GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Abstract A type of art executed in lines, shapes, and colors without
reference to the appearance of natural objects.
Aesthetic Literally, sensitive to art and beauty, generally used
as a philosophy of beauty.
Analogous Colors that appear next to one another on the color wheel.
Architecture The art of designing and planning the construction
of buildings, cities and bridges.
Area An enclosed limited flat surface.
Assemblage A three-dimensional work of art consisting of
many pieces joined together.
Asymmetrical A type of visual balance in which two sides of
a composition are different yet balanced. The two sides are equal without being the same.
Background Parts of artwork that appears to be in the distance
or behind the objects in the foreground or the front.
Balance A principle of design that describes the arrangement of
parts of an artwork. An artwork
that is balanced seems to have visual weight or interest
in all areas.
Bi-symmetrical A kind of balance where the things on each side
of a center line are the same.
Block Print Any design cut into a linoleum or wood block for
reproduction purposes. A product of this process.
Brayer A small roller used for inking type, plates, or blocks
by hand.
Center of Interest The part of an artwork which attracts the viewers
eye.
Charcoal A soft drawing material made from charred wood or vines.
Collage A work of art created by gluing bits of paper, fabric,
scrapes, photographs or other material to a flat surface.
Complementary Colors that are directly opposite each other on
the color wheel.
Composition To create, form or design something by arranging
separate parts to create a whole.
Contour A line which shows or describes the edges, ridges, or
outline of a shape or form.
Cool Colors Colors often connected with
cool places, things or feelings.
Crayon Resist A process in which a drawing is made with wax
crayon covered with a coat of paint.
Critique To analyze a work of art in a positive manner.
Design The arrangement of elements in a work of art.
Elements of Design The visual tools used to create art work. They
include color, form, line, shape, space, subject, and texture.
Exhibit A display or show of artwork
Focal Point An area of artwork that attracts attention.
Foreground The part of an artwork that seems closest to you.
Form That which gives or determines the shape of an object.
Hue Refers to various kinds of colors as arranged
on the color wheel. Also the name of a color.
Intermediate Color A color made by mixing a secondary color with
a primary color.
Landscape Art work that shows natural scenery such as lakes, mountains,
trees, and valleys
Line A mark with direction and length. A line can be two –dimensional
( pencil line on paper), three-dimensional (wire), or implied (separate points).
Monochromatic One color with all its tints and shades.
Montage A form of collage in which photographs are combined to
produce an art product.
Mosaic An artwork made of stone and ,or glass set into cement.
Mural A painting or artwork executed directly on a wall or ceiling.
Negative Space The empty space in a piece of artwork.
Oil Pastel An oil based crayon.
Pastel A chalk -like crayon.
Pattern A design using a repeated motif.
Perspective The look of depth on a two dimensional-surface.
Portfolio A sample of an artists work.
Portrait The representation of a person or animal.
Primary Colors Red, yellow and blue. These three basic colors
are used for mixing other colors.
Printmaking The printing process in which multiple images
are made.
Proportion Relation of one part to the whole. Relative size
of the visual elements in a composition.
Secondary Colors Orange, green, and purple; produced
by mixing two primary colors together.
Self Portrait An artwork of ones self.
Silhouette A two dimensional outline of an object.
Shade A dark value of a color.
Still Life An arrangement of objects that are not alive and
cannot move.
Tessellations Shapes that do not overlap and have no gap. See
M.C Escher
Textile Any material that is woven.
Texture The way a surface feels.
Three –dimensional Artwork that can be measured by height, width,
and depth. This artwork is not flat.
Tint The value of a color made by adding white.
Two-dimensional Artwork that is measured in height and width.
Value The amount of dark and light in a color. More light the
higher value, less light lower value.
Wash A very thin coat of paint
