Art vocab

Line

A line is a one-dimensional figure, which has length but no width. A line is made of a set of points which is extended in opposite directions infinitely. It is determined by two points in a two-dimensional plane.

Contour line

In art, a contour line is a line used to define the outline and edges of a subject, including major internal forms and planes, rather than just its silhouette.

Implied line

an "invisible" line created by the viewer's mind, connecting a series of dots, figures, or edges to form a path of motion or direction. Rather than being physically drawn, implied lines are formed by elements like sightlines, the arrangement of objects in a row, or areas of high contrast between light and dark values.

Line weight

Line weight refers to the thickness or thinness of a line, which can be used to create a variety of visual effects. It's a key element in drawing and design, influencing how viewers perceive depth, form, and even the mood of an artwork. Varying line weight can make elements stand out, create a sense of space, and guide the viewer's eye

Value

Value refers to the degree of lightness or darkness of a color or tone, ranging from white to black, with shades of gray in between. It's a fundamental element of art that creates the illusion of light, depth, texture, and form in a 2D or 3D piece. Artists manipulate values through techniques like shading to define form, create contrast and emphasis, and establish the overall mood and composition of a work.

Gray scale

Refers to only shades of gray, ranging from pure white to pure black, to create an image without any color. A typical gray scale in drawing would be 1-6 where 1 is pure white and 6 is as dark as one can go with chosen medium.

Shading

shading is the use of light and shadow to create the illusion of form, depth, and three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional artwork. It involves applying varying degrees of tonal value through techniques like hatching, cross-hatching, or blending, where darker values are used for shadows and lighter values for areas hit by light, making a subject appear volumetric and realistic.

Color

color is a key element created by the wavelengths of light reflected off an object, perceived by the eye and brain. It's defined by its hue (pure color),value (lightness/darkness), and intensity (brightness/dullness).

Hue

hue refers to a color's pure form, such as red, blue, or yellow, as seen on the color wheel. It is one of the three key elements of color, alongside value (lightness or darkness) and saturation (intensity or purity). A hue is a color's fundamental family name, distinct from its tints (hue + white), tones (hue + gray), or shades (hue + black).

Intensity

intensity (also called saturation or chroma) refers to the brightness or dullness of a color, its purity, or how vivid it is. A color is at its full, highest intensity when it is a pure hue, such as when it comes directly from a paint tube or colored pencil.

Tint

Any variation of a color created by adding white to its pure form.

Tone

Any variation of a color created by adding black to its pure form.

Contrast

Contrast is a principle that describes the juxtaposition of opposing elements, such as light and dark, rough and smooth textures, or bold and subtle colors, to create visual interest and direct the viewer's eye.

Composition

Composition is the intentional arrangement of visual elements, such as line, shape, color, and texture, within a work to create a unified, harmonious, and aesthetically pleasing whole that effectively communicates the artist's intent. It's the structure of an artwork that guides the viewer's eye, creates visual interest, and conveys meaning, like how a musician arranges notes in a piece of music.

Balance

Balance is a principle of design that refers to the distribution of the visual weight of elements within a composition to create a sense of stability and equilibrium. It involves arranging colors, shapes, textures, and other components so that one part of the artwork doesn't seem "heavier" or more dominant than another, resulting in a harmonious and comfortable visual experience for the viewer. There are two primary types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical.

Asymmetrical Balance

a composition where the two sides of an artwork are not mirror images of each other but still appear visually balanced. This is achieved by distributing the "visual weight" of elements on either side, creating a sense of equilibrium even without symmetry.

Symmetrical Balance

A formal design principle where elements are arranged so that both sides of a composition are mirror images of each other, divided by a central axis, creating a strong sense of stability, and order.

Closure

Closure refers to the mind's tendency to perceive incomplete shapes or lines as complete wholes. This Gestalt principle suggests that our brains automatically fill in missing information to create recognizable and coherent forms

Continuity

The principle of creating a sense of continuous connection and uninterrupted flow between visual elements, guiding the viewer's eye and creating a cohesive whole. This is often achieved using continued edges, lines, shapes, and patterns.

Volume (volumetric)

refers to the three-dimensional space an object occupies, or the illusion of three-dimensionality created on a two-dimensional surface. It's the quality that gives an object its sense of bulk, mass, and depth. Volume can be achieved through various techniques like shading, perspective.

Linear Perspective, one-point, two-point, three-point

an artistic technique that creates the illusion of depth and three-dimensionality on a flat, two-dimensional surface like a painting or drawing. It uses a mathematical system involving a horizon line (eye level) and vanishing points where parallel lines appear to converge and objects get smaller as they recede into the distance

Vanishing point

Typically refers to the single point where all lines in a perspective drawing converge. Vanishing points are relative to eye level and orientation of objects depicted.

Eye level

the imaginary horizontal line representing the height of the viewer's eyes, and it's a crucial element in establishing a sense of depth and realism in a drawing or painting

Horizon line

the imaginary line at the viewer's eye level where the earth meets the sky, serving as the fundamental element in creating a realistic sense of depth and scale through linear perspective.

Ellipse

An ellipse is a foreshortened circle, or an oval shape that represents a circular object viewed from an angle. It is a 3D-to-2D translation that artists use to create the illusion of depth and volume, especially when drawing circular forms like cylinders. An ellipse has a long axis (the major axis) and a shorter axis (the minor axis), which determines how much the circle is foreshortened.

Axis

A central line, either physical or implied, that organizes a composition by serving as a reference for balance, symmetry, and the direction of movement within the artwork. It can also refer to vertical and horizontal halfway points in ellipses.

Positive space

The areas of a composition that are occupied by the main subjects, objects, or forms that draw the viewer's attention. It is the "stuff" of the artwork, such as the figure in a portrait, the objects in a still life, or the trees in a landscape.

Negative space

Refers to the empty or unoccupied area surrounding and between the main subject(s) of an artwork

Tension

Visual tension is a feeling of unresolved energy, unease, or anticipation created by the dynamic interplay of opposing formal elements within a composition. It is intentionally crafted using elements like asymmetrical balance, high contrast, extreme or unusual proportions, diagonal lines, and unsettling colors to draw the viewer's eye, create visual interest, and evoke specific emotions, rather than a sense of calm and stability

Mark

refers to mark making, which is the process of applying any tool or medium to a surface to create a visible trail, such as a line, dot, pattern, or texture

Process mark

the residual effects of erasing or correction of a drawing, often adding character and expressiveness to a composition. (teachers love it!)

Expression

emphasizes the subjective experience and emotional response of the artist over objective reality. When someone refers to something as expressive, they often mean the style in which materials are utilized to depict something conveys a mood or feeling which then impacts how we view the subject of the piece.

Meaning

Refers to the message an artwork is trying to convey.

Movement

a principle of design where elements are arranged to create a visual path for the viewer's eye.

Repetition

repeated or similar elements within a composition used to generate movement and continuity.

Rhythm

the principle of design that describes how elements repeat to create a sense of movement and flow, similar to a visual beat or tempo. Artists use repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or other elements, including the intervals between them, to guide the viewer's eye through the artwork, creating visual interest and unity.

Content

refers to the overall message, meaning, and emotional or intellectual import of a work, which is conveyed through its subject matter, symbolism, and cultural context, rather than its physical form.

Proportion

Refers to the relationship between the sizes of different parts within a composition, or the relationship between the parts of an object and the entire work. If accurate, it creates a sense of realism, balance, and aesthetic appeal, but artists can also intentionally alter proportions to achieve a stylized, abstract, or symbolic effect, as seen in cartoons, caricatures.

Scale

refers to the size of an object or artwork in relation to other objects, its surroundings, and often the human body.

Hatching

a drawing technique that uses closely spaced parallel lines to create tonal or shading effects, implying form, light, and shadow. The density, spacing, and thickness of these lines control the perceived darkness of an area, with closer, thicker lines creating darker values and more space between lines resulting in lighter values. When these parallel lines are then intersected by another set of lines, the technique is called cross hatching.

Shading

the use of light and shadow to create the illusion of form, depth, and three-dimensionality in a two-dimensional artwork. It involves applying varying degrees of tonal value through techniques like hatching, cross-hatching, or blending, where darker values are used for shadows and lighter values for areas hit by light, making a subject appear volumetric and realistic.