Humanities Class
You will need to know these important art terms and their definitions.
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Elements of art |
The Elements of Art are the basic parts of visual arts: line, shape, color, form, texture, space. These elements are by which works of art are composed from. They are the building blocks that artists use to make an image. |
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Principles of design |
The Principles of Design are concepts that guide the artist in creating and organizing the elements of art in a work; they include the concepts of balance, pattern, contrast, emphasis, movement, rhythm, unity, harmony, and proportion. |
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Art processes |
Relates to how the art was created (sculpting, painting) and what the subject matter is (abstract of a man) |
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abstract |
Art that is not realistic but adds or subtracts details to show a person's view. Abstract art usually transforms natural shapes into geometric ones and may combine several points of view in a single image. |
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acrylic paint |
Acrylic paint is a fast drying, water soluble paint that is made from acrylic polymers (synthetic latex). It was invented in the 1950’s. |
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analogous colors |
Those colors which lie on either side of a given color in the color wheel; (they are a set of three colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel and share a common hue. Analogous colors are harmonious and are often found in nature EX: red/orange/yellow OR green/blue-green/blue |
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Asymmetrical balance |
Unequally divided or unmatched balance in a work of art. |
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Symmetrical balance |
Images or shapes distributed evenly |
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color |
An
element of art that is made from wavelengths of light. Color has three properties – |
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complementary
colors |
Colors
which are directly opposite from one another on the color wheel; they stand
out from or contrast against each other
EX: blue/orange |
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contrast |
Showing
differences EX: light colors next to
dark colors |
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focal
point |
The
place your eye is drawn to in a work of art; the central feature |
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hue |
Property
of color: the color itself that can be lightened or darkened to a different
shade EX: red, blue, green, purple |
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intensity |
The
brightness or dullness of a hue or color |
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intermediate
colors |
Sometimes
called tertiary (third) colors; made by mixing a primary (first) and a
secondary (second) color: Examples include: yellow-green, blue-green,
blue-violet |
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landscape |
A
drawing, painting, or photograph of a scene found in nature |
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line |
An
element of art: marks drawn by an artist or created by the objects in the art
(vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved) |
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media |
The
materials used to create a work of art
EX: crayons, paint, clay, felt, chalk |
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movement |
A
principle of art that involves the look of action in an art work |
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oil
paint |
Slow
drying paint consisting of small pigment particles suspended in drying
oil. There were invented during the
Renaissance period (1500’s) |
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pastels |
Pure
powdered pigment in the form of sticks; an art medium like oil paint or
watercolors |
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pattern |
Regular
repetition of any element of art (line, shape, form, texture, color) |
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perspective |
The
attempt to make objects look three-dimensional in a two-dimensional surface,
giving the illusion of depth |
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portrait |
A
drawing, painting, or photograph of a person |
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primary
colors |
Red,
yellow, blue – They are called “primary” because you can make all of the
other colors on the color wheel by using just those three colors. |
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proportion |
The
size relationship of one part to another
EX: items further away in a painting will be smaller in proportion to
items closer to the viewer (using proportion correctly is a way to achieve
perspective) |
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radial |
Balance
achieved around a certain point rather than on both sides of a center line; a
clock face or bicycle tire has radial balance; other words to describe
balance are symmetrical and asymmetrical |
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rhythm |
Combining
art elements to produce the look and feel of movement |
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secondary
colors |
Colors
made by mixing two primary colors: green, purple, orange |
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shade |
Black
added to a hue to change its value and make it darker |
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shape |
An
element of art: used in flat, two-dimensional pieces like paintings; can
include geometric or nature forms |
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space |
An
element of art: the area between, around, above, below, or within things;
includes negative space and positive space |
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still
life |
A
drawing, painting, or photograph of an arrangement of objects, such as fruit
or flowers |
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subject
matter |
The
topic or focus of a work of art |
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symmetrical |
Even
balance of the objects or colors in a piece of art |
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tempera |
Oldest
known paint; pigments dry rapidly and usually come from natural sources such
as minerals, wood, plants, or clay |
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texture |
An
element of art: the way something feels
EX: oil paint could look rough, smooth, bumpy |
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three-dimensional |
"3D"
has length, width, depth EX: sculpture |
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tint |
White
added to a hue to change its value and make it lighter |
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triadic
colors |
High
energy colors found by choosing three colors separated by 120 degrees on the
color wheel EX: blue, yellow, red |
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two-dimensional |
"2D"
has length and width but no depth (is flat)
EX: painting |
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value |
The
degree of lightness and darkness in art work |
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watercolors |
Paints
made from pigments dissolved in water |
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