Prebles Art Forms

abstract art

art that depicts natural objects m simplified or exaggerated ways which may not be recognizable at first content

figurative art

representational art in which the human form (rather than the natural world) plays a principal role

folk art

art of people who have had no formal, academic training, but whose works are part of an established tradition of style and craftsmanship

form

the total effect of the combined visual qualities within a work, including such components as materials, color, shape, line, and design

iconography

the symbolic meanings of subjects and signs used to convey ideas important to particular cultures or religions medium (plural: media)

nonrepresentational art

art without reference to anything outside itself (also called “nonobjective")

outsider art

art produced by those with no formal training, outside the established channels of art exhibition

representational art

art that recognizably represents or depicts a particular subject

subject

in representational art, what the artist chooses to depict work of art

aesthetics

the philosophy of art focusing on questions regarding what art is, how it is evaluated, the concept of beauty, and the relationship between the idea of beauty and the concept of art.

calligraphy

the art of beautiful writing; broadly, a flowing use of line, often varying from thick to thin.

picturesque

used to describe natural landscapes that are attractively poetic, rather than dramatic; original meaning is traced to the paintings of Claude Lorrain and other landscape painters.

achromatic

Having no color (or hue).

additive color mixture

The mixture of colored light.

analogous colors

Colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, such as blue, blue-green, and green.

atmospheric (aerial) perspective

A type of perspective in which the illusion of depth is created by changing color, value, and detail.

biomorphic shape

A shape in a work of art that resembles a living organism or an organic shape.

chiaroscuro

The gradations of light and dark values in two-dimensional images.

closed form

A self-contained or explicitly limited form that has a resolved balance of tensions.

color scheme

A set of colors chosen for a work of art in order to promote a specific mood or effect.

complementary colors

Two hues directly opposite one another on a color wheel, such as red and green.

cool colors

Colors whose relative visual temperatures make them seem cool.

eye level

In linear perspective, the presumed height of the artist's eyes, which becomes the height of the viewer's perspective.

figure

Separate shape(s) that seem to lie above a background or ground.

geometric shape

Any shape enclosed by straight lines or perfectly circular lines.

ground

The background in a two-dimensional work; the area around and between figure(s).

horizon line

The line or edge placed on a two-dimensional surface to represent where the sky meets the land or water plane.

hue

The property of a color identifying a specific, named wavelength of light.

implied line

A line in a composition that is not actually drawn; it may be a sight line of a figure or a line along which two shapes align.

intensity

The relative purity or saturation of a hue, ranging from bright (pure) to dull.

kinetic art

Art that incorporates actual movement as part of the design.

line

A long, narrow mark, usually made by drawing with a tool or brush.

linear perspective

A system of perspective in which parallel lines converge at a vanishing point on the horizon.

local color

The color of an object as we experience it, without shadows or reflections.

mass

The physical bulk of a solid body of material.

monochromatic

A color scheme limited to variations of one hue.

negative shape

A background shape seen in relation to foreground or figure shapes.

neutrals

Colors not associated with any single hue; made by mixing complementary hues.

one-point perspective

A perspective system where all parallel lines converge at a single vanishing point.

open form

A form with an irregular exterior and a sense of growth or unresolved tension.

organic shape

An irregular, non-geometric shape.

perspective

A system for creating an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

picture plane

The two-dimensional picture surface.

positive shape

A figure or foreground shape, as opposed to a negative ground or background shape.

primary hues

Red, yellow, and blue; these cannot be produced by mixing other hues.

secondary hues

Orange, green, and violet; the mixture of two primary colors produces a secondary hue.

shade

A hue with black added.

shape

A two-dimensional area defined by line or changes in color.

subtractive color mixture

Mixture of colored pigments in paints, inks, or pastels.

tertiary hues

Colors like red-orange, yellow-green; located between primary and secondary hues.

texture

The tactile qualities of surfaces or their visual representation.

three-dimensional

Having height, width, and depth.

tint

A hue with white added.

two-dimensional

Having the dimensions of height and width only.

two-point perspective

A perspective system in which two sets of parallel lines converge at two points on the horizon line.

value

The relative lightness and darkness of surfaces.

vanishing point

The point where parallel lines appear to converge on the horizon line.

vantage point

The position from which the viewer looks at an object or visual field.

vertical placement

A method for suggesting depth in a two-dimensional work by placing objects above others.

volume

The space enclosed or filled by a three-dimensional object or figure.

warm colors

Colors whose relative visual temperatures make them seem warm.