Art Exam Review Practice Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards derived from the Art Exam Review transcript, covering the elements and principles of design, and the units on pottery, glass, papermaking, textiles, and woodworking.

Line

The path of a moving point through space.

Shape

Flat, two-dimensional areas created when lines are connected, categorized as either geometric or organic.

Form

Naturally three-dimensional elements referred to as volume or mass.

Space

The distance between or around shapes and or masses.

Positive space

The centre of interest in an artwork.

Negative space

The area around or behind the main focus.

Texture

The surface quality of an artwork, which can be visual (simulated) or tactile (actual).

Colour

Results from a hue depending on the reflection or absorption of light by a given surface.

Value

The degree of light and dark existing in colour and in black and white (shading).

Movement/rhythm

Combining elements to produce the appearance of movement, often achieved through repetition or patterns.

Variety/contrast

The arrangement of forms to avoid plain designs and provide interest to a design.

Unity

The sense of wholeness resulting from the successful combination of elements where it feels as if nothing is missing.

Centre of interest

The main focus of the artwork, typically being large and centred.

Proportion

The size relationship of one object to another, or one part to the whole.

Emphasis

The act of focusing extra attention on a specific element to attract the viewer's attention.

Harmony

When all elements appear to fit well together because they have something in common.

Plasticity

The property of clay which allows it to be worked and reshaped without cracking.

Grog

Crushed or grounded hand-fired clay used to reduce shrinkage and add texture.

Leather hard

The condition of clay where it is too firm to bend yet soft enough to be carved.

Wedging

Kneading clay with fingers in a rocking spiral motion to force out trapped air pockets.

Score

To roughen up the edges of clay that are going to be joined using a sharp surface.

Slip

A pasty clay mixture used to coat scored edges to prevent them from coming apart during drying.

Pug-mill

A machine used for mixing clay.

Turning or tooling

Trimming the walls and foot of a pot on the wheel while the clay is leather hard.

Kiln

A furnace for firing ceramic products.

Dipping

Glazing pottery by immersing it in a large pan or vat of glaze.

Dry foot

The process of cleaning the bottom of a glazed piece before firing.

Glaze

A liquid suspension of finely ground materials applied by brushing, pouring, or spraying on bisque-fired ceramic surface.

Sgraffito

Scratching designs through coloured slip.

Armature

Something that supports clay while it is being formed, such as newspaper.

Cone

A mixture of clay and glaze placed inside a kiln.

Potters wheel

A machine which spins clay as a potter works to make a pot, allowing functional pottery to be produced quickly.

Amphoras

Greek big storage jars used for wine or grain.

Kylix

A shallow Greek drinking cup with two handles passed to guests reclining on couches.

Hydria

A Greek water carrier with shoulder handles and a third vertical handle for pouring.

Krater

A wide Greek mixing bowl used to stir and combine water and wine.

Oinochoe

A Greek wine jug used specifically for pouring.

Porcelain

A hard non-absorbent clay, white or gray in colour, used for fine delicate work.

Stoneware

A high fire clay, usually grey in colour but sometimes tan or reddish.

Earthenware

A low fire clay, red or tan in colour, used by native primitive cultures for functional pottery.

Roman culture (Glass)

The first culture to use glass pieces inside the openings of stonework to create windows.

Islamic culture (Glass)

Advanced ancient techniques by creating intricate, geometric window designs in architecture.

Mosaic construction

The technique of arranging and fitting small, colourful pieces of glass or stone together to form a larger picture.

Motif

A recurring visual element, pattern, or theme featured in an artistic design.

Patina

A chemical solution brushed onto solder lines at the end of a project to alter their colour.

Soldering iron

A heated hand tool used to melt metal solder over copper foil to fuse glass pieces together.

Stained glass

An accepted misnomer used to describe all coloured and painted glass used in a decorative way.

Louis comfort Tiffany

Invented the copper foil technique for joining glass with lead channels.

Flux

Soda ash in the glass-making recipe that facilitates and eases the melting process of sand.

Oracle bones

Bones featuring inscriptions that recorded questions asked of the Gods or divine ancestors.

Liber

The inner bark of a tree used by Romans; the origin of the word library.

Parchment

High quality, durable, valuable writing material used from classical Greek to medieval times for records.

Vellum

Writing material made from calfskin, goatskin, or lambskin that is scrapped, rubbed with lime, stretched, and sanded.

Papyrus

A fibrous swamp plant found in Africa growing from $10'$ to $25'$, providing thin coats of fibre for paper.

Leather artisan

A crafts person who works with animal hides to produce useful and long-lasting products.

Furniture maker

A craftsman who physically builds, constructs, and finishes pieces of furniture using wood or metal.

Furniture designer

A person who creates variations and original designs, seeing furniture as a form of art and creating the blueprint.

Wood turner

A craftsperson who produces sculptures, unusual wood containers, and beautiful bowls and vessels.

Woodburner

Practitioners who burn images into wood for signs or artistic creations.

Furniture restorer

A professional involved in refinishing and reconstructing portions of damaged older furniture.