Exam 2

Question 1

Principles (What)

Answer 1

The way in which art elements are arranged to create an aesthetically pleasing composition.

Question 2

Principles (List)

Answer 2

Unity
Harmony 
Balance
Scale
Emphasis
Rhythm
Contrast

Question 3

Elements (What)

Answer 3

Key parts of an artistic composition, the basic visual qualities.

Question 4

Elements (List)

Answer 4

Line
Colour
Form
Shape
Texture
Tone

Question 5

Style

Answer 5

Style refers to the way we choose to express ourselves when there are several ways of doing so (e.g in brushwork, line or colour). It refers to the personal mannerisms or traits of a particular artist. Style also refers to the characteristics, which identify a particular period or school of painting, sculpture or design. Sometime a painter shows a personal style and sometimes a work has both personal and period or School styles.

Question 6

Techniques

Answer 6

Technique refers to a person’s manipulative skills and abilities related to a particular activity (e.g use of brush work, shading or texture in a painting). It also refers to any one method of using a material or medium in an art process, such as hatching or scumbling.

Question 7

Aesthetic Qualities

Answer 7

Refers to the application and manipulation of art elements and design principles to create a particular mood or to communicate ideas. It is the study and perception of the nature and theories of art and of the characteristics of beauty and the origins of sensitivity to art form. It generally refers to the experiences through the senses rather than through the intellect.

Question 8

Symbols

Answer 8

Visual signs or images used to communicate complex or abstract ideas through association in fact or thought, and could give an instructional message. Colours can also have a symbolic meaning, such as red for love, white for purity, yellow for disloyalty or treachery.

Question 9

Intaglio

Answer 9

Intaglio is a technique whereby an image is created by incising (scratching) into a surface; the paper receives the ink from the incised lines, not from the surface of the plate.

Question 10

Etching

Answer 10

• To etch is to produce an image on a metal plate (often zinc or copper) using a corrosive acid.
• The plate is treated with an acid resistant substance (hard ground bitumen)
• An image is scratched into the surface.
• The plate is placed in an acid bath, the acid ‘bites’ into the areas left exposed.
• Ink is forced into the etched lines and then the plate is rubbed back so that only the etch lines are inked.
• The plate is then covered with damp paper and put through a printing press under heavy pressure.
• This transfers the line image to the paper

Question 11

Aquatint

Answer 11

• Aquatint is an etching technique where a copper plate is covered with a fine layer of resin which gives the plate a slightly granular texture, a tooth which holds the ink.
• The acid bites into the areas of the plate which are not protected with hard ground.
• Depending on the length of time in the acid affects the depth of the tone achieved.
• Printed in the same way as etchings.

Question 12

ENGRAVING

Answer 12

• A design is cut into a metal, wood or stone plate using a burin (a v-shaped tool).
• Usually engravings have very fine detail and a strong use of line and hatching to define tone.
• Printed the same way as for etchings.

Question 13

Drypoint

Answer 13

• A similar process to etching, except the line is scratched directly into the surface of the plate using a sharp pointed tool.
• Metal, plastic/acetate or wood can be used.
• Printed in the same way as etching.

Question 14

Mezzotint

Answer 14

• A metal plate is grounded by using a semi-circular spiked tool called a rocker, this creates a roughened surface which if inked would print solid black.
• The image is achieved by rubbing areas to deepen and smooth the burred plate.
• This method is able to show subtle variations of light and tone.

Question 15

LITHOGRAPHY

Answer 15

• A method which exploits the fact that oil repels water.
• The design is drawn onto a porous limestone slab using greasy litho pencils or washes called tusche.
• The stone absorbs the greasy material, the surface is rubbed down with water, and this then repels the ink which adheres to the greasy image.
• The image is then inked up and printed.
• Lithography lends itself to soft tonal washes and drawings unlike any other printing method.

Question 16

RELIEF PRINTING

Answer 16

• The method of printing using a woodcut, linocut, wood-engraving and metal cut, where the raised parts of the block are inked and printed.
• The design is carved into the surface using a variety of cutting techniques.

Question 17

Linocut

Answer 17

• Relief printing using linoleum as the block.
• Attention is paid to producing contrast of light and dark areas and interesting textural qualities.
• Multi-block prints can be used to portray a variety of colours and form.
• Artists draw a mirror image of their design on to the surface of the lino
• Artists use a variety of tools to carve the detail, the ‘V’ tool gives a sharp fine line, ‘U’ tool a shallow curved shape, often used for large areas
• Areas that are cut away will appear the colour of the paper, usually white
• Ink is applied using a roller
• The ink is rolled out on to a glass plate to create a smooth consistent layer of ink
• Ink is rolled onto the lino block to create a smooth even layer, this may be repeated, with the artist taking ink from the glass plate and transferring it to the lino block
• The block is either placed on a lino press, printing press or hand rubbed
• Paper is placed over the image and it is passed through the press or hand rubbed using a baren
• The paper is removed to reveal the image
• If the artist is creating a multi-coloured print then the print is allowed to dry
• Depending on the method: colour reduction or multi-plate, the artist will cut away further areas to reveal different colours at each printing stage or layer each colour using a different block for each colour

Question 18

Woodcut

Answer 18

• Relief printing using a block of soft grained wood.

* Wood-engraving: hard-grained wood is used with a burin employed to incise lines into the block.

Question 19

SCREENPRINTING

Answer 19

• Often called silk screen printing, a process in which an image is transferred by forcing ink through a fine mesh, using a squeegee.
• The screen can hold a stencil or images can be drawn directly onto the surface of the screen using special blocking agents.
• Photo positives can also be adhered to the screen. (Andy Warhol portraits)

Question 20

MONOTYPES( Monoprint)

Answer 20

• A design can be painted, drawn, scratched into the surface of wet ink, which is then covered with paper and put through a press or rubbed.
• Mono meaning one print is pulled from the image.

Question 21

PROOF

Answer 21

• An impression taken from a plate before an edition is pulled (printed).

Question 22

ARTIST’S PROOF

Answer 22

• An impression signed by the artist which is extra to the ordinary edition.
• Sometimes the artist works through colour variations etc before beginning the edition. These can also be called artist’s proofs.

Question 23

EDITION

Answer 23

• The number of identical original prints pulled from the same plate or block which are usually signed and numbered by the artist.