Art CH1&2

picture frame

The outermost limits or boundary of the picture plane.

negative area

The unoccupied or empty space left after the positive images have been created by the artists. Consideration of the negative areas is just as important to the organization of form as the positives.

elements of art

line, shape, value, texture, and color-the basic ingredients the artist uses separately or in combination to produce artistic imagery. Their use produces the visual language.

asymmetry

without symmetry having unequal or non-corresponding parts. an example: a two-dimensional artwork that, without any necessarily visible or implied axis, displays an uneven distribution of parts throughout.

radial

emanating from a center

form

1. The total appearance, organization, or inventive arrangement of all the visual elements according to the principles that will develop unit in the artwork; composition. 2. In sculpture, can also refer to the three-dimensional shape of the work.

pattern

1. any artistic design (sometimes serving as a model for imitation) 2. a repeating element and/or design that can produce a new set of characteristics or organization

subject

1. in a descriptive approach to art, refers to the persons or things represented. 2. in a more abstract applications, refers to visual images that may have little to do with anything experienced in the natural environment.

rhythm

a continuance, a flow, or a sense of movement achieved by the repetition of regulated visual units; the use of measured accents

motif

a designed unit or pattern that is repeated often enough in the total composition to make it a significant or dominant feature. Motif is similar to 'theme' or 'melody' in a musical composition.

harmony

a principle of organization in which parts of a composition are made to relate through commonality- repeated or shared characteristics, elements, or visual units. Harmony is the opposite of variety

balance

a sense of equilibrium between areas of implied weight, attention, attraction, or moments of force; one of the principles of organization

principles of organization

concepts that guide the arrangement and integration of the elements in achieving a sense of visual order and overall visual unity. they are harmony, variety, balance, proportion, dominance, movement, and economy

movement

eye travel directed by visual pathways in a work of art; one of the principles of organization. movement is guided by harmonious connections, areas of variety, the placement of visual weights, areas of dominance, choices in proportions, spatial devices, and so on.

picture plane

the actual flat surface on which the artist executes a pictorial image. In some cases, the picture plane acts merely as a transparent plane of reference to establish the illusion of forms existing in a three-dimensional space.

proportion

the comparative relationship of size between units or the parts of a whole. for example, the size of the statue of liberty's hand relates to the size of her had. one of the principles of organization

economy

the distillation of the image to the basic essentials for clarity of presentation; one of the principles of organization

content

the expression, essential meaning, significance, or aesthetic value of a work of art. Content refers to the sensory, subjective, psychological, or emotional properties we feel in a work of art, as opposed to our perception of its descriptive aspects alone.

dominance

the principle of organization in which certain visual elements assume more importance than others within the same composition or design. Some features are emphasized, and others are subordinated. Dominance is often created by increased contrasts through the use of isolation, placement, direction, scale, and character.

positive area

the subject--whether representational or non-representational- which is produced y the art elements or their combination

approximate symmetry

the use of similar imagery on either side of a central axis. the visual material on one side may resemble that on the other but is varied to prevent visual monotony

repetition

the use of the same visual effect- and/or similar visual effects- a number of times in the same composition. repetition may produce the dominance of one visual idea, a feeling of harmonious relationship, an obviously planned pattern, or a rhythmic movement.