Vocabulary for Visual Arts

Abstract art. A style of art that achieves its effect by simplifying or

altering the visual elements (e.g., line, shape, colour), rather than by
representing recognizable things or people.

Abstraction. The process of making art work abstract.

Asymmetry. A type of balance in which the parts are unequal in size,

shape, etc., but still produce a balanced visual effect.

Background. The part of a composition that appears to be farthest

from the viewer.

Balance. A principle of design. A feeling of balance results when the

elements of design are arranged to create the impression of equality
in weight or importance.

Collage. A form of art in which a variety of materials (e.g.,

photographs, fabric, objects) are glued to a flat background.

Colour. An element of design. Colour is the particular hue that is seen

when light is reflected off an object.

Colour wheel. A tool for organizing colours and representing

relationships among colours.

Complementary colours. Colours that are directly opposite each other

on the colour wheel (e.g., red and green, blue and orange, yellow and
purple).

Composition. The organization of the elements of design in an art

work, following certain principles of design.

Contemporary art. Art created in the present day.

Cool colours. Colours that suggest coolness (e.g., blue, green,

purple).

Dimension. A term used to describe an object's extent in space. A

two-dimensional object is one that has length and width. A three-
dimensional object is one that has length, width, and depth.

Elements of design. Fundamental components of art works. They

include colour, line, texture, shape, form, and space.

Emphasis. A principle of design. Emphasis may be defined as the

special attention or importance given to one part or element in an art
work. Emphasis can be achieved through placement, contrast, size,
etc.

Focal point. The element or object in a work of art on which the

viewer's attention is focused.

Foreground. The area of a picture that appears closest to the viewer.

It is often at the bottom of the picture plane.

Form. An element of design. Form is sculptural or three-dimensional

shape (e.g., cube, pyramid, sphere).

Geometric shape. A shape that is based on geometric figures (e.g.,

square, circle, triangle).

Horizon line. The "line" at which the sky and the earth appear to
meet.

Hue. The common name of a colour (e.g., red).

Impressionistic art. Art in the Impressionist style, a characteristic of

which is the depiction of the effect of light on objects.

Line. An element of design. A line may be defined as the visual path

left by a moving point.

Logo. A symbolic form that identifies organizations, products, etc.

Medium. Any material used by an artist to produce a work of art.

Middle ground. Area in the picture between the foreground and the
background.

Mixed media. Any art work in which more than one medium is used.

Monochromatic colour scheme. A colour scheme in which only one

hue is used, along with its tints (i.e., hue plus white) and shades
(i.e., hue plus black).

Movement. A principle of design. Movement is the way in which the

elements of design are organized so that the viewer's eye is led
through the work of art in a systematic way.

Negative space. The void or open areas around an object or form.

Perspective. A technique for creating the illusion of depth on a two-

dimensional surface. There are three types of perspective: - linear
perspective, which involves the use of parallel lines that appear to
converge as their distance from the viewer increases; - diminishing
perspective, in which objects appear to diminish in size as their
distance from the viewer increases; - atmospheric perspective, which
is produced by the gradual lessening of the intensity of colour and the
reducing of detail as the distance between an object and the viewer
increases.

Organic shapes or forms. Shapes or forms that are non-geometric or

free- flowing, and that are based on natural objects.

Positive space. Shapes or forms on a two-dimensional surface.

Principles of design. Principles or guidelines used by artists to

organize the visual elements of an art work. They include balance,
emphasis, rhythm, unity, movement, variety, harmony, and
proportion.

Primary colours. Colours that cannot be created by mixing other

colours, but that can be mixed to produce all the other colours (red,
yellow, and blue).

Proportion. A principle of design. Proportion may be described as the

relationship between objects with respect to size, number, etc.

Representational art. Art whose subject matter contains recognizable

images from real life.

Rhythm. A principle of design. Rhythm involves the repetition of

elements to create the illusion of movement.

Sculpture. A work of art in three dimensions (i.e., with height, width,

and depth) that is meant to be seen from all sides.

Secondary colours. Colours that are created by mixing the primary

colours (orange, green, and purple). Shade. A colour with a certain
amount of black added.

Space. An element of design. Space is the area around, within, or

between images or elements. Space can be created on a two-
dimensional surface by using such techniques as overlapping of
objects, varying of object size or placement, varying of colour
intensity and value, and use of detail and diagonal lines.

Style. The artist's way of representing something. The choice and use
of materials, methods of work, subject matter, etc., reflect the style
of an individual, a culture, or a historical period.

Symmetry. A type of balance in which parts or elements are equal in

size or shape, or in some other attribute.

Technique. A method or procedure used in producing a work of art.

Texture. An element of design. Texture is the feel or appearance of

an object or material.

Tint. A colour with a certain amount of white added.

Unity. A principle of design. Unity is the coherence of a work that

gives the viewer the feeling that all the parts of the piece are working
together.

Value. The lightness or darkness of a colour.

Vanishing point. In perspective drawing, the point on the horizon line

where the converging parallel lines appear to meet.

Variety. A principle of design. Achieving variety involves the use of

differences or contrasts.

Warm colours. Colours that suggest warmth (e.g., red, yellow,

orange).

The Vocabulary of Art

"The Visual Elements"

The major groupings are:

Line, shape and mass, light-value-color, texture, space, and time & motion

I. Line = A line is a path left by a moving point

What are the functions of line?

1. to outline a shape - like Kelly's Apples

2. to create movement and emphasis - like Cezanne's trees that create and hold eye movement
within the Bather painting.

3. to develop pattern and texture - Steinberg's Hen

4. to shade and model using hatching, crosshatching and stippling.

What are types of lines?

1. actual line - is a visible mark made by a pencil or paint or any other medium.
2. psychic line - is where there is no real line yet we feel a line.

a. eyes looking in a direction

b. a hand pointing in a direction

NOTE: our text calls this an implied line - it is really a psychic line.

3. lines formed by edges - the edge of a solid object reads as a line.

4. Implied Line - a series of dots or broken line can read as a line.

What are the characteristics of line/direction and quality?

1. line direction

a. horizontal lines seem placid

b. vertical lines give stability and upward thrust.

c.  diagonal lines imply action

2. line quality influences the overall emotional impact of the art work - they can be thick, thin, straight,
curved or angular - these are the emotional qualities of the line itself.

II. Shape and Mass

Shape is a two dimensional area with identifiable boundaries.

Mass is a three-dimensional solid with identifiable boundaries.
Volume may be synonymous with mass except that volume can also refer to a void as in an empty
enclosed space.

What are the two broad categories of both shape and mass?

1. Geometric shapes - mechanically drawn lines, squares, rectangles, circles, - Mondrian's

composition of Red, Yellow and Blue.

2. Organic shapes - are shapes based on forms of nature, which are usually rounded, irregular and
curving - Perez's Los Marielitos.

III. Light, Value and Color

1. Light - artists use natural light in architecture and sculpture to create shadow patterns over the
course of the day to create dramatic effects. Painters use these same shadow patterns to also create
a dramatic focal point in their paintings as seen in Thomas Eakin's "The Concert Singer".

2. Value - is the lightness or darkness of a color

a. High Key is when the predominant values are light.

b. low key is when the predominant values are dark.

3. Color - is a function of light

Color affects us both psychologically and physiologically in our response to it.

What responses do you get from color?

a. cool colors recede in space.

b. hot colors come forward in space.

c. cool colors are calm.

d. hot colors evoke active emotions.

1. Color Theory

a. light travels in a straight line

b. refracted light produces different colors.

1. white light goes into a prism

2. the spectrum of light waves are bent into the different colors.

c.  What we perceive as a color is reflected light.

example - if light strikes a blue surface, that surface absorbs all the light except the blue spectrum
and reflects the blue back to the eye.

d. What are the properties of the color wheel?

1. Primary colors

a. Red

b. Yellow

c.  Blue

2. Secondary Colors

a. Orange

b. Green

c.  Violet

3. Tertiary Colors

a. Red-violet

b. Red-orange

c.  Yellow-orange

d. Yellow-green

e. Blue-green

f.  Blue-violet
4. Complimentary Colors
Those directly opposite to one another on the color wheel - those colors compliment or work well
together.

Be sure you can draw and label a color wheel!

2. Color Properties are hue, value and intensity

1. Hue is the name of the color

a. red

b. yellow

c. blue

2. Value is the lightness or darkness of the normal color.

3. Intensity is the purity of the color, you can only lower intensity, to do so you add black, gray, or the
complimentary color.

1. Color Harmonies - or color scheme is the use of two or more colors in a single composition.

What are the types of color harmonies?

1. Monochromatic - all the same hues or colors, though the value and intensity can be different

2. Complimentary Harmonies - hues of directly opposite values on the color wheel are used, i.e.: Red
and Green.

3. Analogous Harmonies - color adjacent to one another on the color wheel are used, red and red-
orange.

4. Triadic Harmonies - the use of three colors equidistant on the color wheel.

2. Optical Effects of Color

1. Simultaneous Contrast - if you place two complimentary colors next to each other both of them will
seem more brilliant, i.e.: red seems redder and green seems greener.

2. After Image - a particular phenomenon of complimentary colors where after staring at a color for a
minute or so, the glancing away at a white piece of paper the same image will appear in the
complimentary as a ghost image, i.e.: the American flag.

3. Pointillism - optical color mixture - is when patches or dots of color are placed together, the eye will
blend them to produce a new color, i.e.: Georges Seurat's study of El Chahut.

4. Emotional Qualities - color effects emotions and conveys symbolism

A. green-envy.

B. blue-sadness.

C. red-anger.

D. yellow-cowardice.
E. warm colors are active and happy - red, orange.

F. cool colors are passive - blue and green.

IV. Texture refers to surface quality.

What are the two types of texture - Actual and Visual.

1. Actual refers to tactile or sense of touch

a. Impasto technique of thick point, i.e.: Van Gogh's Starry Night.

2. Visual texture - refers to an illusion of texture.

V. The two types of space are three dimensional and two dimensional. 

1. three dimensional space - is the actual space an object takes up, our body, a house, a can or a
sculpture. An example is the Frank Lloyd Wright, Guggenheim Museum.

2. two dimensional space - refers to the space in a painting, drawing, print or other type of flat art.

What are the six elements used in two dimensional space?

1. spatial organization.

2. illusion of depth.

3. linear perspective.

4. isometric perspective.

5. atmospheric perspective.

6. foreshortening. 

VI. Spatial Organization - refers to how we place forms in the picture to

keep unity and balance
   in the composition, i.e.: Degas' Dancers at the Barre.

Illusion of Depth - the illusion of three dimensional space in the picture plane - the two ways are
overlapping and positioning.

a. Overlapping is to place one figure over the other and stacking them in space, i.e.: Marie
Laurencin's Group of Artists.

b. Position - is that pictorial figures meant to be further away are placed higher in the composition,
i.e.: the closet in the foreground and the farthest higher in the composition.

c. Linear Perspective - the most realistic, a science of vision created in the 15th century in Italy. 

d. forms that are far away from the viewer seem smaller.

e. parallel lines recede into the distance and converge or meet at a vanishing point, i.e.: DA Vinci's
Last Supper.

1. one point perspective

2. two point perspective 

d. Isometric Perspective - Where distant forms are made smaller and placed higher on the picture
plane and parallel line stay parallel, i.e.: Kumano Mandala's Japan "ideal city".

e. Atmospheric Perspective - this means that forms meant to be farther away in the distance are
blurred, become indistinct and misty.

f. Foreshortening - that proportions are either shortened or lengthened to create an unusual angle of
vision to increase the illusion of depth, ie: Mantega's Death of Christ. 

VII. Time and Motion

Two dimensional art freezes time, i.e.: Suzanne Valados Reclining Figure.

Three dimensional art, demands that you can walk around it and see 360' of different
imagery - i.e.: El Corbusier, Notre Dame du Haut, the Illusion of Motion is represented
in OP Art or other works that repeat a figure to show motion, i.e.: Giacomo Balla's
Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash.