Sculpture Terms

Refers to art that simplifies, emphasizes, or distorts qualities of a real-life image rather than art that tries to represent its surface details accurately.

Abstract Art

Form is created by building up/adding on materials. This method encompasses many materials, such as wood, metal, plastics, adhesives, fasteners, etc., diverse techniques and methods of joinery.

Addition

Visual balance achieved by dissimilar visual units; for example, two or three small shapes on the right balancing one larger shape on the left. If divided in half - parts not the same.

Asymmetrical Balance

Ordered relationship of parts, whether symmetrical or asymmetrical; equilibrium. Object may have more than one type of balance.

Balance

The elements of design converge to create a design or arrangement of parts that appear to be a whole with equilibrium.

Balance

A structural member, as in architecture, projecting from a form or structure and unsupported at the opposite end (e.g. a diving board).

Cantilever

A sculptural technique in which liquid materials are shaped by being poured into a mold, typically hardening into a solid.

Casting

Typically known as hue. This word represents a specific color or light wavelength found in the color spectrum, ranging circularly from red to yellow, green, blue and back to red.

Color

In 3D design, the actual _______ of the material being used (a.k.a. local ______). ________ has Hue, Value, and Intensity. _______ can create emphasis, harmony, emotions, unity, or movement.

Color: (Thumb)

An ordered relationship among parts or elements of a design.

Composition

A negative area in a plane or surface, a scooped out or indented form or area.

Concave

(Open Hand) Three-dimensional area or volume Height x Width x Depth. As with shape, may be Organic, Geometric, Compound/Complex, etc. [Cylinder, Cube, Box, Prism, Pyramid, etc.] A form can be open or closed.

Form (Open Hand)

Mechanical, human-made shapes (square, circle, triangle) or forms (cube, sphere, pyramid).

Geometric

Are forms that are mathematical, precise, and can be named, as in the basic geometric forms: sphere, cube, pyramid, cone, and cylinder. A circle becomes a sphere in three dimensions, a square becomes a cube, a triangle becomes a pyramid or cone.

Geometric Forms

Rhythm or repetition of elements with gradual changes or intervals; such as small to large, light to dark, shadow to highlight, or a gradual "morphing" from one shape to another.

Gradation

Involving the systematic use of a single unit of design, repeated and varied in position, angle, or combinations creating larger forms or units.

Modular

The arrangement of elements that draw the eye over a work in a slow or fast manner (depending on other factors such as texture, emphasis, etc.)

Movement

This element portrays the act or process of changing place or direction, orientation, and/or position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping points, blurring of action, etc. This is not animation, although animation is an end product of ________, as well as other elements of design.

Movement

Art that does not depict anything from the real world

Non-representational Art

Forms that are irregular, amorphous, or "freeform." May be biomorphic

Organic

Are those that are free-flowing, curvy, sinewy, and are not symmetrical or easily measurable or named. They most often occur in nature, as in the shapes of flowers, branches, leaves, puddles, clouds, animals, the human figure, etc., but can also be found in the bold and fanciful buildings of the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852 to 1926) as well as in many sculptures.

Organic Forms

a flat or level surface; described by the intersection of two lines. Any distinct flat surface within a sculpture

Plane: (Flat Hand

Relationship of elements to the whole and to each other, in terms of their properties of size, quantity, and degree of emphasis.

Proportion

The creation of a duplicate of an object (either found or made) by making a mold of that object and casting another material into the mold to make the replica.

Substitution

Reduction or removal of material by methods such as carving (plaster, wood, stone, etc.).

Subtraction

Equal visual units right and left/ top to bottom of an imaginary center point. If divided in half - parts are the same.

Symmetrical Balance

A sense of intensity or anxiety; the physical property of something under stress, such as a cable on a suspension bridge being pulled.

Tension

The surface quality of a form - rough, smooth, weathered and so on. May be actual texture (touchable) or implied (appears to be present, but is illusion). It can create emphasis, movement, pattern, emotion.

Texture: (Wedding Ring Finger)

: sense of wholeness or order, resolution of combinations of elements or forces in opposition; continuity.

Unity / Harmony

Light and shadows on the surface of forms; quantity of light reflected by an object's surface; variation can give a sense of space/depth to an object.

Value: (Two Fingers/Peace Sign)

A hollow, concavity, or space within a solid object or mass

Void

Refers to open (or "negative") space; can also be open space surrounded by material, as in a bowl or other vessel.

Void (Cylinder Shape)

How we perceive an object (visually or conceptually) rather than its literal weight. It can appear to be heavy in weight, or refer to a "heavy" subject.

Weight

Forms project slightly from a background surface

Low (bas) Relief

Working malleable materials such as clay

Manipulation / Modeling

A three-dimensional sketch; small, scale model for a work, intended to be enlarged.

Maquette

(Fist) Refers to solid (or "positive space")

Mass (Fist)

The connection between Point A and Point B; the edge of a form, the meeting of two planes.

Line: (Middle Finger)

The outline of an object/form

Contour

Different qualities or characteristics in a form; interest generated in a work by using a carefully chosen combination of shapes, forms, textures and so on.

Contrast / Variety

A protrusion or outwardly pushing form.

Convex

Care, effort, aptitude, skill, and/or quality workmanship in use of tools and materials.

Craftsmanship

Placing greater attention on certain areas or objects in a composition; can be subtle or dramatic; may a single focal point or distributed.

Dominance/Emphasis/Focus

Also known as dominance. This condition exists when an element or elements within a visual format contain a hierarchy of visual importance.

Emphasis

forms project much further from the background surface (at least half of the circumference of the form would protrude).

High (alto) Relief

Combining methods for conceptual or technical reasons

Hybrid

Placement side by side; relationship of two or more elements in a composition (compare & contrast).

Juxtaposition

Construction that contains moving elements set in motion by air, motors, gravity, or activation by a viewer.

Kinetic

Symmetrical balance oriented around an axis; design starts from center out.

Radial Balance

Sculpture in which forms project from a background creating an illusion of depth, usually mounted on a wall. It is classified according to the degree to which it is raised from the surface:

Relief

Refers to art which represents something, whether that be a tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art which is clearly identifiable as something which already exists in life

Representational Art

A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements within a visual format, creating harmony.

Rhythm

Is type of movement that is the result of repetition; three rhythmic devices include: 1) the duplication of the same form (regular) 2) two forms used alternately (irregular) 3) the sequential change of a form (large to small, for example.)

Rhythm/ Repetition

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Encloses a three-dimensional area; the visible shape or outer limit of a form, which may change as the viewer's position is changed; it may be Organic (curvy), Geometric (angular), etc. [Circle, Square, Rectangle, Triangle, etc.]

Shape: (O.K. Symbol)

Volume, void, air, dimension, area, distance; physical space independent of what occupies it; also, illusion of depth and space.

Space