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Vocabulary
abstraction - the branch of art depicting
subjects in simplified, unrealistic ways.
color - a general term meaning hues, tints, tones,
etc.
composition - the underlying design of a picture. Also,
the orientation of a picture (vertical, horizontal, square, round, or
irregular).
contour - the edge of a shape.
depth - the illusion of space in a picture.
design - the arrangement of the elements of a picture.
drawing – a picture made on paper. Also, the
act of making such a picture
drypoint- a kind of print made by scratching lines
into a metal plate with a hard, pointed tool.
engraving - a kind of print made by cutting lines into
a metal plate with a sharp tool.
geometric - straight or regular lines and shapes.
gesture - the implied motion in a shape.
graphic - the two-dimensional qualities of art often
stressing bold shapes and gestures.
hue - any given specific color.
impasto - thick layers of paint, often displaying playfulness of brushwork.
landscape – a genre of art which focuses on depicting
natural inland scenes.
line - Perhaps the most basic element of art, used
for many purposes. Lines may be straight or curved, and may be of different
weights from light to heavy. Dots are just very short lines.
medium - the material of a work of art, such as etching
on paper, oil on canvas, etc.
motif - a recurring theme or design element.
negative space - the area surrounding a shape, often seen as a void.
organic - the irregular and curvilinear (the opposite
of geometric).
painterly - characteristic of virtuosity with paint
and brushes, displaying playful technique which emphasizes the paint
itself.
palette - a flat surface upon which paints are mixed.
Also, the colors at an artist's disposal.
portrait - the formal portrayal of a human subject,
often depicting status and history as well as appearance.
pose - the posture of a figure.
print - a work of art made by transferring an image
to a piece of paper, usually through a mechanical process.
rhythm- the regular, ordered repetition of an element
resulting in a pattern.
shade - a color made by adding black to a hue.
shape – any two-dimensional unit defined by a
contour.
sketch- the result of the playful or experimental working
out of compositional ideas, often lacking detail and frequently left
incomplete.
space - an illusion of depth within the picture-plane
of a two-dimensional work.
state proof - a print that records a phase in the development
of an image.
still life - a work of art which portrays composed
everyday objects, often with symbolic meaning.
study- the result of a focused objective observation
of a particular element in a composition.
subject matter - the content portrayed in a work of
art.
theme - the main idea underlying the subject in a work
of art.
tint - a color made by adding white to a hue.
tone - a color made by adding grey to a hue.
value - the degree of light or darkness.
woodcut – a print made by carving an image in
relief on a block of wood. Carved areas show white in a woodcut, and
the relief areas are printed in ink.
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