Chuck Close,

Up CloseVocabulary

Abstract• Definition: art in shapes that aren’t

realistic• Synonyms: unrealistic• Antonyms: realistic, concrete• Sentence: The abstract painting made

the children giggle because it did not represent a realistic face.

Abstract Paintings

Canvas• Definition: tough, woven material for

painting (often stretched over a wooden frame)

• Sentence: The artist’s studio was filled with blank and half-painted canvases.

Canvas on a Frame

Conceptual• Definition: having to do with ideas• Synonyms: hypothetical, visionary• Antonyms: concrete, physical

• Sentence: His artwork was conceptual and had to do with saving the earth.

Conceptual Art

Exhibition• Definition: show of artwork• Synonyms: display, presentation

• Sentence: My uncle won first prize in the Anchorage Art Exhibition!

Art Exhibition

Hyperrealistic• Definition: Extremely real looking• Synonyms: very realistic, photographic

• Sentence: Her painting was so hyperrealistic, I thought it was a photograph.

Is it real?

Obstacles• Definition: things that stand in the

way• Synonyms: blocks, barrier,

disadvantage• Antonyms: assistance, advantage

• Sentence: The only obstacle that he faced was that he was in a wheelchair.

Despite the obstacle of a wheelchair,

he still raced in national competitions.

Optically• Definition: having to do with the eye• Synonym: visually

• Sentence: There is more than one way to optically understand this picture.

Optically Confusing?

Painstaking• Definition: involving great care and effort• Synonyms: careful, meticulous,

perfectionist• Antonyms: careless, sloppy

• Sentence: Years of painstaking effort was necessary to create the detail in the paintings of the Sistine Chapel.

Sistine Chapel

Palette• Definition: board for making paint

colors• Sentence: She mixed new shades on

her palette by combining two or more colors.

PIXELS• Definition: pieces of an electronic

image• Sentence: If you look at photographs

closely, they are made up of tiny pixels of colors.

Portrait• Definition: painting of a person• Sentence: She had to sit for hours

while he painted her portrait.• Sentence Two: Some artists prefer to

paint a person’s portrait by looking at their photograph.

Portrait of Mona Lisa

Portrait by Chuck Close