Lansing Catholic High School Visual Art Glossary

Elements of ArtLine: a point moving in space. Line can vary in width, length, curvature, color ordirection.Shape: a two dimensional area or plane that may be open or closed, free-form orgeometric. It can be found in nature or is made by humans. (2 dimensions height and width)Form: a three-dimensional volume or the illusion of three dimensions (related to shape,which is two-dimensional); the particular characteristics of the visual elements of a workof art (as distinguished from its subject matter or content). (3 dimensions height, width, depth)Color: the visual sensation dependent on the reflection or absorption of light from a givensurface. The three characteristics of color are hue, value and intensity.Texture: the surface quality of materials, either actual (tactile) or implied (visual). The feeling of an object.Space: the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or contained within objects.Shapes and forms are defined by the space around and within them. Value: lightness or darkness of a hue or neutral color.

Principles of DesignBalance: the way in which the elements in visual arts are arranged to create a feeling ofequilibrium in a work of art. The three types of balance are symmetry, asymmetry andradial.Contrast: difference between two or more elements (e.g., value, color, texture) in acomposition; juxtaposition of dissimilar elements in a work of art; also, the degree ofdifference between the lightest and darkest parts of a picture.Emphasis/dominance: special stress given to an element to make it stand out.Movement: the principle of design dealing with the creation of action. How we get around a piece of artworkRhythm/Repetition: intentional, regular repetition of lines or shapes to achieve a specific repetitiouseffect or pattern.Unity/Harmony: total visual effect in a composition achieved by the careful blending of theelements of art and the other principles of design.Contrast/Variation: a principle of art concerned with combining one or more elements of art indifferent ways to create interest. Difference between elements in an artwork.

Additional Terms:

Abstract: artwork in which the subject matter is stated in a brief, simplified manner. Littleor no attempt is made to represent images realistically, and objects are often simplifiedor distorted.ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISTS:  a group of New York artists of the 1940's-50's, including Jackson Pollock. They made abstract works meant to express their feelings. Actual Texture: the real, tactile surface quality of materials.Acrylics: quick-drying, permanent and colourfast, pigments in this comparatively new form of paint are suspended in a synthetic resin. Acrylic is a man made plastic paint that uses water as the vehicle. It can be used thinly and you can paint like watercolor or used thick and have some similarities to oil painting. Grounds can be similar to oils and thinner materials like heavy paper or even cloth materials can be utilized. This type of paint is the best of several medias. It dries quickly and can be cleaned with soap and water. Acrylics are a newer media that has been around forty years or so.ACTION PAINTING:  a way of painting by splashing and dripping paint with energetic movements. It was made famous by Jackson Pollock. Additive The process of adding or joining parts and/or visual elements together to create a painting, collage or sculpture (as opposed to subtractive).Advancing-warm colors which we generally perceive to be coming forward in a field of colorAerial Perspective: also known as atmospheric perspective achieved by using bluer,lighter and duller hues for distant objects in a two-dimensional work of art.AESTHETIC: the science of the beautiful in art; defined by visual, moral, social, and contemporary standards.Alla prima: direct form of painting (Italian for “at first”) where the picture is completed during one session with each color laid on more or less as it will appear in the final painting. The impressionists worked in this wayALLEGORY:  something which has a hidden symbolic meaning.Analogous Colors: refers to closely related colors; colors that sit side by side on the colorwheel and have a common hue.Analysis: In art criticism, the step (#2) in which you discover how principles of art areused to organize the art elements of line, color, shape, forms, space, and texture. In arthistory, the step in which you determine the style of the work.Anamorphosis: is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image. There are two main types of anamorphosis: perspective (oblique) and mirror (catoptric).Examples of perspectival anamorphosis date to the early Renaissance (fifteenth century).Examples of mirror anamorphosis were first created in the late Renaissance (sixteenth century). With mirror anamorphosis, a conical or cylindrical mirror is placed on the drawing or painting to transform a flat distorted image into a three-dimensional picture that can be viewed from many angles. The deformed image is painted on a plane surface surrounding the mirror. By looking uniquely into the mirror, the image appears deformed. This process of anamorphosis made it possible to diffuse caricatures, erotic and scatological scenes and scenes of sorcery for a confidential public.Arch: curved stone structure supporting weight of material over an open space. Doorwaysand bridges use arches.

Architect: a person who designs buildings that are well constructed, aesthetically pleasingand functionalArchitecture: an art form of designing and planning construction of buildings, cities andbridges.ARMATURE:  a base made of wire, iron, cardboard, or sticks for supporting a sculpture.Art Criticism: an organized approach for studying a work of art; it has four stages:description, analysis, interpretation and judgment.ART HISTORY:  a record of the visual arts, incorporating information, interpretations, and judgments about art objects, artists, and conceptual influences on developments in the visual arts ARTIFACT: hand-made object that represents a particular culture or period.ART MOVEMENT:  a group of artists who work together and share ideas, and often hold joint exhibitions ART NOUVEAU:  an art and design movement of the 1890's, known for flowery, decorative patterns as in the work of Gustav Klimt Assemblage sculpture which is sculpture pieced together from found or scavenged items that have little or no relationship to one another.Asymmetry: an unbalance of parts on opposite sides of a perceived midline, giving theappearance of unequal visual weight.Atmospheric perspective: also known as aerial perspective achieved by using bluer,lighter and duller hues for distant objects in a two-dimensional work of art. Backgrounds seem fuzzy, gray and distant. Colors are not as vibrant as in foreground. It is a useful artistic tool for showing distance, especially in a paintingAvant-garde: Experimental. Unconventional. Non-traditional. Unorthodox. Surreal. Absurd. Often French or appearing to be Frenchlike. Employ this term if the work doesn’t make a lick of sense to well-adjusted individualsBackground: part of the picture plane that appears farthest from the viewer.Bas-relief: low relief sculpture in which figures protrude slightly from the background.Bat - A slab or platform on which clay is handled; a circular device attached to the wheel-head.Bird’s eye view: line of sight / horizon line is above the objectBisque - Unglazed clay, fired at a low temperature.Bisque firing - The process of firing unglazed clay to a low temperature to harden the clay and drive the physical water from it. The approximate temperature of this firing is 1815 F.BLEEDING:  the tendency for some colors to show through a second layer of paintBlending: technique of shading through smooth, gradual application of light to dark value, or merging of colors into one another so the joins are invisibleBLOCK:  a piece of material with a hand-cut design on its surface from which multiple copies are printed BRAYER:  a rubber roller used to apply ink in printmakingBRUSH STROKES:  marks in paint made by a brushBUST:  sculpture of head, neck, and sometimes shoulders Bugs eye view: line of sight / horizon line is below the objectsCalligraphy: The art of beautiful or decorative writing. Broadly, a flowing use of line, often varying from thick to thinCalligram: a word or piece of text in which the design and layout of the letters creates a visual image related to the meaning of the words themselves.

Canvas: A heavy woven fabric, the most commonly used support for oil painting and also frequently used for acrylics.CARICATURE:  character studies that usually exaggerate one or more featuresCartoon: A drawing or sketch, sometimes containing an element of caricature, showing the comic side of a situationCARVING:  a subtractive method of sculpture; taking away wood or stoneCast Shadows: refers to a dark area or shape produced by an object coming between raysof light and a surfaceCentering - The act of aligning the clay on the potter's wheel in order to proceed with forming and shaping.CERAMIC:  any object made of clay and firedCHALK:  calcium carbonate, used in gesso, mixed with colored pigment to make pastelsCHINA:  translucent ware fired at 2,230 degrees F; porcelainCHIAROSCURO:  the use of light and shadow to create a focal point or moodCityscape: the visual appearance of a city in a work of art, a city landscapeClay Body - A mixture of different types of clays and minerals for a specific ceramic purpose.CLASSICAL:  originating in Greece and Rome; represents unadorned beautyCLAY:  a moist earth of decomposed rock; used in products such as pottery, bricks, tiles, and sculptureCoil Construction - Ropes of clay that are stacked to form a wall. This technique is one of the most commonly used hand-building methods.Collage: Technique of forming a picture by pasting any suitable materials (pieces of paper, photos, news cuttings, fabrics) onto a flat surface.Color Field Painting: Developed in the USA in the 1940’s and 50’s, this type of abstract painting uses large areas of flat, unbroken colorColor Scheme: Plan for organizing colors. Types of color schemes includemonochromatic, analogous, complementary, triad, split complementary, warm, andcoolColor Spectrum: the effect that occurs when light passes through a prism; the beam ofwhite light is bent and separated into bands of color. Colors always appear in the sameorder, by wavelengths, from longest to shortest, red, orange, yellow, green, blue violet.A rainbow displays the spectrum.Color Triad: Three colors spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. The primarycolor triad is red, yellow and blue; the secondary triad is orange, green and violet. Acolor triad is a type of color scheme.Color Wheel: the color spectrum bent into a circle.Complimentary Colors: colors opposite each other on the color wheel. A complement ofa color absorbs all the light waves the color reflects and is the strongest contrast to thatcolor. Red and green are examples of complementary colors.Composition: the way the principles of art are used to organize the elements of art.Content: the message, idea or feelings expressed or communicated in a work of art.Contour Line: a line that defines the edges and surface of an objectConvergence: the use of the elements of art to make the viewer’s eye come to a particularobject or focal point from different directions within the workCool Colors: blue, green and violet. Cool colors suggest coolness and seem to recede froma viewer. Cool colors can be used as a color scheme. Opposite of warm colors.

Comics: is a type of content that communicates ideas via images, often combined with text or other forms of visual information. Comics frequently takes the form of juxtaposed sequences of panels of images. Often textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and sound effects ("onomatopoeia") indicate dialogue, narration, or other information. Elements such as size and placement of panels control narrative pacing.COMMISSION:  the hiring of one or more artists to create a work of artCOMPOSITION:  the placement of forms, shapes, colors, and light and dark areas in a work of art. Artists use composition to direct the viewer's eye to the most important elements of a work of art.CONTEMPORARY ART:  generally defined as art produced during the second half of the 20th century. CONTEXT:  a set of interrelated conditions (such as social, economic, political) in the visual arts that influence and give meaning to the development and reception of thoughts, ideas, or concepts and that define specific cultures and eras. CONTOUR LINES:  outside and inside lines defining an image or shapeCONTRAST:  to set in opposition for the purpose of comparisonCRAFTMANSHIP:  having skill at a particular skillCRAYON:  a stick of wax used for coloring or drawingCRAY-PAS:  an oily crayon used for coloring, drawing, and blendingCredit Line: a list of important facts about a work of art. A credit line usually includes theartist’s name, the title of the work, year completed, medium used, size (height, width,and depth), location (gallery, museum or collection and city), donors and the datedonated.Cross-hatching: the technique of using crossed lines for shading.Cubism: Art style developed in 1908 by Picasso and Braque whereby the artist breaks down natural forms into geometric shapes and creates a new kind of pictorial space. Unlike traditional painting styles, where the perspective is fixed and complete, Cubist works portray a subject from multiple views.DEPTH:  the illusion of space in a picture plane.Description: A list of all things seen in a work of art. The initial process (Step #1) in artcriticism.Design: plan, organization or arrangement of elements in a work of art.DETAILS:  dealing with some item by showing all of the particularsDiagonal: in a slanted directionDimension: the amount of space an object takes up in one direction. The three dimensionsare height, width and depth.DIPTYCH:  two painted panels that are usually hinged together.Distortion The condition of being twisted or altered from a usual or regular shape. In visual art, distortion is often used as an expressive technique.Dominance: An emphasis of one aspect, characteristic or quality in an image in relation to all others.DONOR:  a client or patron of an artist who donates the work to an institution; in altarpieces the donor and family were often included in the paintingDRYBRUSH:  a technique used with wet media applied with an almost-empty brushEASEL:  a support for an artist's canvas during paintingEDITION:  signing, numbering, and dating a print

ELEMENTS OF ART:  the visual "tools" artists use to create art. The categories include line, color, shape, space, light and textureEMBELLISH:  to add ornamental details toEMPHASIS:  a design principle that gives dominance to a particular area through color, size, or repetition ENGOBE:  painting with colored slipExpressionism: is an artistic style in which the artist attempts to depict not objective reality but rather the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in him. He accomplishes his aim through distortion, exaggeration, primitivism, and fantasy and through the vivid, jarring, violent, or dynamic application of formal elements. In a broader sense Expressionism is one of the main currents of art in the later 19th and the 20th centuries, and its qualities of highly subjective, personal, spontaneous self-expression are typical of a wide range of modern artists and art movements. Unlike Impressionism, its goals were not to reproduce the impression suggested by the surrounding world, but to strongly impose the artist’s own sensibility to the world’s representation. The expressionist artist substitutes to the visual object reality his own image of this object, which he feels as an accurate representation of its real meaning. The search of harmony and forms is not as important as trying to achieve the highest expression intensity, both from the aesthetic point of view and according to idea and human critics. (August Macke, Edvard Munch Georges Rouault, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Franz Marc, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Marc Chagall, etc.)FACEMAP:    a proportional map of the human featuresFANTASY:  product of the imaginationFAUVES:  the name given to a group of young painters around 1905-10 who used vibrant, unnatural colors. Matisse and Derain were leading members. The name means "wild beasts" in FrenchFaux: made in imitationFigure: human form in a work of art.FIRING:  making clay products permanent through baking at high temperatures in a kilnFocal Point: the part of a work of art that attracts attention the attention of the viewer first.Focal points are created by using contrast, location, isolation, convergence and theunusual or unexpected.Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art , folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic.  Folk Art is characterized by a naive style, in which traditional rules of proportion and perspective are not employed.Foreground: part of the picture plane that appears closest to the viewer. The foreground isusually at the bottom of the picture.FORESHORTENING:  the technique of distortion in perspective in order for the subject to appear 3-dimensional Form (1) The particular characteristics of an artwork’s visual elements (as distinguished from its subject matter or content). (2) A three-dimensional volume or the illusion of three dimensions; related to shape (which is 2-D).Formal Balance: Way of organizing parts of a design so that equal, or very similar,elements are placed on opposite sides of a central axis. Formal balance suggestsstability. Symmetry is a type of formal balance. Opposite of informal balance.

FOUND OBJECT:  an object which an artist has not made, but has chosen to exhibit as a work of art. It can be a natural object, such as driftwood, or a man-made object such as a bottleFree Form Shapes: Irregular or uneven shapes. Free-form shapes are often referred to asorganic shapes. Opposite of geometric shapes.Free-standing/In the round sculpture is any work of sculpture which can be viewed from any angle around the pedestal. This kind of sculpture includes some of the most famous works of sculpture throughout time: the statuary works of the Greek, Roman, Medieval and Classical eras, including Michaelangelo's David. FRESCOS:  wall paintings made by painting onto wet plasterFriendship bracelet [1]is a bracelet given by one person to another as a symbol of friendship. Friendship bracelets are often handmade, usually of embroidery floss or thread. There are various styles and patterns, but most are based on the same simple half-hitch knot. The making of friendship bracelets is a version of macramé.Functional Art: works of art made to be used instead of only viewed. Objects must bejudged by how well they function when used.Genre Painting: paintings that depict scenes from everyday life as their subject matter.Geometric Shape: precise shapes that can be described using mathematical formulas.Basic geometric shapes are the circle, square, triangle, and rectangle. Basic geometricforms are the cylinder, cube, and pyramid. Opposite of free-form shapes.GESSO:  an under painting medium made of glue, plaster of Paris or chalk and waterGesture drawing: a quick, all-encompassing overview of forms in their wholeness quickly and loosely drawing lines to show movement in a subject.Glaze - A glassy coating that has been melted onto a ceramic surface.Glaze firing - Typically the second firing of a piece pottery which has been coated with glass forming materials. The approximate temperature of this firing 2300. GLUE:  a jelly-like protein substance used for sticking things togetherGouache- is thick watercolor that uses water as a vehicle. Many are now using milk to mix it with for a smoother consistency. It can be painted on almost any ground that has texture. It is usually used thickly. Gouache is sometimes referred to as opaque watercolor or tempera paint. It dries quickly and cleans up with water. It can sometimes be trouble blending colors.Gouge - a chisel with a concave blade, used in carpentry, sculpture, and surgery.Gradation: a scale or series of successive changes, stages or degreesGrattage: wet paint is scratched with a variety of tools to create implied textureGreen ware - Unfired pottery that is bone-dry, a state in which clay forms are the most fragile.Grid: a pattern of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines.Grisaille – a term for paintings done all in gray, black , and whiteGround – the underpainting surface that gives tonal qualities to paintings; for example, white, umber, or ochreGUIDELINES:  lines an artist makes that help "guide" the drawing. Usually these are not seen in the final piece. Harmonious-colors, such as red and orange, that come next to each other on the color wheel. Seen side by side, they seem to blend togetherHatching: technique of shading with a series of the fine parallel lines.Highlight: small areas of white used to show the very brightest spots. Highlights show thesurfaces of the subject that reflect the most light. They are used to create the illusionof form. Opposite of shadows.

Horizon: point at which earth and sky meet visually, Actual or imaginary line in art representing the point at which water or land seems to end and the sky begins,Horizontal: a line that moves parallel to the horizon, across or from left to right.Hue: the name of a color in the color spectrum. Hue is related to the wavelength ofreflected light. Hue is one of the three properties of color.Iconography: pictorial material relating to or illustrating a subject2:  the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject and especially a religious or legendary subject3:  the imagery or symbolism of a work of art, an artist, or a body of artILLUSTRATION:  work of art created to accompany a story or other literary work in print. Illustrations usually appear in reproduced form in books, magazines and newspapersIMPASTO:  thick, opaque paint applied with a brush, knife or fingers, creating various textural features on the surface of the paintingImplied Lines: a series of points that the viewer’s eyes automatically connect. Impliedlines are suggested, not real.Implied texture: a series of lines, shapes, color and/or color patterns that suggested texturewhen actual texture is not present.Impressionism: a style of painting developed in the last third of the 19th century, characterized chiefly by short brush strokes of bright colors in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects, a manner of painting in which  the forms, colors, or tones of an object  are lightly and rapidly indicated, a manner of sculpture in which volumes are partially modeled and surfaces roughened to reflect light unevenly. While the term Impressionist covers much of the art of this time, there were smaller movements within it, such as Pointillism, Art Nouveau and Fauvism. Pointillism was developed from Impressionism and involved the use of many small dots of colour to give a painting a greater sense of vibrancy when seen from a distance. The equal size dots never quite merge in the viewer’s perception resulting in a shimmering effect like one experiences on a hot and sunny day. One of the leading exponents was Seurat to whom the term was first applied in regard to his painting ‘La Grand Jette’ (1886). (Edouard Manet, Eugene Boudin, Frederic Bazille, Alfred Sisley, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet, Walter Richard Sickert, Berthe Morisot, Van Gogh, etc.)INCISING:  scoring the clay with various objectsInformal balance: a way of organizing parts of a design involving a balance of unlike objects. Asymmetry is another term for informal balance. Opposite of formal balance.INK:  usually a liquid colored material used in printmaking. Installation: A three dimensional piece, constructed to fit a specific spatial area, often appealing to several of the senses and utilizing mixed media such as sound, mechanical parts or odors. It’s a pretty loose term. A baby in a playpen is technically an installation- but is it art?Intensity: the brightness or dullness of a hue. A pure hue is called a high intensity color.A dulled hue (a color mixed with its complement) is called a low-intensity color.Intensity is one of three properties of color.Intermediate Color: a color made by mixing a primary color and a secondary color.Intermediate colors is another name for tertiary colors.Interpretation: in art criticism, the step (#3) that explains or tells something about themeaning or mood of the work of art. In art history, the step in which one does theresearch about the artist.

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE:  revival of classical art, literature, and learning based on humanismJudgment: in art criticism, the step (#4) in which artistic merit is determined. In arthistory, the step in which it is determined whether the work made an importantcontribution to the history of art.Kiln - Enclosed containers of various sizes- built of refractor brick and heated by electricity, gas, oil, or wood to temperatures from 1500 F. to 2340 F. in which pots are fired.Kinetic sculpture is free-standing sculpture that moves, either by mechanical power or under the power of wind or water.KITSCH:  artwork, often mass produced, that goes beyond good tasteLandscape: painting or drawing in which natural land, scenery, (e.g., mountains, trees,rivers) is the main feature.LAYER:  lying over or under anotherLeather hard - Clay which is dried sufficiently to be stiff, but which is still damp enough to be joined to other pieces.Linear Perspective: The appearance of things relative to one another as determined by their distance from the viewer (tricks the eye into seeing depth on a flat surface) the graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a flat surface. In one-point linear perspective, all receding lines meet at a single point. In two-point linear perspective, different sets of lines meet at two different points.LINOLEUM:  a hard floor covering utilized by artists as a block on which designs are carved for printingLiteral qualities: real or absolute qualities that appear in a work of art.LITHOGRAPH:  a print made by drawing on a flat, porous limestone with greasy material, then applying greasy ink which adheres only to the drawn lines. Dampened paper is applied to the stone and is rubbed over with a special press to make the final printLogo: symbol, design or trademark adopted by an organization to identify its products orservice.LUMINISM:  1850-1870 style of painting characterized by emphasizing light and transparent veils of colored atmosphere in landscapes and seascapes.(Associated with Hudson River School artists)Macramé or macramé is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot and forms of "hitching": full hitch and double half hitches. It was long crafted by sailors, especially in elaborate or ornamental knotting forms, to decorate anything from knife handles to bottles to parts of ships.Mass The outside size and bulk of an object, such as a building or a sculpture; the visual weight of an object.Maquette A preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building), usually small.Mat: to frame a picture or drawing with a cardboard border.Media: plural form of medium.Medium: material used to make art.MEMORY:  something rememberedMiddle Ground: area of a picture plane between the foreground and the background.MIXED MEDIA:  used to describe art made from more than one material or mediumMOBILE/STABILE:  terms coined to describe work created by Alexander Calder: the mobile is

a hanging, movable sculpture; the stabile rests on the ground but may also have moving parts.MODEL: one who poses for an artistModeling paste- produces lightweight thick textures for use with acrylicsMood The state of mind or emotion communicated in a work of art, through color, composition, media, scale, size, etc.Monochromatic: a color scheme that uses only one hue and the tints and shades of thehue.Mosaic: a picture or pattern produced by arranging small colored pieces of hard materiallike, ceramic, glass, stone, or marble set into cement.Motif: a unit repeated in a visual pattern that often creates a sense of rhythm.Multimedia Computer programs that involve users in the design and organization of text, graphics, video, and sound in one presentation.MURAL:  a large painting or artwork, generally designed for and created on the wall or ceiling of a public buildingMUSEUM/GALLERY:  A place where collections of objects, artifacts, and art are on display and are protectedNAIVE ART:  a term used to describe work by untrained artistsNegative Space: empty spaces surrounding shapes or forms. An area unoccupied withobjectsNeutral Colors: Black, white, gray and variations of brown. Often these colors are calledearth colors.Non-Objective: having no recognizable object or subject matter.Notan: is a Japanese design concept involving the play and placement of light and dark as they are placed next to the other in art and imagery.Oil pastel (also called wax oil crayon) is a painting and drawing medium with characteristics similar to pastels and wax crayons. Unlike "soft" or "French" pastel sticks, which are made with a gum or methyl cellulose binder, oil pastels consist of pigment mixed with a non-drying oil and wax binder. The surface of an oil pastel painting is therefore less powdery, but more difficult to protect with a fixative. Oil pastels provide a harder edge than "soft" or "French" pastels but are more difficult to blend. For this, they decided to produce an improved wax crayon and in 1921 founded the Sakura Cray-Pas Company and began production. The new product wasn't completely satisfactory, pigment concentration was low and blending or impasto was impossible, so in 1924 they decided to develop a high viscosity crayon: the oil pastel. This used a mixture of mashed paraffin, stearic acid and coconut oil as a binder. Designed as a relatively cheap, easily applied, colorful medium, oil pastels granted younger artists and students a greater freedom of expression than the expensive chalk-like pastels normally associated with the fine arts. One-point perspective A way to show 3-D objects on a 2-D surface, lines appear to go away from the viewer meet at a single point on the horizon known as the vanishing point.OP ART:  short for "Optical Art." An art movement in the 1950's-60's where artists used abstract, geometric shapes and patterns to create optical illusions and the impression of movementOpaque: quality of material that does not let any light pass through. Opposite oftransparent.Organic Shapes/Forms: shapes or forms having irregular edges or made by the forces ofnature. Opposite of manufactured shapes/forms.ORIGAMI: Japanese art of paper folding

Orthogonal Lines: systematic diagonal lines used in a linear perspective drawing.Outline: a line that shows or creates the outer edge of a shape to cover up another objectOverlap: when an object extends over, or partly covers another object.PAINT:  apply liquid color to a surfacePAINTBRUSH:  a brush tool for applying paintPalette: tray for mixing colors of paint or the range of colors used by a particular artist orin a particular picture.Parallel Lines: lines that move in the same direction and always stay the same distanceapart.PATRONS:  people who pay artists to produce work for themPattern: an arrangement or sequence repeated in a predictable combinationPerformance art A type of art in which an event or events are planned and enacted before an audience for aesthetic reasons.Person’s eye view: line of sight / persons view is equal to horizon linePerspective: a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two dimensional surface.Photography: the technique of capturing optical images on light-sensitive surfaces.PHOTOREALISM:  an incredibly detailed, almost photographic style, such as in paintings by ClosePLANE:  something that is flat or level. PLEIN AIR:  French for "in the open air," in art, it means sketching and/or painting out-of- doors.Plaster: a white powdery slightly hydrated calcium sulfate CaSO4·1⁄2H2O or 2CaSO4·H2O made by calcining gypsum and used chiefly for casts and molds in the form of a quick-setting paste with water.Plasticity - The property of a material enabling it to be shaped and to hold its form.Point of View: angle from which the viewer sees an object or scene.Pointillism: (stippling) is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism.Pop Art: Pop art employs aspects of mass culture , such as advertising , comic books  and mundane cultural objects. It is widely interpreted as a reaction to the then-dominant ideas of abstract expressionism, as well as an expansion upon them. Portfolio A systematic, organized collection of artwork, usually student artwork.Portrait: image of a person, especially the face and upper body.POSE:  to sit or stand still for an artistPositive Space: shapes or spaces that represent solid objectsPOST-IMPRESSIONISM:  a term used to describe the variety of styles that developed in the 1880's-90's following Impressionism. It includes the work of Cezanne, Gauguin, and van Gogh. POTTERY:  earthen pots, vessels, dishes, etc.Press Mold - A plaster form which clay is compressed into, resulting in a repeatable shape or texture. Primary Colors: refers to the colors red, yellow and blue. From these three colors allother colors can be created.PRINT:  a work of art created from a "plate" that has been transformed through a technique such as engraving, etching, or woodcut and then inked and transferred to paperPrintmaking The transference of an image from one surface (plate or block) to another (usually paper) using ink.

Properties of color The characteristics of color that are perceived: hue, value, and intensity.Proportion: principle of art concerned with the size relationships of one part to another.Public Art:  is art in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all.Pyrography: or pyrogravure is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burnmarks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or wood burning.Radial: arrangement of elements that appear to come from a central point, circularREALISM: (1850-1900) a style in which an artist tries to create an image that resembles the natural worldReceding-cool colors which we generally perceive to be moving away in a field of colorReflection Personal and thoughtful consideration of an artwork, an aesthetic experience, or the creative process.Relief sculpture is "sculpture that projects in vary degrees from a two-dimensional background." Relief sculpture is among the oldest forms of sculpted art. Broken down into 3 major types. Bas-relief has a very low degree of relief from the base, and is present in the surfaces of famous buildings such as the Parthenon in Greece. Alto-relief sculpture has a high degree of relief; the sculptures emerge from the flat base background, such as the sculptures of ancient pharaohs on their temples in Egypt. Sunken-relief sculptures are actually carved into the base itself and have a negative degree of relief.RENAISSANCE:  a period in the 15th and 16th centuries when there were lots of new discoveries in art and science.Representational: relating to art that aims to depict the physical appearance of objects orscenes.RESIST:  something that opposes a particular actionROMANTICS:  a group of late 18th and early 19th-century artists, including Caspar David Friedrich, who were inspired by a love of natureROTATION:  a tessellated shape that repeats around a pointRUBBINGS:  to use pressure and friction over a piece of paper to capture the textureRubric A guide for judgment or scoring, a description of expectations.Rule of thirds: divide two-dimensional work of art in thirds both vertically andhorizontally, place the focus of the work in an area either one-third across or one- thirdup or down, not dead center. When used, this theory allows the eye to find the focalpoint, then move across the surface of the work.Scale Relative size, proportion; the determination of measurements of dimensions within a design or artwork.SCORING:  making marks on the edges of two pieces of clay before joining with slipScratch Art is a graphic technique. It is used to create value drawings. Sculpture: three-dimensional work of art to be viewed from all sides or in bas-relief.Seascape: painting or drawing in which the sea is the main subject.Secondary Colors: colors that are mixtures of two primaries; orange, green and violet.Self-Portrait: an image of a person created by the artist him or herself.SFUMATO:  a smoky, hazy effect with soft edgesSgraffito: a form of decoration made by scratching through a surface to reveal a lowerlayer of a contrasting color, typically done in plaster or stucco on walls, or in slip onceramics before firing

Shade: a dark value of a hue made by mixing the hue with black. Opposite of tint.Shading: the use of light and dark to give a feeling of depth and texture.Shadows: shaded areas in a drawing or painting. Shadows show the surfaces of the objectsthat reflect the least amount of light to create the illusion of form. Opposite ofhighlights.SILHOUETTE:  portrait or picture cut from black paper or done in solid black upon a light backgroundSingle Point Perspective: the graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volumeon a flat surface using one vanishing point.Sketch: quick rough drawing without much detail that can be used as a plan or referencewhen creating later works of art.SLAB:  clay evenly rolled and formed by draping or joiningSLIP:  clay diluted with water to the consistency of cream; used for joining or as an engobeSlump Mold - A plaster form which is used to support wet clay in the early stages of construction.SMOCK:  a loose outer garment worn especially for protection of clothingSPECTRUM:  the group of different colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet seen when light passes through a prism and falls on a surface or when sunlight is affected by drops of waterSplit Complimentary: one hue and the hues on each side of its compliment on the colorwheel. Red-orange and blue and green are split complementary colors.STAINED GLASS:  pieces of colored glass put together to make a pictureSTENCILING:  applying paint to a wall or cloth surface through a hole cut in metal or oiled cardboardStill Life: painting, drawing or arrangement of inanimate or unmoving objects.Stippling: (pointillism) technique of shading using numerous dots or specsStitching: mending by means of sewing.Structural lines: lines that hold a design together.STUDY:  a drawing that may be used to try out an idea or plan out another workStyle A set of characteristics of the art of a culture, a period, or school of art; the characteristic expression of individual artists or groups.Subtractive Artistic method accomplished by removing or taking away from the original creative material, (the opposite of additive).Surrealism-a higher degree of reality (rejecting reason, tradition, and conventionSymbol: something that stands for or represents something else.Symmetry: a type of formal balance in which two halves of an object or composition areidentical, mirror images.TEMPERA:  a type of paint made from a mixture of powdered pigments (colors), egg yolk, and distilled water. Tempera paintings are usually done on wooden boardsTEMPLATE:  a contour such as one made out of cardboard in which an artist can form a piece of clayTertiary Colors: a color made by mixing a primary color and a secondary color. Alsoknown as intermediate colors.TERRA COTTA: reddish clay that contains grog, commonly used for ceramic sculptureTESSELLATION:  a design created by congruent shapes that cover a surface without any of the shapes overlapping each other or having gaps between them

Texture: the surface quality of materials. The element of art that refers to how somethingfeels (actual texture) or looks like it feels (implied texture) to the touch.Theme A subject or topic of discourse or of artistic representation.Three-Dimensional: having height, width and depth.THROWING:  creating vessels on a potter's wheelTHUMBNAIL SKETCHES:  small sketches.TILE:  a repeating design that covers and entire surfaceTint: a light value of a hue made by mixing the hue with white. Opposite of shade.Tone: color or hue shaded or darkened with gray (both black and white).TRANSLUCENT:  clear enough to allow light to pass throughTransparent: quality of material that allows light to pass through. Opposite of opaque.TROMPE L'OEIL:  French phrase meaning, "fool the eye." Trompe l'oeil artists paint images designed to trick people into thinking that they are real.Two-Dimensional: having height and width but not depth, flat.Two Point Perspective: the graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volumeon a flat surface using two vanishing points.Underglaze - Colored decoration applied to bisqued clay, then coated with a clear glaze. Typically made of clay slip and raw pigment.Unity: the quality wholeness or oneness achieved through the effective use of the elementsand principles of art. Unity is created by simplicity, repetition and proximity.Value: the element of art that describes the darkness or lightness of a color or object.Value Scale: a scale showing the range o values from black to white and light to dark.Vanishing Point: a point on the horizon where receding parallel lines seem to meet orconverge and disappear visually.Vertical: at right angles to the horizon, referring to straight up and down.Visual metaphor Images in which characteristics of objects are likened to one another and presented as that other. They are closely related to concepts about symbolism.VISUAL TEXTURE:  texture that you can see or that an artist will decorate a surface with. You can not feel visual textureVolume Describes the space within a form, such as that of a container or building.Warm Colors: Red, orange and yellow. Warm colors suggest warmth and seem to movetoward the viewer. Warm colors can be used as a color scheme. Opposite of coolcolors.WASH:  pigment diluted with water and applied to a painting surface to give a translucent effectWatercolor A transparent pigment used with water. Paintings done with this medium are known as watercolors.WATERCOLOR WASH:  a thin or watery coating of paintWEARABLE ART: art you can wearWedging - Method of kneading clay to make it homogenous; ridding the clay of all air pockets.WET-IN-WET:  the action of spreading paint when new pigment is added to a wet paperWOODCUT:  a print made when the surface of a block of wood is transformed through cutting, then inked and transferred to paperZentangle: is an abstract drawing created using repetitive patterns. It is usually structured within a certain shape.