Unit 4: Elements and Principles of Art

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering lines, color properties, light and shadow, principles of art, principles of design, and the Rule of Thirds from Unit 4.

Line

An intended mark made by the artist to convey meaning beyond its physical description, also defined as a path made by a moving point, a series of dots, or 'a dot that went for a walk' according to Paul Klee.

Straight Lines

Lines that are geometric and impersonal, differing in direction and indicating specific types of emotion.

Horizontal Lines

Lines that move from left to right or vice versa and appear to be laying down.

Vertical Lines

Lines that start from bottom to top or vice versa and appear to be standing.

Diagonal Lines

Slanting lines that suggest action, movement, and moving forward positively, but convey uncertainty, stress, and defeat negatively.

Zigzag Lines

Angular lines resulting from abrupt changes in the direction of a straight line; their unpleasant and harsh character portrays tension, conflict, chaos, or violence.

Curved Lines

Curvilinear lines that suggest grace, movement, and flexibility indicative of life and energy.

Wavy Line

A continuously curved line moving in opposite directions that demonstrates fluidity through gradual changes in direction.

Color

A visual art element composed of a series of wavelengths that strike the retina of the eyes when light is present.

Visible Spectrum

The complete band of visible colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) revealed when white light passes through a glass prism, discovered by Sir Isaac Newton.

Hue

The specific name given to a color, such as red, green, violet, or blue.

Primary Hues

Red, yellow, and blue pigments that cannot be produced by combining any other hues.

Secondary Hues

Hues produced by mixing two primary hues in equal amounts, specifically orange, green, and violet.

Intermediate Hues

Hues produced by mixing equal amounts of a primary and a secondary hue, such as red-orange, blue-green, and blue-violet.

Tertiary Hues

Hues produced by combining any two secondary hues in equal mixture.

Value (Color)

The lightness or darkness of a color, altered by the addition of neutral black or white.

Shade

A darker value produced when black is combined with a hue.

Tint

A lighter value produced when white is added to a hue.

Tone

A variation of a color created by adding gray to a base color.

Intensity

The brightness or dullness of a color that gives it strength and vividness.

Color Harmony

A method of establishing quality and visual order in a color composition.

Monochromatic Harmony

A color scheme using a single color varied in intensity and value by adding white or black.

Complementary Harmony

A color scheme produced when two colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel are placed side by side.

Analogous Harmony

A color scheme that uses hues that are adjacent or beside each other on the color wheel.

Color Temperature

The relative warmth or coolness of a color, where warm colors have yellow as dominant and cool colors have blue as dominant.

Achromatic Value

The variation in the amount of reflected light ranging from black to gray to white and vice versa, providing the illusion of depth and form.

Chiaroscuro

The artistic technique of manipulating light and shadow in painting, perfected by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Caravaggio.

Tenebrism

An exaggerated, extreme use of deep shadows in painting, also referred to as 'dark manner.'

Form

How specific elements in an artwork are organized to produce a unified whole, divided into primary and secondary features.

Primary Features

The physical attributes and appearance of an artwork to viewers, including medium, color, texture, and size.

Secondary Features

How the primary visual features relate to one another through balance, proportion, unity, and harmony.

Content

The message the artist intends to convey through their art, analyzed across factual, conventional, and subjective levels.

Factual Content

The literal interpretation of an artwork, including its identifiable images, attributes, actions, and poses.

Conventional Content

The level of content recognizing basic genres and figurative meanings conveyed through familiar signs, symbols, and quality of work.

Subjective Content

The level of content that considers the individual impact and emotional effect of form and content on viewers.

Context

The circumstances that influence how a work of art was created and how it is interpreted.

Primary Context

The personal background of the artist, including their personality, beliefs, interests, and values.

Secondary Context

The external environment of the artwork, including historical period, time, functions, religious/philosophical convictions, socio-political/economic factors, climate, and geography.

Balance

The distribution of visual weight across objects, color, texture, and space to establish stability.

Symmetrical Balance

A type of balance where elements on one side of the design are similar to those on the opposite side.

Asymmetrical Balance

A type of balance where the opposing sides of a composition are different yet remain visually balanced.

Radial Balance

A type of balance achieved when design elements are arranged around and radiate from a central point.

Emphasis

The focal area of a design that catches the viewer's attention by contrasting one area against others.

Movement

The visual path the viewer's eye follows through an artwork, implied along lines, edges, shapes, and colors.

Pattern

The repetition of objects, shapes, lines, or symbols across a picture plane or space.

Proportion

The sense of visual unity created when all parts and sizes within an artwork relate well with each other.

Repetition

The recurring use of design elements working with patterns to make an artwork appear active and unified.

Rhythm

The repetitive use of design elements to produce an organized, continuous, and flowing visual movement.

Variety

The combination of several distinct design elements to create visual interest, retain attention, and guide the eye.

Unity

The feeling of harmony between and among all parts of an artwork, producing a sense of completeness.

Rule of Thirds

A compositional rule where a picture plane is divided into nine equal segments by two vertical and two horizontal lines, placing focal elements at the four intersecting points.