Expressive Studies

Question 1

What is subject matter?

Answer 1

It is the people, places and objects that one sees in an artwork, as well as its theme or symbolic meaning

Question 2

What is composition?

Answer 2

It is the placement or arrangement of the subject matter

Question 3

What is the focal point?

Answer 3

Is area(s) within an artwork that command the visual attention of the viewer

Question 4

What is balance?

Answer 4

Refers to how different elements of the artwork are distributed within the composition

Question 5

What is unity?

Answer 5

How different elements of an artwork combine to create a sense of wholeness or cohesion

Question 6

What is variety?

Answer 6

Principle of art that adds interest to an artwork

Question 7

What is a pose/facial expression?

Answer 7

The position which someone stands or sits

The way the face moves to convey an emotional state

Question 8

What is viewpoint/perspective?

Answer 8

Position from which the artist or viewer looks at the subject

Things that look bigger up close and smaller from further away

Question 9

What is proportion?

Answer 9

Relationship of two or more elements in a composition and how they compare to one another

Question 10

What is the visual element of line used for?

Answer 10

• shape and form of objects
• details of features and patterns
• surfaces and texture
• tone, light and shade
• strength and stability or delicacy and fragility
• sense of direction
• energy and movement
• mood, atmosphere and emotions

Question 11

What is the visual element of tone?

Answer 11

The ‘value of colour’ - its relative lightness or darkness

Question 12

What does the visual element of colour do?

Answer 12

Creates the mood or atmosphere of an artwork

Question 13

How does an artist use colour?

Answer 13

Creating temperature
A colour theme
Creating emotion, mood and atmosphere
Creating depth and perspective
Creating harmony and contrast
Pattern, rhythm and movement

Question 14

What is shape?

Answer 14

Two dimensional area which has height and width, but not depth

Question 15

What is form?

Answer 15

Forms are shapes with three dimensions (height, width and depth)

Question 16

What is texture?

Answer 16

How something feels

Question 17

What is pattern?

Answer 17

Is a design in which lines, shapes, forms or colours are repeated in a piece of work

Question 18

What is rhythm?

Answer 18

Occurs where elements or shapes are repeated in a similar way in the artwork combine

Question 19

What is movement?

Answer 19

Use media in a way which gives the illusion or suggestion of movement

Question 20

What is the use of space?

Answer 20

area around, above and within an object

Question 21

What is use of style?

Answer 21

Describes the way that an artists portray their subject matter to express their vision

Question 22

What is scale?

Answer 22

Refers to overall physical size of an artwork or objects in the artwork

Question 23

What is media handling and techniques?

Answer 23

Art media simply means the materials that artists use in their work
Media handling refers to the different ways artists use tools and materials to create artworks

Question 24

What is mood an atmosphere?

Answer 24

Mood in art is the feeling that a work generates

Question 25

What is symbolism?

Answer 25

Is the practice of using an object to represent something else - an idea, a feeling, a relationship, a mood or an emotion

Question 26

What are social influences on artwork?

Answer 26

• The artists family and/or community
• The work of other artists within the community
• The artists political views
• Changes taking place in society
• National and/or world events

Question 27

What are cultural influences on an artwork?

Answer 27

• Art and design movements
• The artists travel and exposure to different cultures
• New and emerging technologies
• Religion and/or belief
• Developments in other fields eg, science, literature and music

Question 28

What are economic influences on an artwork?

Answer 28

• The artists living conditions
• The artists financial situation
• The nature of the artists work

Question 29

What are some other influences of an artwork?

Answer 29

• The artists physical enviroment
• The artists personal circumstances
• The artists own health and well-being