Final Flashcards
Actual Texture
physical features of a surface, apparent to the touch. In contrast to: actual and simulated texture.
aesthetic
having to do with visual art, and the theory of art, design or beauty.
asymmetrical balance
use of elements in a composition that are dissimilar and yet counter each other to create visual equilibrium. Also: informal balance.
aerial perspective
creating the illusion of space through atmospheric effects, e.g. objects further from viewer appearing lighter or different in color than those closer. Also: Atmospheric perspective.
assemblage
Art made by assembling disparate elements often scavenged by the artist, sometimes bought specially
chiaroscuro
From the Italian “Chiar” (light) and “Oscuro” (dark), suggesting strong value contrast in a work of art used to emphasize form and dimension in a composition, often associated with painters Caravaggio and Rembrandt
chroma
The relative purity or intensity of a color. Along with hue and value, one of the three dimensions used in color theory.
content
subject matter of a work of art, including thematic, symbolic, emotional, intellectual, conceptual, and narrative connotations, which together with its form give it it’s total meaning.
composition
the organization and arrangement of the art elements and subjects with relation to negative shapes in the picture plane of a work of art.
collage
process of using alternative materials adhered to the surface of a two-dimensional artwork, such as patterned material, printed matter, photographs, colored paper, etc.
cropping
to limit to or focus in on a fragment of a larger composition.
color theory
the study of the interaction of color, and the mixing and juxtaposition of colors to obtain specific interactions useful in many visual applications. The color wheel is a very important tool in the application of color theory, and the three aspects of color significant to the color are hue, value, and chroma.
color wheel
Spectral circular layout of color used to associate primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, as well as complimentary and analogous colors pairs. From the application of color theory an artist or designer is enabled a greater dimension and understanding of color interaction.
complimentary colors
two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, which notably interact with each other in specific and fairly predictable ways. When mixed in just the right proportion two compliments will result in neutral grey, and when set next to each other in their pure states cause a visual vibration known as simultaneous contrast.
cool colors
variations of the color blue in relative degrees of purity and value.
dead color
term for colors used in an under-painting, often of a drab or unspecific nature
eye level
used interchangeably with horizon line in linear perspective as a reference to which edge lines of regularly shaped objects naturally converge.
economy
using visual elements or applications in such a way as to render the essence of an artistic idea, as with implied line or shape for example.
figurative art
artwork that shows recognizable images from landscape and still-life, to human or animal forms
form
the physical make-up of a work of art, and its relation to the art elements. In contrast to: but inseparable from, a works content. Also: an objector the description of an object, with three-dimensional qualities.
frottage
French for “rubbing”, a method of generating imagery with drawing materials rubbed over a ground laid over a textured surface. A process associated closely with surrealist artist Max Ernst.
figure/ground
- (figure) an image of something recognizable, such as an object or a person, in a work of art. Also referred to as positive shape, as opposed to negative space.
- (ground) (1) the physical surface on which two-dimensional artwork is executed. (2)the opposite of the figure, in a figure/ground relationship, also referred to as the background, field or negative space
- (f&g relationship) The relationship in a pictural composition between objects and empty space between the objects, that is critical to consider for creating a balanced and effective composition.
gesture drawing
quick, all encompassing statement of forms, defining the subject’s general characteristics; movement, weight, balance, etc. Gesture is also somewhat the degree of “movement” utilized in the process of the drawing
gouache
opaque, as opposed to transparent, watercolor, often used by designers
geometric shape
shape created by mathematical means, variation of circles, squares and polygons, and easy to reproduce by mechanical means
horizon line
imaginary line used in linear perspective drawing , to which parallel lines in architecture and sometimes nature seem to converge to. Also Eye Level.
invented texture
texture that does not represent another existing or actual texture, but is created more through application of a medium, combined with the artist’s intentions. Examples might be cross hatching, scribbled line, stippling and scumbling
iconography
symbolic subject matter attributing strongly or historically to narrative artwork
implied line
thinning and disconnected line that reappears in a drawing, in which the viewers eye naturally fills in.
local color
perception of a color under light and conditions that render it closer to its actual nature. In contrast to: optical color
mechanical line
a line produced with a straight edge, compass, template or other mechanical device, that is of a uniform weight throughout
narrative
in painting or drawing a suggestion of a story that unfolds throughout the imagery.
naturalistic
when subject matter in a representational artwork is very accurately portrayed
non-representational art
art that does not depict in any way things from the real or natural world. Also: nonobjective or nonfigurative art.
optical color
apparent perceived color of a hue being altered by abnormal light sources, or adjacent colors. In contrast to: local color.
organic shape
a shape depicting or resembling something of a living or geological form, without the regularity of a geometric shape
one-point perspective
a drawing method that shows how things appear to get smaller as they get further away, converging towards a single “vanishing point” on the horizon line
primary color
the three irreducible hues of the color wheel; red, blue, and yellow. Also the 3 basic building blocks of color theory, from which all other colors are derived
picture plane
the two dimensional space on which a world of art is composed. When used in a pictorial fashion creating the illusion of three dimensional space, it can be said to be “denied.” Likewise, when it’s flatness is emphasized, it is said to be “favored.”
repetition
use of similar elements in a repeated fashion, such as line, shape, form, value, or color, to unify a composition or create rhythm
rhythm
visual movement created in a work of art , often through the use of repetition
secondary color
color obtained by mixing two primary colors. They are green, violet, and orange.
sgrafitto
Italian for “scratched off” a technique of scraping into a layer of paint color to reveal underlying color
spatial
pertaining to the illusion of or reference to space, see also; pictorial composition
scumble
to make (something, such as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush
simulated texture
visual imitation of a tactile quality which can range from a suggested quality to an illusionistic duplication of a surface. Often facilitated with the use of the technique called frottage
simultaneous contrast
juxtaposition of complimentary hues, which created illusions of hue intensity, apparent cast tints of color, and visual vibrations between borders or fields
trompe l’oeil
French for “to fool the eye”, referring to artwork that closely depicts that which it represents
two-point perspective
a technique in art involving two lines diverging into two separate vanishing points
warm color
variations of and including the colors read and yellow. With respect to color theory, these affected colors have certain interactions with cool colors and colors of relative less or more warmth
