Chapter 2: Line and Shape Flashcards
line
the element of art created by the connection of points, either actual or implied
shape
an area within a composition that has boundaries that separate it from what surrounds it and makes it distinct
dot
in art, a point that has a measurable size
actual lines
a line that is physically in a work of art
implied line
a line created by a viewer’s perceptual tendency to connect a series of points
psychological line
a suggestion of linear direction formed by a viewer’s knowledge of relationships in a work of art, such as the relationship between the glance of a person toward an object
outline
a line that marks the outer boundaries or contours of a figure or an object
contour line
a perceived line that marks the edge of a figure as it curves back into space
chiaroscuro (modeling)
a technique in which subtle gradations of value create the illusion of rounded, three-dimensional shapes in space
value
lightness or darkness of a color
form
the HOW of a work of art– the general structure and overall organization of a work
volume
the mass or bulk of a three-dimensional work; the amount of space such a work contains
mass
a large area of one form or color
formalism
an approach to art criticism that concentrates on the elements and design of works of art rather than on historical factors or the biography of the artist
rectilinear
characterized by straight lines
curvilinear
consisting of a curved line or lines
geometric
a shape that is regular, easy to measure, and easy to describe, as distinguished from organic or biomorphic shape, which is irregular, difficult to measure, and difficult to describe
abstract shapes
works whose shapes are distorted or converted into patterns that may be read by the viewer as interesting in their own right or as representing another vision of a subject
amorphous
without shape; without boundaries
figure
a shape in two-dimensional art
ground
the surface on which a two-dimensional work of art is created
positive shape
the spatial form defined by the objects or figures represented in works of art
negative shape
space that is empty or filled with imagery that is secondary to the main objects or figures depicted in the composition
figure-ground reversal
the shifting of viewer perceptions such that what at one moment appears to be the figure in a composition becomes the ground, and vice versa
