Art Fundamentals and Principles of Design

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering art elements, design principles, drawing techniques, and landscape composition.

Elements of art

The building blocks of art.

Line

A moving point element in art.

Shape

An area enclosed by an outline or edge that is two-dimensional ($2\text{D}$).

Form

An art element that is three-dimensional ($3\text{D}$).

Organic and geometric

The two fundamental types of shape.

Shading

A technique that creates value without lines, making an object look three-dimensional ($3\text{D}$) through layering or pressing harder to create darker tones.

Texture

An element of art that makes something look like it feels, perceived through vision and touch, and categorized as implied, actual, or real.

Visual texture

The type of texture that provides the illusion of a three-dimensional ($3\text{D}$) surface.

Matt

A surface characteristic that reflects a soft, dull light.

Balance

A principle of design (not an element) that makes an image feel stable.

Focal point

The center of interest created by emphasizing elements in an artwork.

Principles of design

The guidelines that tell artists how to organize and arrange elements of art.

Unity

A principle of design where everything in the artwork feels connected.

Repetition

The repeated use of lines, shapes, and other elements to create pattern.

Negative shape

The area on the paper surrounding the design or main subject.

Positive shape

The area that constitutes the actual design or subject itself.

Composition

The arrangement of visual elements within a work of art.

Abstract or non-representational

Art that does not represent anything from the visible world.

Geometric forms

Three-dimensional ($3\text{D}$) forms such as the sphere, cube, and cone.

Cortush

A title enclosed with a border around it.

Claude Monet

The artist known for Impression, Sunrise.

Landscape parts

The three standard divisions of a landscape: foreground, middle group, and background.

Blue shade mixture

The colors orange and black, which can be added to blue to create a shade.