AP art history Elements and Principles + stone vocab

Line

the continuous mark made on some  surface by a moving point

Shape

The outline or contour of an object.

Value

Describes the lightness and darkness of a color.

Color

What the eyes see when light is reflected off an object.

Texture

Refers to the surface quality or “feel” of an object, such as roughness,  smoothness, or softness 

Actual Texture:

The tactile quality of a surface that you can actually feel

Visual Texture

Manipulating a medium to create the illusion of texture

Space

Refers to the area between, around, above, or within things.

Positive Space

The area within an object 

Negative Space:

The area outside an object

Form

Area that is 3D (has height, width, and depth) and encodes a volume

Principles of Design:

A certain combination of the elements of art.

Elements of Art:

The most basic aspects of a composition. 

Balance

The distribution of weight on either side of an imaginary center line. Brings a  sense of equilibrium among the visual elements in the composition of a work of art.  

Symmetrical Balance

Objects of equal size and weight placed at an equal       distance from the center line. 

Asymmetrical Balance

Objects of different sizes and weight placed at unequal     distances from the centerline.  

Emphasis

 Making a center of interest; developing points of interest to pull the viewer’s  eye to important parts of the body of work. Certain elements within a composition will be  more important and dominant (biggest, brightest, lightest), while others in the image  will become subordinate to them. 

Harmony

The arrangement of one or more of the elements used to create a feeling of  completeness. In other words, everything in the work seems to belong and contribute to  the overall picture.  

Rhythm/Movement:

Combining the elements in order to lead the viewer to a sense of  action in a work or it can be the path the viewer’s eye follows through the work. 

Variety

Refers to the differences in the work. You can achieve variety by using different  shapes, textures, colors, values. etc. in your work.

Proportion

The relationship of one object to another with respect to size, position,  amount, number, or color.

Repetition

The re-use of the elements of art to establish a relationship. When the  subject matter or elements are repeated within the image creating a sense of stability,  planned patterning or rhythmical movement. 

Cromlech

huge stones arranged in a circle

monolith

massive large stone (singular)

lintel

stone beam (like top vertical one on two posts)

post

vertical stone

trilithion

pair of monoliths topped with a lintel