VISUAL ART TERMINOLOGY

LINE: Outline (creates a shape) – Contour (defines edges and the shapes within a
form)

SHAPE: a 2D flat area, with a recognizable boundary

FORM: a 3D shape that has height, width and depth

HORIZONTAL lines: sense of stability/calm

VERTICAL lines: energy/power

DIAGONAL lines: energy/movement

TONE: the degree of light and dark

PERSPECTIVE: LINEAR- vanishing point. Objects become smaller as they go back in

space.

AERIAL (Atmospheric) – the atmosphere softens shapes and colours as they to back in
space.

COMPOSITION: is the placement of the objects/figures in the artwork.

MEDIUM: refers to the material used for making an artwork.

SUBJECT MATTER: is what the artwork is about.

BALANCE: refers to the stability in an artwork.

PROPORTION: refers to the size relationship of parts to a whole.

ELONGATED: to draw out to a greater length.

CONTRAST: using opposite qualities of e.g. line/colour/texture etc.

NATURALISTIC: represents accurately the actual appearance (e.g. the colour is used
naturalistically)

FIGURATIVE: an artwork where figures and objects are not accurate but are
recognisable.

ABSTRACT: the artwork does not depict recognisable objects.

EXPRESSIONISTIC: the emphasis of the artwork is on the expression of emotion.

STYLISED (simplified): only the general shape is shown. Detail is ignored, the object is
stripped to basic recognisable characteristics

SIMULATED TEXTURE: in artwork the illusion of a ‘real’ surface is created.