Expressive keywords

Composition/arrangement

Arrangement of elements in a 3D work, including viewpoint/camera angle, focal point, pose, perspective, use of negative space, and balance.

Subject matter/imagery

Choice of subject matter, personal symbolism, and the effect of the subject matter, including types of imagery such as drawing, painting, illustration, photography, and fantastical images.

Media handling and/or techniques

Different types of media including dry media (charcoal, pencil, pen, oil pastel, chalk pastel), wet media (oil paint, acrylic, watercolour, ink, pen and ink, gouache, temperapaste), mixed media, and 3D media (plaster, clay, bronze, resin, found objects).

Colour

Categories of colour including primary, secondary, tertiary, and neutral, as well as saturated, tints, tones, shades, warm and cold, complementary, contrasting, and harmonious.

Tone

Illusion of light and shadow, including highlight, midtone, shadow, tonal range and balance, and application of tone such as blended, flat, rough, graduated, chiaroscuro, grisaille, and sfumato.

Line

Outlines, edges, and leading lines that affect definition and composition, including qualities of line such as thick, thin, soft, hard, textural, light, heavy, and broken.

Texture

Surface quality of a work and the illusion of texture, including techniques used to create texture like visible brushstrokes, impasto, sgraffito, scumbling, collage, and tool marks in sculpture.

Pattern

Repeating elements that can be regular or irregular, including geometric, organic, and linear patterns, as well as scale and proportion of pattern.

Shape and/or form

2D shapes and 3D physical forms, including mass, negative space, and the quality of shape/form such as organic, geometric, angular, fragmented, and contrasting elements.

Scale

Dimensions of the work and proportion of elements within the work, including descriptions like large, small, miniature, life-size, and larger than life.

Style

Characteristics of an art movement such as Classical, Realist, Impressionist, and others, including descriptions like painterly, realistic, graphic, expressive, experimental, geometric, and abstract.

Mood and atmosphere

Mood and atmosphere created by application of specific elements, described as joyful, depressing, disturbing, mysterious, tranquil, lively, energetic, and dynamic.

Visual impact

How striking and memorable an artwork is, created by the application of specific elements.