art appreciation -- unit four

style

characteristics in an art work’s form and content that identifies a particular artist’s or group of artist’s work

• used to define a kind of work

artist’s style

the consistent use of form and content

signature style

distinctive, recognizable style or technique that an artist consistently uses – making their work easily identifiable

figurative

 represents real - world objects; particularly human or animal forms, often in a recognizable manner 

narrative

tells a story or depicts a sequence of events – often through visual imagery or symbolism 

artist's develop and refine their thinking and their response to the ____ they use to make art

medium

expressionism

style of artwork that demonstrates, through quick and forceful gestures of the artist as they paint, the expressive power of their visual statement

abstract expressionism

non - figurative, non - representational, and is completely abstract

image

can be a representation of a person, a thing, or an idea in an artwork

representational

using forms that are recognizable 

• e.g., a tree in a painting = representational

  • can be realistic or abstracted, but you still see a tree 

figuration

the use of representational forms in art, especially the depiction of the human figure

non - representational

has forms that are not recognizable as objects in the real world 

silkscreen

printmaking technique where ink is pressed through a mesh screen onto a surface, often used for mass production of images 

graphic images

images often with strong contrasts, bold lines, or simplified forms – commonly found in illustrations. posters, and digital art 

linear

lines are the primary means of definition, work that is not painterly 

engraving

a printmaking technique where designs are incised into a hard surface, like metal, which is then inked and pressed onto paper 

calligraphy

handwriting that is stylized, mark making that mimic handwriting 

mark

a visible trace or impression on a surface, as a line, dot, scratch, dent, etc. 

painterly

work that uses paint to chart space and subject matter; paint foes not always define edges, color, and tone rather than line create the forms 

atmospheric

the use of color, light, and shading to create a sense of depth, mood, or environment in a composition

brush strokes

visible marks left by a brush on a painting’s surface – contributing to the texture, direction, and expressive quality of the artwork