye, directional, framing device

monochromatic

dominant use of one hue

modeling

the manipulation of light & dark (shadow) to show dimensionality

studio art

the production of art

formal elements

the visual tools an artist uses to create a work of art. These include but are not limited to the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design.

analogous

use of colors NEXT to each other on the color wheel.

complementary

use of colors limited to those that are opposite each other