VOCABULARY
Positive Space: The figure(s) or object(s) or
tangible thing(s) in a composition. Sometimes an object can be both positive
and negative depending on its relationship to other tangible things in the
composition.
Negative Space: The “empty” areas; the space
that exists between, around, and behind tangible forms and in part defines
tangible forms. Negative space is as significant in a composition as positive
space.
Proportion: The relative size or amount of
one element to another.
Planes: Imaginary, transparent flat
surfaces, infinite in size.
Picture Plane: The area the canvas takes up
containing what happens in/on it
Framing: The edges that define the given
space in which a work of art is composed.
Value: The relative degree of lightness
or darkness given to an area by the amount of light reflected from it. High
value means approaching white. Low value means approaching black.
Volume: The size of a three-dimensional
space enclosed within or occupied by an object. In a drawing we create the
illusion of volume in a 2-dimensional plane.
Linear: Relating to, consisting of, or
using lines.
Composition: The way that the elements
(formal components) are arranged in a given space.
Figure/Ground Relationship: Similar to the positive/negative
space relationship, the ground represents the picture plane or the surface of
the paper.
Balance: A feeling of equality in
weight, attention, or attraction of the various visual elements within the
pictorial field as a means of accomplishing unity.
Symmetrical Balance: A form of balance achieved by
the use of identical compositional units on either side of a vertical axis
within the confining pictorial space. This creates a static, formal
composition.
Asymmetrical Balance: A form of balance attained when
the visual units on either side of a vertical axis are identical, but are
placed within the pictorial field so as to create a “felt” equilibrium. This
creates a more dynamic composition.
Repetition: In repetition, some visual
element(s) are repeated, providing stepping stones for our eye to follow.
Rhythm: The orderly repetition of
visual elements or repetition in a marked pattern, which creates flowing
movement.
Pattern: A two-dimensional application
of rhythm or repetition, such as the repeated motif in a wallpaper or textile
design.
Biomorphic shapes: Irregular, curvilinear shapes
resembling living organisms.
Geometric shapes: Triangle, rectangle, circle, or
composites thereof.
Texture: the surface quality or “feel”
of an object, its smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. Textures can be actual
or simulated. Actual textures can be felt with the fingers, while simulated
textures are visually suggested by an artist when drawing things like drapery,
metal, rocks, hair, etc.
Surface: the
outside part or uppermost layer of something (often used when describing its
texture, form, or extent)
Installation: the way art is installed: the way it alters the way a
space is experienced, as a gallery; an exhibition of such artworks: An art
installation means taking a large interior and loading it with disparate items
that evoke complex and multiple associations and thoughts, longings, and moods.
Media: materials used to make the
work- the ground and the mark making materials
2D: having the
dimensions of height and width only: shape
Shape: the external
form or appearance characteristic of someone or something; the outline of an
area or figure.
3D: having, or
seeming to have, the dimension of depth as well as width and height. Form
Form: at its
most basic, a form is a three-dimensional geometrical figure (i.e.: sphere,
cube, cylinder, cone, etc.), as opposed to a shape, which is
two-dimensional, or flat.
Formal: form
refers to the visible elements of a piece, independent of their meaning. For
example, when viewing Leonardo's Mona
Lisa, the formal elements therein are:
color, dimension, lines, mass, shape, etc
Focal Point: Area of highest visual interest
in a composition. Composition lines lead the viewer’s eye toward the focal
point. It usually consists of a shape with the greatest meaning, greatest or
smallest size, greatest controlled central position.
Subjective: existing in the mind; belonging to the thinking subject rather
than to the object of thought (opposed to objective ).
Objective: Existing independent
of or external to the mind; actual or real: objective reality. Based on
observable phenomena; empirical: Uninfluenced by emotions or personal
prejudices
Abstract: simplification
and alteration of forms to present the essence of objects, people, or places
Analogous Colors: colors that
are side by side on the color wheel and have a common hue
Color Scheme: plan for
organizing colors (monochromatic, analogous, complementary, triad, split
complementary, warm, and cool)
Color Wash or
Glaze: to apply a thin second color on top of a first,
allowing the undercoat to show through
Color Wheel: radial diagram
of colors in which primary and secondary, and sometimes intermediate colors are
displayed as an aid to color identification, choosing, and mixing
Complements: colors
opposite each other on the color wheel
Composition: the
organization or arrangement of a work of art
Cool colors: violets,
blue-greens and blues (colors that recede)
Earth colors: colors
including yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw sienna, and burnt sienna
Focal point: portion of an
artwork's composition on which interest or attention centers
Gesso: white mixture
of chalky pigment combined with glue used to prepare a canvas for painting
Hard Edge: edges of
shapes are crisp and sharp, not blurred
Impasto: thick textured build up of a picture's
surface which is created through the repeated applications of paint
Intensity: brightness or
dullness of a color
Intermediate
color: color made by mixing a primary color with a secondary
color (ie: red orange) tertiary colors
Juxtaposition: in painting,
the close placement of colors on forms side by side, often oppositional
Limited Palette: a palette of
just three paints such as blue, yellow and an earth color
Local Color: Natural color
of a subject
Luminocity: exceptional
brightness and clarity
Matte: Lacking
highlights or gloss
Monochromatic: consisting of
one color and it’s tints and shades
Neutral Colors: Neutral colors
include browns, blacks, grays, and whites. A color can be neutralized by adding
some of its complement to it.
Opaque: opposite of
transparent. Pigment does not allow underneath colors to show through
Primary Colors: (blue, red,
yellow) cannot be made from mixtures of other colors
Prime: to prepare a canvas,
usually with gesso
Saturation: intensity of a
color
Secondary Colors: colors
obtained by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors
Solvent: liquid that
controls the thickness, or thinness of paint
Medium: Material you
mix with paint to extend the paint and make it easier to work with, thicker or
thinner
Split complements: one color and
the colors on each side of its complement on the color wheel (ie: red, yellow
green and blue green)
Subjective color: colors that
have no connection with object reality
Tertiary colors: colors made by
mixing a primary color with its adjacent secondary color (ie: red and orange =
red orange)
Tint: light value of a color, made by mixing the
color with white
Triad: three colors
equally spaced on the color wheel (red, yellow and blue form a triad) do
(orange, green and violet form a triad)
Trompe L’oiel: to paint a
subject on a wall or furniture so realistically it “fools the eye”
Warm Colors: (red, orange,
and yellow) warm colors seems to move toward the viewer
Stretcher: wooden strips
of varying lengths fitted together to make a support frame for canvas
Critique: reflection or
discussion when dealing with works of art
Dyptic: a work of art
in two sections or parts
Craftsmanship: quality of
what a person does
