K-12 Visual Arts
Glossary
Abstract art: Art stressing the form of its subjects rather than its actual appearance. The subject is broken down into elements; line, shape,
etc., not necessarily resembling the subject itself.
Abstract Expressionism: A twentieth century style in which feelings and emotions are emphasized. Accident and chance are stressed rather
than accurate representation of subject matter.
Acromatic: Acolor scheme involving only black and white; also referred to as grayscale.
Acrylic paint: A synthetic painting medium in which pigments are mixed with acrylic, a plastic emulsion that acts as a vehicle and binder
Aerial perspective: The diminishing of color intensity to lighter and duller hues to give the illusion of distance.
Aesthetic/atmospheric: The theory of perceiving and enjoying something for its beauty and pleasurable qualities. This theory tries to explain
and categorize our responses to art forms.
Additive process: Sculptural process in which “materials” are added to make form. In a subtractive process material is carved away
Agitate/agitation: Missing the chemicals to keep developer, stop bath, speed fixer, etc. In gentle motion while processing film or paper. Helps
speeds and ensure even development.
Analogous colors: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel and are closely related, such as yellow, yellow-orange, yellow-green
and green.
Anasazi (ah-nah-sah-zee): “The Ancient Ones”; early pueblo-dwelling peoples of the plateaus of the American Southeast.
Aperture: The opening in the lens system through which light passes. The size of the aperture is adjustable in the SLR camera and is calibrated
in f-stop numbers.
Aquatint: A form of intaglio printmaking in which resin is melted on the melted plate to resist the biting action of acid so that the tonal areas
can be produced when the plate is printed. May be combined with engraving and etching on the same plate.
Arcade: A series of arches on pillars used as a screen and roof support for a walkway.
Architecture: The art and science of designing and constructing buildings.
Armature: A framework used to support material being modeled in sculpture.
Artist’s proof: An impression from an edition that is intended for the artist’s own use, it is one of the first prints pulled from a plate. They are
recorded as A/P.
Art critic: A person who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter concerning art. Art critics often judge the value of artworks and how they
are important.
Art criticism: A systematic discussion of the characteristics of an artwork, usually involving four stages: description, analysis, interpretation,
and judgment.
Art elements: The sensory elements including line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space that are used to create artworks.
Art historian: A person who studies the history of art works and the lives of artists.
Artist: A person who creates art.
Artisan (ar-ti-zen): A person manually skilled in making a particular product; a craftsperson.
Assemblage: An artwork composed of objects, parts of objects or materials originally intended for purposes other than art.
Atmospheric color: Color in nature that seems to change as light changes.
Atmospheric perspective: A way to create the illusion of space in an artwork, based on the observation that objects look more muted and less
clear the farther they are from the viewer.
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Asymmetrical balance: A feeling of balance attained when the visual units on either side of a vertical axis are actually different but are placed in
the composition to create a “felt” balance of the total artwork.
Background: Parts of the artwork that appear to be in the distance or behind the objects in the foreground or front.
Back lighting: The light shining on the subject is behind the subject from the direction opposite the camera.
Balance: A principle of design referring to the arrangement of visual elements to create stability in an artwork. There are three kinds of
balance; symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.
Baroque: A period and style in seventeenth century European art in which painters, sculptors and architects used dramatic movement, light,
soaring spatial illusions, and ornate detail to encourage emotional involvement.
Barrel vault: A half round stone ceiling made by placing a series of arches, one behind the other, resulting in ceilings that look like a tunnel.
Bas relief (bah ree-leef): See low relief.
Batique: A method of dying cloth using removable wax to repel the dye on parts of the design where dye is not wanted.
Blind contour: A method of drawing where the artist fixed their eyes on the outline of the model or object, and draws the contour very slowly
in a steady, continuous line without lifting the pencil or looking at the paper.
Burning: Giving additional exposure to part of the image projected on an enlarger easel to make that area of the print darker. This is
accomplished after the basic exposure by extending the exposure time to allow additional image-forming light to strike the area in the print you
want darker while holding back the image forming light from the rest of the image.
Burnish: To polish leather-hard clay with a smooth object, rubbing to seal the porous surface of the clay; also, any such rubbing on any
material.
Calligraphy: Handwriting or letters formed by hand, elegant penmanship usually featuring a flowery precise line.
Camera: Apparatus for taking photographs.
Camera angles: The various positions the camera is held (high, low, medium; left, right or straight on) with respect to the subject. Each giving a
different viewpoint or effect.
Candid photograph: A picture taken without the subject’s knowledge. Generally, these images aren’t posed and appear more natural and
relaxed.
Carving: The process of producing a sculpture by cutting, chipping or hewing wood or stone.
Cartoon: A comic strip or caricature showing some action, situation or person. May be single or multiple frame. In painting, a full-size
preliminary drawing from which a painting is made.
Casting: The process of making forms by pouring a fluid substance such as molton metal, liquid plaster, or plastic into a mold.
Ceramics: Objects made of clay and fired in a kiln to a permanent form. Ceramics are often decorated with glazes and fired again to fuse the
glazes to the clay body.
Caricature: A likeness of a person distorted by exaggerated features or mannerisms.
Cartoon: A comic strip or caricature showing some action, situation, or person. May be single or multiple frame. In painting a full size
preliminary drawing from which a painting is made.
Chiaroscuro (key-ah-ross-kyoo-roh): From the Italian meaning “light-dark.” The use of value contrasts to represent the effects of light and
shadow.
Classical: Originally the art of ancient Greece produced in the fifth and fourth centuries BC. Later it was to describe any art form influenced by
ancient Greek or Roman examples. Today it is used to describe perfection or form with an emphasis on harmony and unity and restraint of
emotion.
Close-up: A picture taken with the camera close to the subject.
Collage: A two-dimensional composition made by gluing various materials such as paper, fabric, etc., on a flat, firm surface. Introduced by the
Cubist artists Picasso and Braque.
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Color: An element of design with three properties, hue, value, and intensity. Also the character of surfaces created by the response of vision to
wavelengths of reflected light.
Color field painting: A style of painting that relies solely on flat fields of color.
Complementary colors: Two colors which are directly opposite each other on the color wheel, meaning they are in extreme contrast with each
other.
Composition: The act of organizing the elements of an artwork into a harmoniously unified whole.
Concept art: A style of the 1970’s emphasizing the concept rather than the work itself. Artists tried to de-emphasize the art work in favor of a
concept to demonstrate that the conception of the work is more important than the product.
Construction: A sculpture built by connecting several or many parts to one another.
Contact print: A print made by exposing negatives tightly held against the photographic paper. Images in the print will be the same size as the
negatives.
Contour line: Lines that define the outer edges of forms and surfaces within a form such a shapes or wrinkles and folds. Used in contour
drawings to suggest depth in addition to height and width.
Contrast: A principle of design that refers to differences between elements such as color, texture, value, and shape. A painting might have
bright colors contrasted with dull or angular shapes contrasted with round ones.
Converging lines: In perspective, lines that represent the parallel edges of an object are drawn to converge to a vanishing point.
Convex: Surfaces that curve outward.
Concave: Surfaces that curve inward.
Cool colors: Those colors in which blue is dominant found on the right side of the color wheel. Greens, blues, & violets. These colors visually
recede.
Corinthian: One of the classic styles of Ancient Greek architecture featuring tall slender columns topped with ornate capitals.
Corporate identity: Company-wide design scheme that may include everything from letterhead, business cards, and envelopes, to furniture.
Crafts: Works of art that may be expressive, but generally have utilitarian purposes. This includes fiber arts, ceramics, metalsmithing, fabrics,
furniture, basketry, etc.
Craftsmanship: Quality of work evident in a finished piece of artwork through its resolution, development, thought, and care invested in the
process and piece itself.
Crest: In many cultures, a grouping of totems used to show the identity of a tribe or family group.
Cropping: Using only a part or portion of the original image when making your artwork.
Cross-contour: Crossed lines that follow the direction of form & help to define its depth & volume.
Cross-hatching: Shading created by crossed parallel lines.
Cross vault: The intersecting and joining of two barrel vaults at right angles.
Cubism: A twentieth century art movement developed mainly by Picasso and Braque in which the subject matter is broken up, analyzed, and
reassembled in an abstract form, emphasizing geometric shapes.
Culture: The attitudes, values, beliefs, patterns of behavior, social organization and concepts of reality of a given people which persists through
time.
Depth of field: The distance range between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in sharp focus in a photograph. This depends on the
lens opening and distance from the lens to the subject.
Descriptive lines: Lines that are created with a variety of tools: can be outlines, contour lines, single lines, or hatching.
Design: The plan the artist uses to organize the art elements (line, shape, form, space, etc.) In a work of art to achieve a unified composition.
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Developer: A chemical solution used to turn the latent image (exposed to light but not visible) into a visible image on the exposed film or
photographic paper.
Distortion: Changing, rearranging, or exaggerating the shape or appearance of something.
Dodging: Diffusing or holding back the image-forming light from a part of the image projected on an enlarger easel during part of the basic
exposure time to make that area of the print lighter.
Dome: A beehive shaped vault or ceiling over a circular opening.
Dominance: A concept of design which suggests that one element, or combination of elements, attracts more attention than anything else in
the composition.
Doric: The earliest of the classical styles of ancient Greek architecture characterized by columns that have no base and topped by an
undecorated capital.
Drip painting: Technique developed by Jackson Pollock in which he walked over a canvas with a can of paint, dripping and spilling paint about
the canvas.
DSLR: Digital Single Lens Reflex
Eclectic: Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of diverse sources.
Edition: In printmaking, a set of prints made from the same plate.
Elements of design: Space, line, shape, form, color, value, and texture. The tools the artist works with to create an artwork according to the
principles of design.
Elevation: The external faces of a three-dimensional structure, such as a side or front view, painted or drawn to reveal each story with equal
detail.
Ellipse: An oval shape produced by drawing an elongated circle so that it appears to be viewed from an angle. A foreshortened circle that is
longer in one dimension than it is in the other.
Emphasis: The principle of design that stresses one element or area of a work of art to make it attract the viewer’s attention.
Emulsion: A thin coating of light sensitive material, usually silver halide in gelatin coated on one side of film (dull side) and one side of
photographic paper (shiny side). This is where the image is formed.
Enduring Understanding: getting to the big ideas, or important understandings, that we want students to get inside of and retain after they
have forgotten many of the details. Why is the topic worth studying?
Engraving: A technique in which a design is incised in a plate of metal, wood or plastic. A print is then made from the plate.
Enlarger: A device or machine consisting of a light source, a negative holder, and a lens. A means of adjusting all of these to project an
enlarged image from a negative onto a sheet of photographic paper.
Environmental art: An artwork which is part of the environment surrounding it, or which provides an enclosed environment that viewers can
enter; or an arrangement which the viewer can walk around or through.
Essential questions: questions that are not answerable with finality in a brief sentence. Their aim is to stimulate thought, to provoke inquiry,
and to spark more questions.
Etching: A technique in which a metal plate covered with an acid-resistant coating is incised with lines. The plate is then immersed in acid, and
a print is made from the plate.
Exposure: The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; A product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the
duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper.
Exposure setting: The combination of the lens opening and shutter speed selected to expose the film.
Expressionism: An art movement developed at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in Germany. This style emphasizes the
expression of the artist’s emotions through the use of strong color, and the distortion of subject matter for the purpose of evoking moods and
ideas. Along with the use of suggestive and symbolic imagery.
Expressive color: Color that communicates an artist’s ideas or feelings.
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Expressive lines: Lines that are produced to express an idea, mood, or quality (e.g., graceful, nervous, delicate, aggressive, etc.).
Evaluate: To measure, classify, or judge.
Eye level: A horizontally drawn line that is even with the viewer’s eye. In landscape scenes it can be the actual horizon line, but can also be
drawn in still life.
Façade: The front of a building. The façade accents the entrance and usually prepares the viewer for the architectural style inside.
Fauvism: An early 20th century style of painting developed in France. The artists, led by Henri Matisse, used brilliant and explosive color to
express the inner quality of their subjects rather than how they appeared in nature. They were called Fauves, or “Wild Beasts” because critics
thought they used color in a violent, uncontrolled way.
Fiber arts: A style of fine art which uses textiles, such as fabric, yarn, and natural and synthetic fibers. It focuses on the materials and on the
manual labor involved as part of its significance.
Figure drawing: Drawing a whole body of a person.
Figure-ground: The perceptual tendency to divide visual patterns into two kinds of shapes with the figure(s) appearing to be on top of, and
surround by, the ground. In the pictorial arts, the relationship between images and the background. Figure and ground are often referred to as
positive shape and negative shape.
Film speed: The sensitivity of a given film to light, indicated by an ASA or ISO number; the higher the number the more sensitive it is to light, &
the faster the film.
Fire: To bake at a high temperature.
Flat: The artwork is too low in contrast; it is primarily gray, & void of the necessary black and white that would enhance the feeling of depth.
F-stop: The numbers on the aperture lens, used to indicate the size, light passing ability, and depth or field in a SLR camera. F-stop numbers
are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22. The larger the f-stop the smaller the opening, but the longer the depth of field.
Focal point: An area of artwork that attracts the attention first.
Focus: A clear, well-defined image.
Foreground The area of a picture that appears to be closer to the viewer.
Foreshortening: A method of applying perspective to an object or figure so that it seems to recede in space by shortening the depth
dimension, making the form appear three-dimensional.
Form: An element of design that appears three-dimensional and encloses volume such as a cube, sphere, pyramid or cylinder. The term may
also refer to the characteristics of an artwork’s visual elements (lines, color, textures, etc.) as distinguished from its subject matter.
Formal balance: Two sides of a composition that are identical. Also called symmetrical balance.
Found objects: Materials that artists find and use for artwork, such as scraps of wood, metal, or ready-made objects.
Frame: One individual image from a sequence; also, a border or case for enclosing and enhancing artwork.
Free form shape: Unique shapes without given names.
Fresco: A method of mural painting in which pigments are applied to a thin layer of wet plaster so that they will be absorbed.
Frieze (freeze): Any horizontal band, decorated with moldings or patterns, either painted or carved, usually at the upper end of a wall;
specifically in Greek architecture, the middle layer (plain or carved) of an entablature.
Front lighting: The light shining on the subject comes from behind the photographer and is directly on the front of subject.
Functional form: An object which serves a useful purpose.
Futurism: A style of art originating in Italy during the early twentieth century that emphasized representation of a dynamic, machine-powered
world.
Genre (jsahn-ra): A type of localized art that depicts realistic scenes or events from everyday life.
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Genre painting: The representation of acts and/or scenes from everyday life.
Geometric Shapes: lines or forms with mathematical names that can be defined using mathematical formulas: circle, triangle, square, sphere,
cube, prism, pyramid, etc.
Gesso (jess-oh): A mixture of finely ground plaster and glue that is often spread on a surface prior to painting.
Gesture drawing: A drawing done quickly to capture movement.
Glaze: In pottery, the thin coating of minerals which provides the glassy coloring and waterproof gloss for the final ware. In painting, a
transparent mixture of a small amount of color dissolved in a large amount of the vehicle (such as linseed oil mixed with turpentine in oil
painting) that changes the hues of previously painted surfaces
Gothic: A style in European art and architecture that prevailed from the 12th through the 15th centuries. Gothic architecture, specifically in
cathedrals, is characterized by pointed arches, spires, flying buttresses, and cross vaults.
Gouache (gwash): A form of water-soluble paint used to create opacity.
Graded wash: An area of thin or transparent paint that increases or decreases in intensity from dark to light, light to dark, or both.
Graininess The sand-like or granular appearance of a negative or a print, resulting from the clumping of silver grains during the development of
the film. Graininess becomes more pronounced with faster (speed) films, increased density in the negative, and the degree of enlargement.
Graphic design: Creating two-dimensional visual communications seen in advertising, book and magazine illustration, cartoons and signs, etc.,
for commercial purposes.
Ground: The treated surface on which a painting or drawing is made. A coating, such as priming or sizing, is used to prepare a surface such as
bare canvas or wood for a painting.
Hanga: The Japanese term for woodblock prints.
Harmony/unity: A condition in which the elements of an artwork appear to fit well together.
Hard edge: In two-dimensional artwork, shapes with clearly defined boundaries
Harlem Renaissance 1920-1940: A name of a period and a group of artists who lived and worked in New York City,. The members of the
Harlem renaissance used a variety of art forms to express their lives as African Americans.
Hatching: Shading using closely spaced, parallel lines used to suggest light and shadow.
High contrast: A high density in a print or negative. Bright whites, strong blacks, and variety of grays.
Horizon line: Line where the sky and ground appear to meet.
Horizontal: A line that is parallel to the top and bottom edges of the surface plane.
Highlights: The brightest areas of a subject, those most directly struck by light.
Hue: The property of color that distinguishes one gradation from another and gives it its name.
Humanism: Devotion to human concerns; the study of humanity.
Hypothesis: An informed assumption proposed for the purpose of argument.
Icon (eye-kon): A religious image or likeness; in the Eastern Orthodox religion, usually a panel painting of a saint or of Christ.
Iconography (eye-kon-ah-gra-fee): The system of symbolic elements in a work of art, the system of symbols traditionally used to identify a
deity, illustrated by pictures or other visual representations, also, the study of symbols and their meanings.
Idealization: The representation of objects or people in a stylized and perfected way, often following a preconceived model. Greek and Indian
gods idealized human forms.
Idol: (eye-dull) A representation or symbol of a deity used as an object of worship.
Illustration: a drawing with any medium used to clarify ideas.
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Imagination: The power of forming mental pictures of things that are not physically present to the senses.
Impasto (im-pass-to): A thick, heavy application of paint, with either brush or knife.
Implied line: Lines that are indicated indirectly in artworks at edges where two shapes meet, where form ends and the space around it begins,
or by positioning several objects or figures in a row.
Impressed texture: imprints of objects made beneath the surface of a material, such as paper or clay.
Impressionism: The first of the Modern art movements developed in France during the second half of the nineteenth century which
emphasized the momentary effects of light on color in nature.
Incising: Making lines and figures by cutting into a surface with a sharp tool.
Informal balance: Two sides of a composition have the same visual weight, but the lines, shapes and colors are not the same. Also called
Asymmetrical Balance
Installation art: Art that is created for temporary display in a particular site.
Intaglio (in-tahl-ee-oh): A technique of printmaking where lines and areas are etched, engraved, or scratched beneath the surface of a metal
or plastic plate. Ink is then transferred from the plate onto paper.
Intensity (in-ten-si-tee): The strength, brightness or purity of a color. The more intense the color, the less it is weakened with admixtures of
neutrals or its complementary color.
Intermediate colors: Colors produced by mixing a primary color and the adjacent secondary color on the color wheel. (For example, yellow
and green for yellow-green.) They are also made by mixing unequal amounts of two primaries. (For example, adding more yellow to a
combination of yellow and blue produces yellow-green.)
Interpret: To explain or clarify. In art the ability to decode or uncover meaning in works of art.
Isometric perspective: a method of applying perspective by drawing the height, width, and depth o an object o figure on the same scale at
equal angles of 120o with on another. Planes recede on the diagonal, but the parallel lines along edges remain parallel rather than converging
as in linear perspective.
Kiln: A furnace capable of controlled high temperatures used to fire ceramic ware and sculpture.
Kinetic art: Any art construction that contains moving elements which can be set in motion by the action of gravity, air currents, motors,
springs or magnets.
Landscape A picture of an outdoor scene, with the landforms being the most important element.
Leather hard: The stage in the drying process of a clay object when designs are carved and impressed, handles and other appliques added and
coatings of colored clay slips applied.
Lens: One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper
or projection screen.
Light meter: An instrument with a light-sensitive cell that measures the light reflected from or falling on the subject. It is used as an aid to
selecting the proper exposure setting.
Line: An element of art which is used to define space, contours, and outlines, or suggest mass and volume. It may be a continuous mark made
on a surface with a pointed tool or implied by the edges of shapes and forms. “A line is a dot that goes for a walk.” - Paul Klee.
Line of sight: Implied lines suggested by the direction in which figures in a picture are looking, or from the observer’s eye to the object being
looked at.
Linear perspective: A technique of creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface. All parallel lines receding into the distance are drawn to
converge at one or more vanishing points on the horizon line. In one point linear perspective receding lines converge tone vanishing point. In
two point perspective receding lines converge to two vanishing points.
Lithography: A method of printing from a flat stone or metal plate. A drawing is made on the stone or plate with a greasy crayon and
chemically treated so that only the greasy drawing will hold ink while the remaining surface resists it. A print is then made from the plate.
Logo: a symbol or shape used to represent an organization, corporation, or individual.
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Low relief (bas relief): Sculpture that projects slightly from the surface.
Maquette: A small model of a larger sculpture.
Mannerism: A sixteenth century European style that rejected the calm balance of High Renaissance art in favor of emotion, distortion of the
figure, exaggerated perspective views, and crisp treatment of light and shadow.
Medium: A material used by an artist and often implying the technique of using that material. The plural is media. Also, the solvent which
suspends pigments in a paint.
Medieval: Pertaining to the Middle Ages- the period of European history between ancient times and the Renaissance (ca. 500 A. D. To 1450 A.
D.).
Middleground: The Area in an artwork between the foreground and background.
Minimalism: A twentieth century style that stressed reducing an artwork to minimal colors, simple geometric forms, lines and textures.
Mixed wash/wet-on-wet: Transparent colors are placed on a damp paper and allowed to flow together, resulting in mixed colors.
Mobile: A kinetic sculpture, invented by Alexander Calder in 1932, constructed of shapes that are balanced and arranged on wire arms and
suspended from above so as to move freely in air currents.
Modeling: Technique of adding to or building up clay, plaster, metal or other pliable materials into three-dimensional forms.
Mold: A hollow container that produces a cast by giving its form to a substance (molten metal, plastic or plaster) placed within it and allowed
to harden.
Monochromatic: One color which is modified by changing the values and saturation of the hue by additions of black or white.
Mono-print: A print made in an edition of one from a painting made on a non-absorbent surface or by a subtractive method of rolling ink onto
a non-absorbent surface and pulling light areas away.
Mosaic: A mural technique formed by placing colored pieces of marble or glass (tesserae), small stones or ceramic tiles in a layer of adhesive
material.
Montage (nohn-tazh): A composition composed of several pictures, usually pasted together; also, a painting that has that appearance.
Motif: A single or repeated design or part of a design or decoration that appears over and over again.
Movement: A principle of design associated with rhythm, referring to the arrangement of parts in an artwork to create a sense of motion of
the viewer’s eye through the work. (See implied movement, optical movement.)
Mural: A large design or picture created directly on the wall or ceiling.
Narrative: Depicting a story or idea.
Negative: The developed film that contains a reversed-tone image of the original scene.
Negative shape/space: The empty space surrounding lines, shapes, or solid forms in a work of art.
Neoclassicism (“New Classicism”): A style of art in the nineteenth century in which artists and critics sought inspiration from the classical art of
ancient Greece and Rome and imitated its themes, simplicity, order and balance.
Naturalism (nach-er-I-liz-em): The suggestion, in a work of art, of the direct observation of a scene or of a figure; also, an Italian Renaissance
concept of interest in the world of nature including exploration of it scientifically.
Neutral colors: Colors not associated with any hue such as black, white, and gray and are neither warm nor cool. Also colors which have been
“grayed” or reduced in saturation by mixing them with a neutral or complementary color.
Non-functional: Forms designed to be sculptural rather than utilitarian.
Non-objective art: Artworks that have no recognizable subject matter such as figures, flowers, buildings, etc.
One-point perspective: A way to show three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, using one vanishing point.
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Op art: A twentieth century style in which artists sought to create an impression of movement by means of optical illusion.
Opaque (oh-pqk): In the two-dimensional arts, an area that light does not pass through. The opposite of transparent.
Optical mixing: Colors or black and white laid side by side seem to blend together; mixing takes place in the eye.
Optical movement: An illusion of movement, or implied movement caused by the response of the eye to lines, shapes, and colors arranged in
artworks. (See Op art)
Organic: Freeform, curvilinear, or natural shapes as opposed to geometric shapes or forms
Organic shapes: Free forms, or shapes and forms that represent living things having irregular edges, as distinguished from the regular edges of
geometric shapes.
Overexposure: A condition in which too much light reaches the film, producing a dense negative or a washed print.
Overlap: One shape or part covering up some part or all of another Overlapping objects always appear to be closer than the objects they
cover. The use of overlap is a technique often used to create the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional work of art.
Paint: Pigment mixed with oil or water.
Painting: To make an artwork using wet media such as tempera, acrylic, oil or water color paints.
Painterly: A style or quality of painting in which forms are depicted by patches of color rather than by hard and precise edges. Brushstrokes are
left visible as part of the surface of the painting.
Palette: A tray used by painters for mixing colors of paint.
Panning: In filmmaking, to pivot sideways from a stationary position.
Parallel: Lines that move in the same direction and always stay the same distance apart.
Papier-mache (pay-per ma-shay): A technique of creating three-dimensional or relief sculpture by molding strips of paper soaked in glue or
paste.
Pastel: A chalky, colored crayon consisting of pigment and adhesive gum. Also, paintings done with such crayons.
Patina (pah-tee-nah): The surface coloration of metal caused by natural oxidation. This effect can also be produced by the application of heat,
chemicals, and polishing agents.
Patron: A wealthy or influential person or group that supports artists.
Pattern: The repetition of elements or combinations of elements in a recognizable organization.
Perpendicular: Lines intersecting at or forming right angles.
Perspective: The representation of three-dimensional objects on a flat surface to produce the same impression of distance and relative size as
that received by the human eye.
Photograph/print: A positive picture formed by means of the chemical action of light on sensitive film (producing a negative) and photo paper.
Photo-Realism: A revival of realistic art that occurred in the 1970s.
Picture plane: The flat surface or plane that the artist organizes the picture in.
Pigment: A powdered coloring material for paint, crayons, chalks, and ink.
Pointillism (point-till-iz-em): A style of nineteenth-century French painting in which colors are systematically applied to canvas in small dots,
producing a vibrant surface.
Pinch: A method of hand building pottery or sculpture by pressing, pulling, and pinching clay or other soft materials.
Plane: A flat, two-dimensional surface.
Plastic clay: The stage of clay where it is most malleable and able to be molded or formed.
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Point of View: Angle from which the viewer sees an object.
Portrait The image of a person’s face, made of any sculptural material or any two-dimensional medium
Pop Art: An art style, also known as neo-Dada, developed in the 1950’s. Pop artists depicted and satirized popular culture such as mass media
symbols, comic strips, fast foods, billboards and brand name products.
Porcelain: Ceramic ware made from a specially prepared, fine white clay that fires at the highest temperatures. Porcelain is hard, translucent,
thin walled and rings when struck.
Positive shape/space; The enclosed areas or objects in an artwork, not the background or the space around objects. Positive space is filled by
a shape or form.
Post and lintel: A method of construction in which two vertical members (posts) support a horizontal member (lintel) to create a covered
space.
Post Impressionism: A style developed in the 1880’s in France in reaction to Impressionism. It included artists such as Cezanne, Seurat, Gaugin
and Van Gogh. The first two artists explored the formal structure of art while the other two championed the expression of personal feelings.
Pottery: Ceramic ware made of clay and hardened by firing at low temperatures.
Pre-Columbian Art: 7000 BC to about 1500 AD. An art history term for art created in North and South America before the time of the Spanish
conquests.
Primary colors: The three basic colors, red, yellow and blue, from which it is possible to mix all other colors. The primaries cannot be produced
by mixing pigments.
Principles of design: Balance, emphasis, rhythm, movement, repetition, contrast and unity. The methods or techniques that artists use to
organize or design artworks by controlling and ordering the elements of design.
Print (noun): A print is a shape or mark made from a block or plate or other object that is covered with wet color (usually ink) and then pressed
onto a flat surface, such as paper or textile.
Printmaking: The process of creating prints.
Proportion (prah-por-shen): A comparative size relationship between several objects or between parts of a single object or person. In figure
drawing and painting, the correct relationship between the size of head and body.
Proximity: The placement of objects very near to each other to make them look related.
Radial balance: A composition based on a circle with the design radiating from a central point.
Random pattern: Patterns caused by accidental arrangement or produced without consistent design. Random patterns are usually
asymmetrical, non-uniform and irregular.
Realism: A mid-nineteenth century style in which artist turned to painting familiar scenes and events as they actually appeared in nature in the
belief that subject matter should be shown true to life, without stylization or idealization as in Neoclassicism and Romanticism.
Realistic: Art that shows life as it is. Art that aims to reproduce things as they appear.
Relief: A type of sculpture in which forms project from a background. It is classified according to the degree in which it is raised from the
surface: high relief, low relief, etc.
Relief print: A print produced when raised surfaces are inked and applied to paper or other materials. Woodcuts, linocuts and collographs are
examples of relief prints.
Relief sculpture: Type of sculpture in which forms project from a flat background.
Renaissance (ren-eh-sahnss): A period in Western history (ca. 1400-1600) marking a “rebirth” of cultural awareness and learning, founded
largely on a revival of Classical art and writing.
Repetition:
By using an element of design, such as line, shape, value, texture, color more than once, an artist creates visual harmony.
Repetition of elements is also necessary when creating pattern.
Repoussé: A metalworking process of hammering or pressing sheet metal into relief on one side to create shapes or patterns on the other side.
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Representational: Similar to the way an object or scene looks.
Rhythm: A principle of design that refers to ways of combining elements to produce the appearance of movement in an artwork. It may be
achieved through repetition, alternation or progression of an element.
Rococo 1700-1800: A style of eighteenth century art that began in the luxurious homes of the French nobility and spread to the rest of Europe.
It included delicate colors, delicate lines, and graceful movement. Favorite subjects included romance and the carefree life of the aristocracy.
Romanesque 1000-1200: A style of architecture and sculpture influenced by Roman art, that developed in western Europe during the Middle
Ages. Cathedrals had heavy walls, rounded arches, and sculptural decorations.
Romanticism: A style of art that flourished from the middle of the eighteenth century and continued well into the nineteenth century.
Romanticism emphasized personal emotions, dramatic action and exotic settings using literary and historical subject matter.
Safe light: An enclosed darkroom lamp fitted with a filter (red) to screen out light (white) rays to which film and photo paper are sensitive.
Saturation: The purity, vividness or intensity of a color.
Scale: The relative size of an object as compared to other objects, to the environment or the human figure.
Scroll: A decorative motif consisting of any of several spiral or convoluted forms, resembling the cross-section of a loosely rolled strip of paper;
also, a curved ornamentatl modling common in medieval work.
Sculpture: Three-dimensional forms (sculpture in the round) or forms in relief created by carving, assembly, or modeling.
Sculpture in the round: Freestanding sculpture that is complete on all sides.
Seascape: A picture of the outside, with the body of water being the most important part.
Secondary colors: Colors that result from a mixture of two primary colors. On the twelve-color wheel, orange, green, and violet.
Self-portrait: A work of art in which an artist shows himself or herself.
Sepia (see-pee-ah): A warm dark-brown color.
Series: A group of related artworks, such as sculptures, paintings, or prints.
Serigraph (shhr-ig-raff): A term originated to refer to the screen process when done by an artist rather than commercially. It means “drawing
on silk.”
Sfumato (sfoo-mah-toh): A slight blurring of the edges of figures and objects in a painting creating a hazy feeling and aerial perspective.
Sgraffito (skrah-free-toe): Decorating a surface such as clay, plaster, or glass, by scratching through a surface layer to expose a different color
underneath.
Shade: Variations in the dark and light of color made by adding black to the color.
Shading: Variations in value to suggest form, volume, and depth in artwork.
Shadow: The area of darkness cast when light falls on any object.
Shape: An element of art. An enclosed space defined by other art elements such as line, color, and texture.
Shutter: The blades, curtain, or some form of movable cover in a camera, which controls the time during which light reaches the film.
Side lighting: The light shining on the subject is coming from the side allowing one side of the subject to be bright and the other side dark.
Simplify: To create less detail in certain objects or areas of an artwork in order to highlight other areas. To reduce the complex to its most
basic elements.
Simulated/implied texture: An artist may use color and value contrast to give a painting or drawing the appearance of texture as distinguished
from the texture of the artwork itself. The texture is created through careful and methodical imitation of actual and natural textures.
Simultaneity (si-mul-ta-nay-i-tee): The technique of depicting objects from separate vantage points in one work of art.
Simultaneous contrast: The effect one color has on another when they are placed in close proximity to each other.
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Site-specific sculpture: A sculpture created for a particular space, usually outdoors. They may be permanent, but site-specific sculptures are
often temporary.
Sketch: A rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not intended as a finished artwork, but rather a preliminary step in the artistic process.
SLR: Single Lens Reflex
Slab Hand-building: Ceramic method in which flat pieces of moist clay are joined together with slip.
Slip: Clay in liquid suspension.
Slurry: A watery mixture used to make paper.
Space: An element of art that indicates areas between, around, above, below, or within something. Space can be either positive or negative.
Spectrum: The complete range of color visible in a beam of light.
Speed fixer: A chemical solution that removes any light-sensitive salt not acted upon by light or developer, leaving a black and white negative
or print unalterable by further action of light.
Split-complementary: A color scheme based on one color and the colors on each side of its complement on the color wheel. Orange, blueviolet, and blue-green are split complementary colors.
Stabile: A term adopted by Alexander Calder to identify standing constructions that emphasize space, similar to the mobile, but do not have
moving parts.
Stencil (sten-sill): A method of producing images by cutting openings in a mask of paper, wax, or other material so that paint or dye may go
through the openings to the material beneath.
Still life: A group of inanimate objects arranged to be painted or drawn; also, a painting or drawing of such an arrangement.
Stippling: A shading technique which uses layering of repeated dots to create the appearance of volume.
Stoneware: Ceramic ware made from clay that is fired at a relatively high temperature (2300of). It is hard and nonporous.
Stop bath: An acid rinse, usually a weak chemical solution used as a second step, stopping development, when developing black and white film
or paper.
Storyboard: A series of images corresponding to a sequence, or a particular order.
Style: The identifying characteristics of the artwork of an individual, a group of artist, a period of time, or an entire society.
Subject: What you see in an artwork, including a topic, idea, or anything recognizable, such as a landscape or a figure.
Subtractive: A sculpture technique in which material is removed by carving or cutting, and cannot be easily added back.
Surrealism: A style of twentieth-century art in which artists combine normally unrelated objects and situations. Scenes are often dreamlike or
set in unnatural surroundings.
Symbol: A form, image, sign, or subject representing a meaning other than its outward appearance; something that stands for something else,
especially a letter or sign that represents a real object or an idea. A red heart shape, for example, is a common symbol for love.
Symmetrical balance: The organization of the parts of a composition so that one side duplicates or mirrors the other.
Tactile: The sensation of touch. Some surfaces may be perceived through touch.
Tapestry: A stitched or woven piece of cloth or fabric, often one that tells a story.
Telephoto lens: A lens that makes a subject appear larger or closer than does a normal lens at the same camera to subject distance. A
telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens.
Tempera: A technique of painting in which the water-base paint is mixed or “tempered” with egg yolk.
Tesserae: The small cubes, usually pieces of glass or clay, used in making mosaics.
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Texture (actual): The surface quality of artwork usually perceived through the sense of touch. However, texture can also be implied, perceived
visually though not felt through touch. (See simulated texture.)
Theme: The most important idea or subject in a composition; the topic or idea that an artist can express and interpret in many ways with
different subjects. For example, a work may reflect a theme of love, power, or discovery.
Three-dimensional: Having height, width, and depth.
Tint: A lighter value of a hue made by adding white to it.
Tonal drawing: A drawing in which an artist uses various tones of color to create the illusion of three-dimensional space. Tonal drawing
techniques include hatching, stippling, and blending and smudging.
Tondo: A round-shaped painting.
Totem: An object, such as an animal or a plant, that serves as an emblem of a family or clan.
Traditional art: Artwork created in almost the same way year after year because it is part of a culture, custom, or belief.
Traditions: Customs, actions, thoughts, or beliefs that are passed on or handed down from generation to generation, either by word of mouth
or by example.
Trapezoid: A shape with four angles and four sides only two of which are parallel.
Translucent: Quality of a material that allows light to pass through it, but one cannot see through it.
Transparent: Quality of a material that allows light to pass through it.
Triadic color scheme: Any three colors equidistant on the color wheel.
Tripod: A three legged, adjustable stand used to hold your camera.
Tromp-l’oel: A type of painting that is so realistic (in form, color, size, and lighting) that the viewer may be convinced that is the actual subject
and not a painting. From the French for “fool the eye.”
Triptych (trip-tik): Artwork consisting of three panels joined together. Often, the two outer panels are hinged to close over the central panel.
Two-dimensional: Having height and width.
Two-point perspective: A way to show three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface, using two vanishing points and two sets of
converging lines to represent forms.
Typography: The art and technique of printing with movable type and / or lettering. The arrangement and appearance of printed matter.
Ukiyo-e: “the art of the floating world” Japanese art which centered around the district of Edo and popular culture. Commonly produced in
woodcuts.
Unity: A principle of design related to the sense of wholeness which results from the successful combination of the component elements of an
artwork.
Value: An element of design concerned with the degree of lightness of colors. Darker colors are lower in value.
Vanishing point: A point on the horizon / eye-level line, toward which parallel lines are made to recede and meet in perspective drawing.
Variety: The use of different lines, shapes, textures, colors, or other elements of design to create interest in an artwork.
Vault: An arched roof or covering made of brick, stone, or concrete.
Vehicle: A liquid binding agent in paint such as water, oil, or egg yolk that allows the paint to adhere to the painting surface.
Wabi: (a.k.a. Sabi) A traditional rule of Japanese design that refers to the idea of finding beauty in simple, natural things.
Warm colors: Those hues in which yellow and red are dominant and are located on the left side of the color wheel. Yellows, reds, and oranges.
Colors that visually advance.
Warp: In weaving, lengthwise threads held in place on the loom and crossed by the weft threads.
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Wash: A transparent layer of color applied to a surface. Watercolor or ink that is diluted with water to make it lighter in value and more
transparent.
Waste mold: A plaster mold from which one cast is taken. The mold is formed around a clay model in two or three removable parts which are
reassembled and filled with liquid plaster that is allowed to harden. The mold is broken away (wasted) to reveal the cast.
Weaving: Interlacing two sets of parallel threads. Decorative art made by interlocking one material into other materials.
Weft: In weaving, the filling threads, running horizontally.
Wet media: Drawing and painting materials that have a fluid or liquid ingredient.
Wide-angle lens: A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.
Woodcut: A technique of relief printmaking in which a design is cut into a block of plank wood with knives and gouges leaving raised shapes to
receive ink. A print is then made from the block.
Wood engraving: A technique of relief printmaking in which a design is cut into the end grain of a wooden block with gravers like those used
for metal plates. Wood engravings contain more detail than woodcuts.
Zoom: To make an image appear nearer or further.
Zoom lens: A lens in which the focal length can be adjusted over a wide range, giving the photographer lenses of any lengths.
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