Painting Vocab

Question 1

Drawing

Answer 1

An art technique using pencil, pen, brush, charcoal, crayon, pastel or stylus.

Question 2

Gesture Drawing

Answer 2

Quick sketch used to capture the movement or position of a figure.

Question 3

Contour Line

Answer 3

A line that defines the edges and surface ridges of an object. The outline of the object.

Question 4

Sketch

Answer 4

Quick, rough drawing without much detail that can be used as a plan for later work.

Question 5

Composition

Answer 5

The placement of line , shape, color and value in a work of art; basically the total design.

Question 6

Figurative Drawing

Answer 6

Drawings that use the human figure as the focal point

Question 7

Picture Plane

Answer 7

The flat surface of a two-dimensional art work

Question 8

Cross Hatching

Answer 8

Superimposed layers of parallel lines (hatching) at an angle to one another; used to create shadow and modeling.

Question 9

Stippling

Answer 9

Painting, drawing, etc. by means of flecks or dots.

Question 10

Chiaroscuro

Answer 10

Method of arranging light and shadow in two-dimensional art to create the illusion of three-dimensional form. (from the Italian)

Question 11

Foreshortening

Answer 11

Perspective on the human body. The study of how proportions change as the body moves from a standing position.

Question 12

Blending

Answer 12

Technique of shading through smooth, gradual application of value.

Question 13

Pastels

Answer 13

Pigments held together with gum and molded into sticks.

Question 14

Perspective

Answer 14

Refers to two major systems for showing depth and distance in a work of art (linear perspective – using lines and points to create an illusion of depth and atmospheric perspective – using value and blur to show depth).

Question 15

High Key

Answer 15

exclusive use of light or pale values in a work

Question 16

Low Key

Answer 16

exclusive use of darkest values in a work

Question 17

Charcoal

Answer 17

Vine charcoal is created by burning sticks of wood (usually willow or linden/Tilia) into soft, medium, and hard consistencies.
Compressed charcoal charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charcoal is used in charcoal pencils.
Powdered charcoal is often used to “tone” or cover large sections of a drawing surface. Drawing over the toned areas will darken it further, but the artist can also lighten (or completely erase) within the toned area to create lighter tones.

Question 18

Grid

Answer 18

a scale of squares that are used to enlarge an image

Question 19

Pencil

Answer 19

drawing tool, piece of wood that contains a piece of graphite which leaves marks

Question 20

B Pencil

Answer 20

“B” means black; the “B” refers to the type of lead, B meaning soft, the bigger the number attached the softer the graphite and the darker it writes (ex. 6B is softer and writes darker that 2B)

Question 21

H Pencil

Answer 21

“H” means hard; the “H” refers to the type of lead, H meaning hard, the bigger the number attached the harder the graphite and the lighter it writes (ex. 6H is harder and writes lighter that 2H)

Question 22

Colored Pencil

Answer 22

Drawing media, color in pencil form; blendable; the lead is powder held together with binder normally wax. The higher the wax content, the less the color will blend.

Question 23

Fixative

Answer 23

A thin varnish of watery consistency, used to keep drawings from smudging. Normally a spray

Question 24

Vanishing Point

Answer 24

a point in a perspective drawing to which parallel lines not parallel to the image appear to converge. The number and placement of the vanishing points determines which perspective technique is being used.

Question 25

Shade

Answer 25

A darker version of a color; adding black or the compliment of the color

Question 26

Tint

Answer 26

A lighter version of a color; adding white to create

Question 27

Primary Colors

Answer 27

Red, Blue, Yellow; The three colors almost every color of the rainbow comes from with the exception of white.

Question 28

Secondary Colors

Answer 28

When you add two primary colors together equally.
Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Red = Violet (Purple)

Question 29

Tertiary Colors

Answer 29

When you add a primary and a secondary color together; ie - Red + Orange = Red-Orange, Blue + Green = Blue-Green… etc.

Question 30

Complimentary Colors

Answer 30

Colors that sit directly across each other from the color wheel. They make each other appear brighter and bolder. Red and Green, Blue and Orange, Yellow and Violet (Christmas, Gators, Lakers)

Question 31

Analogous Colors

Answer 31

Colors that sit directly next to each other on the color wheel; ie Red, Red-Violet, Violet

Question 32

Warm Colors

Answer 32

Colors that appear warmer, brighter, and bolder. They normally appear closer to you. The colors are red, yellow, and orange. If there is more red in the violet (red-violet), it tends to be categorized in the warmer color area.

Question 33

Cool Colors

Answer 33

Colors that appear farther, duller, and cooler. They tend to give you a a sense of calm. The colors are blue, green, and violet unless it’s red-violet.