Contour and Topographic Maps Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering contour drawing styles, cartography history, and topographic mapping concepts.

Contour Line

A single clean, incisive line that defines edges through a slow, intense inspection of parts.

Outlining

A drawing technique that only states the outside edge of an object, defining the difference between positive and negative space.

Blind Contour

A drawing method where the artist does not look at the paper while drawing, focusing strictly on the subject to test hand-eye coordination.

Continuous Contour

A line study where the drawing utensil stays in unbroken, uninterrupted contact with the paper from beginning to end.

Modified Contour

A contour drawing approach where the artist looks mostly at the object, but can lift the pencil, erase, make edits, and vary line qualities freely.

Cartography

The art and science of mapmaking.

Dutch Golden Age

A 17th-century period of exploration, navigation, and colonization that drove a peak in cartographic knowledge.

Cartes-à-figures

Paneled borders featured on two, three, or four sides of a map used to illustrate allegorical or anthropomorphic representations.

Cartouche

Embellished decorations that frame important information on a map, such as titles, cartographers' names, and geographical knowledge.

Topographic Map

A detailed record of a land area giving geographic positions and elevations for natural and man-made features using brown contour lines.