Midterm Terms Flashcards
Form
A abstract quality or property expressed in visual form
Formal Content
Information that relies on the visual nature of the unit forms and their interaction
Narrative content
Image that tells a story. This may include commercial imagery
Symbolic content
Image in which the visual unit forms represent something beyond their appearance; a dove represents peace
Unit form/Design Elements
Visual Elements (art elements) and design principles that comprise the parts of visual image.
Visual Content
The message communicated by the visual image: Formal, symbolic or narrative or a combination.
Visual Image
An art-work you see.
Visual Literacy
The ability to see a visual image and understand its form and content
Picture plane
The area to be designed or created (painted, drawn etc). This can be be paper, canvas, etc
Visual Attractiveness
The ability of unit forms to draw the attention to itself based on the degree of contrast.
Visual Hierarchy
The ordering of visual unit forms (art elements and design principles) from greater to lesser degree. The unit forms degree of contrast determines the place in the visual hierarchy.
Unity/Harmony
The agreement of the unit forms that comprise a visual image. Its creates a visual wholeness.
Positive space
The element, whether small or large, in the picture plane that is the “subject”.
Negative Space
The space surrounding the positive space, otherwise called “ground”.
Shape
A clearly defined area that one can see. It may be defined by an outline, value or color.
Representational shape
A shape that represents (looks like) or refers to an object in the real world. May be realistic or barely recognizable. Does NOT mean they are necessarily realistic.
Rectilinear shape
Shapes made of straight lines.
Curvilinear shape
A shape that has rounded and curved/or curved edges and/or contours.
Non-representational Shape
A shape that does not replicate, OR refer to, an real life object.
Stylization
The emphasis or exaggeration of visual form. (often abstract or non-realistic)
Closed composition
Images that are contained in the Frame of reference.
Open composition
Visual unit forms are expanded beyond the edge of the picture plane. Cut off by the format.
Gestalt
The whole is different than its parts. We perceive the whole before we notice the parts.
Continuation
A. A real line connecting design elements
B. A suggested line created though alignment of unconnected forms.
