Flashcards › Art Vocabulary

Line A mark with length and direction(-s). An element of art which refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a moving point. Types of line include: vertical, horizontal, diagonal, straight or ruled, curved, bent, angular, thin, thick or wide, interrupted (dotted, dashed, broken, etc.), blurred or fuzzy, controlled, freehand, parallel, hatching, meandering, and spiraling. Often it defines a space, and may create an outline or contour, define a silhouette; create patterns, or movement, and Form Form may be created by the forming of two or more shapes or as a 3rd dimensional shape (cube, pyramid, sphere, etc). It may be enhanced by tone, texture and colour. Form is considered three-dimensional showing height, width and depth. Examples of these are sculpture, theatre play, figurines. Texture Texture is the feeling or visual effect created by repetition and variation of form, colours, value, or patterns of line, often seen in textiles and natural surfaces. There are two types of texture: Optical (visual) texture, and texture which can be physically (tactile). So how something would feel ,rough, smooth, bumpy, coarse etc. is a description of its texture. Color Color pertains to the use of hue in artwork and design. Defined as Primary Colors (red, yellow, blue), which cannot be mixed in pigment from other hues, Secondary Colors (green, orange, violet) which are directly mixed from combination's of primary colors. Further combination's of primary and secondary colors create tertiary (and more) hues. Tint and Shade are references to adding variations in Value Shape Shape pertains to the use of areas in two dimensional space that can be defined by edges, setting one flat specific space apart from another. Shapes can be geometric (e.g.: square, circle, triangle, hexagon, etc.) or organic (such as the shape of a puddle, blob, leaf, boomerang, etc.) in nature. Shapes are defined by other elements of art: Space, Line, Texture, Value, Color, Form. Space An element of art that refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things. It can be described as two-dimensional or three-dimensional; as flat, shallow, or deep; as open or closed; as positive or negative; and as actual, ambiguous, or illusory. Value Value pertains to the use of light and dark, shade and highlight, in an artwork. Black and white photography depends entirely on value to define its subjects. Value is directly related to contrast in monochromatic work of any kind Elements of Art Line, Form, Texture, Color, Shape, Space, Value Principles of Art The principles are movement, unity,harmony, variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, proportion, and pattern. Movement Movement shows actions, or alternatively, the path the viewer's eye follows throughout an artwork. Movement is caused by using elements under the rules of the principles in picture to give the feeling of action and to guide the viewer's eyes throughout the artwork. Unity Unity is the quality of wholeness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of art. The arrangement of elements and principles to create a feeling of completeness.[2 Harmony Harmony is achieved in a body of work by using similar elements throughout the work, harmony gives an uncomplicated look to your work. The way the picture makes everything come together Variety Variety (also known as alternation) is the quality or state of having different forms or types. The differences which give a design visual and conceptual interest: notably use of contrast, emphasis, difference in size and color. Balance Balance is arranging elements so that no one part of a work overpowers, or seems heavier than any other part. The three different kinds of balance are symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Symmetrical (or formal) balance is when both sides of an artwork, if split down the middle, appear to be the same. The human body is an example of symmetrical balance. The asymmetrical balance is the balance that does not weigh equally on both sides. Radial balance is equal in length from the middle. An examp Contrast Contrast is created by using elements that conflict with one another. Often, contrast is created using complementary colors or extremely light and dark values. Contrast creates interest in a piece and often draws the eye to certain areas.[ Proportions Proportion is a measurement of the size and quantity of elements within a composition. In ancient arts, proportions of forms were enlarged to show importance. This is why Egyptian gods and political figures appear so much larger than common people. The ancient Greeks found fame with their accurately-proportioned sculptures of the human form. Beginning with the Renaissance, artists recognized the connection between proportion and the illusion of 3-dimensional space. Pattern and Rhythm Pattern and rhythm (also known as repetition) is showing consistency with colors or lines. Putting a red spiral at the bottom left and top right, for example, will cause the eye to move from one spiral, to the other, and everything in between. It is indicating movement by the repetition of elements. Rhythm can make an artwork seem active.[ Emphasis Emphasis - Any forcefulness that gives importance or dominance (weight) to some feature or features of an artwork; something singled out, stressed, or drawn attention to by means of contrast, anomaly, or counterpoint for aesthetic impact. A way of combining elements to stress the differences between those elements and to create one or more centers of interest in a work. Often, emphasized elements are used to direct and focus attention on the most important parts of a composition. Primary Colors Red, Blue and Yellow - colors that come from nature and can not be made by mixing two or more colors Secondary Colors Green (Blue and Yellow), Orange (red and Yellow), Purple (violet) - (Yellow and Red) - colors you can mixe using primary colors Color Wheel Primary colors, Secondary colors and Tertiary colors in a circular wheel - with the primary colors opposite the corresponding Secondary and Tertiary colors Elements and Principles of Art