Art pt 1

Megaliths

Megaliths

Very large stones used in various ancient structures or monuments.

Representational

Descriptive of art that portrays forms from the natural world.

Abstract

Descriptive of art where forms are simplified, fragmented, or distorted from the visual world.

Naturalistic

Approach to art emphasizing accurate imitation of appearances, closely resembling the forms portrayed.

Trompe L'oeil

Art that mimics reality so faithfully it may be mistaken for real momentarily.

Stylized

Art where methods for depicting forms are standardized and repeated without further observation.

Nonrepresentational

Art that does not represent the visible world outside itself.

Nonobjective

Art that does not represent or refer to the visible world, synonymous with nonrepresentational.

Style

Characteristics associated with an artist, group, or culture in art.

Form

The physical appearance of art, including materials, style, and composition.

Content

What a work of art is about, its subject matter as interpreted by a viewer.

Subject Matter

Objects or events depicted in representational or abstract art.

Iconography

Identification, description, and interpretation of subject matter in art.

Context

Personal and social circumstances surrounding the making, viewing, and interpreting of art.

Installation

Art form treating an entire space as a work of art to be entered and experienced.

Triptych

Composition with three panels side by side, often hinged to close over the central one.

Contour Lines

Lines indicating the perceived edges of a three-dimensional form in two-dimensional art.

Shape

Two-dimensional area with identifiable boundaries created by lines, color, or value changes.

Mass

Three-dimensional form implying bulk, density, and weight.

Figure

Dominant shape in figure-ground relationship.

Figure-ground relationship

Relationship between dominant shape (figure) and background shape (ground) in two-dimensional images.

Ground

Secondary information in a two-dimensional image, the background.

Positive Shapes

Shapes perceived as dominant in figure-ground relationship.

Negative Shapes

Shapes perceived as background in figure-ground relationship.

Model

Manipulating materials to create form in sculpture or simulate light and shadow in drawing.

Values

Relative lightness or darkness of a hue or neutral varying from white to black.

Chiaroscuro

Technique using values to depict light and shadow in representational art.

Hatching

Parallel lines suggesting values in art, a linear technique for modeling forms.

Cross Hatching

Technique of superimposing layers of hatching at angles to create darker values.

Stippling

Pattern of dots creating a sense of three-dimensionality in drawing and printmaking.

Refracted

Bending of light rays, such as when passing through a prism.

Color Wheel

Circular arrangement of hues illustrating color theory.

Primary Colors

Hues that cannot be created by mixing other hues, like red, yellow, and blue.

Secondary Colors

Hues created by combining two primary colors, such as orange, green, and violet.

Intermediate Colors

Colors made by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color.

Tertiary Colors

See Intermediate colors.

Warm Colors

Colors along the orange curve of the color wheel, from red through yellow.

Cool Colors

Colors along the blue curve of the color wheel, from green through violet.

Palette

Surface for mixing paints or the range of colors used by an artist.

Hue

"Family name" of a color, independent of its value or saturation.

Shade

Color darker than a hue's normal value.

Intensity

Relative purity or brightness of a color, also called chroma or saturation.

Chroma

See Intensity.

Saturation

See Intensity.

Monochromatic

Descriptive of work dominated by one color with variations in value and intensity.