Art Appreciation Fine Art Terms

medium

material of the art object or technical process used to create a work of art, such as painting, drawing, or sculpture.

mixed media

artwork that combines different mediums, usually with no dominant medium

two dimensional art

drawing, painting, graphic arts, photography

three dimensional art

sculpture, architecture, ornamental practical arts

ephemeral art

less traditional and non-permanent art, using space or time in a non-traditional way; performance art, installation art, etc

site specific

art created to exist in a particular location - designed to interact with or be influenced by its surroundings & environment

painting

an artwork created using the medium of paint; including wall paintings fresco, easel painting

fresco

a type of painting that employs water-based pigment paint on top of freshly applied, wet plaster

still life

artwork that depicts an arrangement of inanimate objects

genre painting

scenes from daily life, treated realistically

drawing

the act of representing an image on a surface by means of adding lines and shades, as with a pencil, crayon, chalk, pens, etc to make sketches, studies, cartoons, or more complete works

graphic art

printmaking; woodcut, engraving, etching, dry point, lithography; graphic design

graphic design

 art of combining text and images to communicate messages visually - often used in advertising, branding, and digital media.

printmaking

the process of creating artworks by transferring ink from a prepared surface onto paper or other materials.

woodcut

a printmaking technique where an image is carved into a woodblock - with the raised areas holding ink and producing the print

engraving

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

etching

a printmaking process that uses acid to bite into a metal plate where the artist has drawn, creating lines that hold ink for printing.

dry point

a printmaking technique where the artist scratches the design directly onto a metal plate with a sharp tool, creating a burr that holds ink.

lithography

a printmaking method that involves drawing on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy substance - then using chemical processes to create prints from the drawn areas

photogravure

a printmaking process that combines photography and etching - where a photographic image is transferred onto a metal plate and then etched for printing

polymer plates

used in modern printmaking - flexible plates coated with light-sensitive polymer material, allowing for detailed & durable prints

typography

the art and technique of arranging type (fonts) to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing

commercial art

refers to art that is made for the purposes of commerce

low art

art forms considered to be more accessible or popular, often associated with mass culture, such as cartoons, crafts, or graffiti

high art

art forms regarded as culturally sophisticated and often associated with classical traditions - such as fine art painting, sculpture, printmaking, fine books, etc

photography

traditional and digital images from a camera, scanner or Photoshop

digital photography

capturing images using digital cameras, where the image is recorded as digital data rather than on film

videotape

digital moving images

video

 a medium that records and plays back moving images and sound, often used in contemporary art to create narrative or experimental works.

cinema

moving images using traditional film

film

a medium that captures and projects moving images, typically used in cinema and fine art to create unique works

sculpture

three-dimensional objects; carved, modeled or assembled; freestanding or in relief; high relief, low relief

reductive sculpture

sculpture created by removing material from a larger mass - such as carving stone or wood, to reveal the final form

additive sculpture

sculpture created by adding material to build up a form - such as clay modeling or assembling various elements

assembled sculpture

type of sculpture made by combining different materials or objects

relief sculpture

a shallow, sculptural form whose image has shallow depth,  frequently used in architecture

bas-relief

a shallow, sculptural form whose image has shallow depth,  frequently used in architecture

edge qualities

the characteristics of the boundaries between objects, how the medium of an artwork describes the border of an object or area

hard edge

a style in painting or design characterized by clean, sharp boundaries between colors or shapes, with no blending or soft transitions

blurred edge

a visual effect where the boundaries between colors, shapes, or objects are softened or indistinct - creating a sense of movement or atmosphere

distinct edge

clear and sharp boundary between forms, colors, or areas in a composition - making each element stand out crisply

volumetric

creating the illusion of three-dimensions with use of the modeling and chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro

frequently used, and it relates to the use of light and dark to create the illusion of a volumetric object on a two-dimensional surface. Chiaroscuro in translation to English means light and dark.

perspective

a system for reproducing three-dimensional space on a flat surface there are several different techniques or systems; atmospheric perspective, one point and multiple point perspective, intuitive perspective, oblique perspective, reverse perspective

atmospheric perspective

technique in painting that creates the illusion of depth by using less detail in the background - mimicking the effect of the atmosphere on distant objects

one-point perspective

drawing method where parallel lines converge at a single vanishing point on the horizon - creating the illusion of depth

multiple point perspective

 technique where several vanishing points are used on the same composition to depict objects from different angles - creating a dynamic sense of space

intuitive perspectives

 technique where depth is suggested based on the artist's instinct or observation rather than strict mathematical rules - often seen in early Renaissance art

oblique perspective

technique where an object is positioned with one corner facing the viewer, and the lines (orthogonal) recede toward two vanishing points on either side of the corner.  The object's edges remain parallel to the picture plane and do not diminish vertically - creating a sense of depth with a unique, stylized perspective

reverse perspective

technique where the perspective lines diverge instead of converging - making objects appear to expand as they recede - often used in Byzantine and medieval art

gold leaf

gold metal that has been hammered to be extremely thin and capable of being attached to many surfaces such as paper, gessoed wood, and smooth metal

realistic

actual visible reality, can have the look of optical information

realism

surface reality, recording what is seen, even if it is imagined or supernatural

surreal

art that explores the unconscious mind, often combining dreamlike, fantastical, or bizarre imagery to challenge reality

naturalistic

physical appearance is the primary inspiration but it is not as literal as realistic work

pointillism

a painting technique where small distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image, relying on the viewer's eye to blend the colors

idealism

represents things as they ought to be according to a philosophy

romantic

in the tradition of fictitious tales, showing an idealized view of the extraordinary or extravagant

romanticism

a broad movement or attitude developed in the late 18th century with an emphasis on emotion, and its concentration on the imaginative powers of the artist

history painting

painting that includes figures in any kind of historical, mythological or biblical narrative generally conveying a high moral or intellectual idea and often adopting a grand pictorial style

abstract

schematic, deriving ideas from reality but not using realistic forms, simplification of detail, translation into pure shapes, colors or patterns, not observable aspects of nature

expressionism

expression of subjective feelings, and appeal to the subjective response of the beholders

abstract expressionist

an art movement focused on spontaneous, abstract forms, and expressive emotional content - often through dynamic brushwork and non-representational imagery

german expressionist

early 20th-century art movement characterized by bold, distorted forms, intense colors, and emotional - dark themes of the time.

neo-expressionist

late 20th-century art movement that revived expressive figurative painting with raw, gestural brushwork, and vibrant - intense and unsettling visuals

conventional

conforming to accepted models or traditions, not natural, original or spontaneous

avant-garde

term used to describe artwork that changes thinking and challenges conventional ways of seeing

cutting edge

term used to describe artwork that changes thinking and challenges conventional ways of seeing

art for art’s sake

philosophy advocating that art should be appreciated for its beauty and creativity alone - without needing to serve a moral, political, or practical purpose

style

characteristics that identify work or make it distinctive, kind of work , consistent use of form and composition, one's style

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

figuration

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

signature style

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

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

image

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

representational

forms in subject matter are recognizable

non-representational

subject matter is not recognizable

linear

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

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 does not always define edges, color and tone rather than line create the forms

atmospheric

this refers to 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

content

subject matter, the ideas included in a work

iconography

the study of icons, images, representations etc

icon

traditional meaning, panel painting that depicts a miraculous image or picture of a saint; contemporary meaning, can be a realistic or abstract symbol used in an artist’s work

form

the volume and shape of a three-dimensional work, perhaps including unfilled areas that are integral to the work as a whole

content

subject matter, the ideas included in a work

style

characteristics that identify work or make it distinctive, kind of work , consistent use of form and composition, one's style

formal elements

purely visual aspects, such as line, shapes, color, texture, spatial qualities and composition

line

a mark that defines shape that is more or less continuous.  A mark that follows an edge or a contour

edge

the characteristics of the boundaries between objects, how the medium of an artwork describes the border of an object or area

drafting

the act of representing an image on a surface by means of adding lines and shades, as with a pencil, crayon, pen, chalk, pastels, etc.  to make sketches, studies, cartoons or more complete works

shading

used to build atmosphere or volume

crosshatched

Crosshatched lines can also be used to create atmosphere or volume

contour line

an outline that depicts the edge of a figure or volume

implied line

the suggested lining up of juxtaposed objects

shape

the external appearance of an object as opposed to its structure; an area which stands out from the space next to it or around it because of a defined boundary of a difference of value, color, or texture