Exam 1 Flashcards
Line
A thin, continuous mark that is much longer than it is wide; in art: a moving dot or series of connected dots of the same size
Shape
Two-dimensional area with distinct boundaries; can be communicated with lines, patches of color, or texture
Mass
A three-dimensional object in space with measurable volume and weight
Space
Artists create the illusion of three-dimensions
Light
Can be used to reveal form, color, textures; can suggest mood; can suggest time
Value
The relative lightness or darkness of a color or neutral
4 Functions of a Line
Outline and contour, shading and modeling, texture, and direction and movement
Visual Elements
The building blocks of a work of art; the artist uses them to express themselves in any medium or material
Actual Line
Dots are connected and continuous
Implied line
Suggested by a series of unconnected dots that our brains connect
Outline/Contour Line
Suggests the edges or boundaries of a form or shape
Shading
Creating shadows
Hatching
The creation of an area of shadow or tone with closely spaced parallel lines
Modeling
Creation of the illusion of three-dimensionality or volume on a two-dimensional surface using light and shadow
Geometric Shape
Squares/rectangles
Organic Shape
Shapes found in nature
Figure
“Positive” shape that we distinguish and focus upon
Ground
Background that figure stands out from
Figure-Ground Relationship
Positive-negative visual relationship
Figure-Ground Reversal
Occurs when both perceived shapes appear to be the distinct positive figure
Closed Form
A solid, self-contained, compact form without openings in or projections out from the mass
Open Form
Has openings in the mass or projections out from the mass that activate the space around the object
Chiaroscuro
The use of lights and darks (gradients of value) to create the illusion of three-dimensional form on a flat surface
Hue
Another word for color
Intensity
Purity and brilliance of a color
Primary Colors
Red, yellow, and blue
Secondary Colors
Orange, green, and violet
Warm/Cool Colors
Psychological suggested of temperature (red, yellow orange//blue, green violet)
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite on the color wheel
Complement
Opposite of the color on the color wheel
Monochromatic
Artist uses a single color or values of a single color (including black and white)
Afterimage
Complements of colors appear when original color is removed
Actual Texture
The surface quality of an object that we experience through touch
Impasto
Very thick application of paint to create an actual texture (i.e. Van Gogh)
Visual Texture
Simulated or implied surface quality
Picture Plane
The actual surface of the flat artwork
Overlap
One object appears to partially obscure/overlap another, suggesting that the partially obscured object is behind the unobstructed object
Vertical Placement
Objects considered to be in the foreground (closest to the viewer) are located in the bottom of the picture; distant objects are located in the upper portion of the composition
Diminishing Size
Smaller objects are perceived as being farther away from the viewer because objects appear smaller in the distance.
Linear Perspective
An advanced system for creating the illusion of depth on a flat surface created by Italian Renaissance artists
Vanishing Point
Point on the horizon at which all lines converge
Atmospheric Perspective
Objects in the distance are much less distinct and take on a bluish value; there is a general loss of contrast, detail, and sharp focus
Design
The combination of the visual elements in art
Unity
The quality of wholeness and cohesion that occurs when all the elements in a work are necessary and belong
Variety
Differs from the unified look to add interest
Balance
A sense of equilibrium achieved by the distribution of the elements in a composition
Formal Symmetry
The exact correspondence of compositional elements on either side (mirror images)
Symmetrical Balance
Approximate symmetry (left and right are very similar but not mirror images)
Asymmetrical Balance
Overall equilibrium is achieved, but left and right sides are considerably different
Visual Weight
An apparent lightness or heaviness
Focal Point
The place the artist wants the viewer to look
Directional Force
Guide the viewer’s face to the focal point
Scale
The size of an object in comparison to its normal/expected size
Hierarchical Scale
The most important person/object is the largest
Proportion
The relationship between a part to the whole or between elements of a composition to each other
Naturalistic
The artist seeks to portray the parts of the piece as they are seen by the eye or are really thought to be, without idealization or distortion
Abstract
Rooted in the world of visible reality; artist recreates natural world in an altered or exaggerated manner
Non-Objective Art
Makes no reference to the world of visible reality
Iconography
Conventional meaning attached to images
High Key
Light/high value colors
Low key
Dark/low value colors
Trompe l’oeil
that which fools the eye (visual textures that appear totally genuine)
