OAE 006 Arts Media, Tools, Techniques, and Processes

Light

the sensation or representation of light or a source of it

illumination or the awareness of it within a work

Texture

the feel or surface quality of an object

may be simulated or actual

Shape

An enclosed space defined by other art elements such as line, color and texture

Can be a three-dimensional quality represented using two-dimensional rendering techniques for length and width

Line

A mark that has length and direction

Often used to define a space or silhouette, create an outline, contour, pattern, or movement

Space

the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things

can be flat, shallow, deep, open, closed, positive, negative, actual, ambiguous, illusory

Hue

Any specific color

Shade

a color plus black

Tone

a color made by adding grey to a hue

Value

The lightness or darkness of a color

Achromatic

Black, white and grays; artwork executed without color

Black

the complete absence of light

Chroma

The intensity, strength or purity of a color

Complementary Colors

Colors located directly opposite one another on the color wheel

Secondary Colors

orange, green, violet

each is midway between the primaries from which it is mixed

Spectrum

Colors the are the result of a beam of white light that is broken by a prism

Tint

created when white is added to a color

Bisque

The first firing of clay in a kiln

Water can no longer be added

Ceramics

Shaping, finishing, firing of clay

Coil Method

method of pottery building using long snake like pieces of clay coiled on top of one another scoring and using slip in-between

Earthenware

A type of "low fire" clay needing to be glazed; porous and non-water-proof

Firing

The process of cooking a clay object at an extremely high temperature to fuse its particles

Greenware

hardened but unfired clay; can be made wet and turned back into a useable material

Kiln

the oven used to fire ceramics

can be electric gas, rod, coal, fuel oil, or propane

Pinch Pots

a process whereby an artist forms a pot by pinching the clay to create a center opening

Slab Built

Clay slabs are cut to shape and joined together using scoring and wet clay called slip

Slabs can be draped over or into forms, rolled around cylinders or built up into geometric forms.

Stoneware

Sturdier then earthenware, stoneware is waterproof even without being glazed

Terra Cotta

baked earth

hard, brownish-red earthenware

Wheel Thrown

the process of spinning clay on a potter's wheel

Portrait

A work of art created to show a person, animal, or group of people

Portraiture

the art of creating portraits

Self-Portrait

a portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist

Landscape

a work of art that depicts natural scenery

Still Life

a picture depicting an arrangement of inanimate objects

Advancing Colors

Warm, strong colors such as red and yellow that appear to come toward the front of the picture plane.

Receding Colors

Colors that seem to recede into the background, making objects appear smaller and more distant from the camera: green, pale blue, and beige.

Diminishing Detail

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth; Objects in the foreground might be rendered with clear or more distinct details. As objects become more distance, their clarity and detail are purposefully diminished

Overlapping planes

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth; Near figures and objects might be interposed over those intended to be behind or further back

Position in the Picture Plane

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth; Objects intended to be close(foreground) are placed lower while more distant objects are raised toward the top of the picture plane

Aerial Perspective of Color

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth; Alters the appearance of an object by rendering the effect of intervening atmosphere; An object might become paler or less distinct as distance to it increases

Converging Diagonals

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth; Most effective when employed in angular or parallel perspective drawings such as a road or railroad track

Transparency

Technique to indicate Spatial Depth

Occurs when all or part of an object is rendered to allow underlying objects to be seen

Kinetic Art

art that incorporates actual movement as part of the design

Optical Phenomena (kinetic art)

occurs when apparent or actual movement of an object or the observer produces a sensation of change and motion

Transformations (kinetic art)

occurs when rapid movement seems to dematerialize an object or when movement invokes a recognizable change in an object's appearance

Movable Works

encourages the rearrangement or alteration of a painting or sculpture by the observer who essentially becomes interactive with the work

Machines

motorized apparatuses equipped with gears, cranks, camshafts and levers that lift, turn, push and pull

Light-play

Area of Kinetic Art; Dependent upon movement of either the light source or the viewer

Movement Itself

Area of Kinetic Art; With self-effacing mechanics and economy of means

Extrinsic Value

art is an instrument for the recognition of a moral good or purpose

Intrinsic Value

art has value and is fully self-justified for simply being created for the sake of itself

Chestnut

A medium, light brown hard wood with a distinct grain

Durable and provides a good finish although possibly more prone to splitting.

Ebony

an exceptionally hard wood with a distinct fine grain and rich dark brown to black color but not easily obtainable.

Elm

Yellow to reddish brown with a distinct grain, can be difficult to work with

Holly

white wood with a fine grain, smooth and easily workable

Maple

tight grained, reddish brown wood which finishes well

Oak

popular very durable and easy to work wood which finishes well

yellow to dark brown, distinctive grain

Rosewood

value for its even texture and color that varies from reddish brown to purple and black

Walnut

Easily workable, provides a good finish

Expensive, may be difficult to obtain, generally chocolate brown in color with a rich grain.

Alder

reddish wood, soft & easily workable

Beech

light brown wood with an unremarkable grain although easily workable to a good finish

Cedar

Color varies widely from yellow to red and brown, close-grained and easily workable

Pine

workable, cheap and easily obtained

prone to splitting and wormwood

poor choice for carving

color varies from pale yellow to dark orange

strong, distinct grain

Apple

soft & easily workable wood, reddish in color

Lime

AKA basswood, is quite popular, soft and easily workable with few grain markings

Plum

easily workable, pink hardwood with a distinct grain

Carving

Tools: chisel and gouge

Shaping

Tools: rifflers, flutes, rasps

Carpentry

Tools: half rip saws, bow saws, fret saws, mallets

Finishing

protects the wood from discoloration and fingerprinting

wax polishing

polystyrene

Relatively safe non-toxic plastic. Melts under heat, soluble to certain solvents. Proper ventilation important. Highly flammable.

Polyurethane

rigid, closed cell material with variable density. Not susceptible to melting, though it is prone to release toxic fumes when heated.

Binder

the medium into which the paint pigment is suspended

Diluents

thinner or solvents are used to alter the consistency of oils to achieve desired application; turpentine, acetone and refined petroleum such as benzol

Varnishes

resins suspended in solvents. used primarily for glazing and protection specific uses include final protective coating, retouching, over-painting and correction.

Canvas Stretching

pulling the material taut across a wooden frame and then attaching it using glue, stapling

Permanence

the paint should resist deterioration under normal circumstances

Paint Film

once dry, paint should produce a kind of 'film' which is flexible and continuous

Stability

the paint should not affect the adjacent paint

Light Fastness

paint should not change color or fade under normal light

Drying Rate

Paint should dry within about 2 to 20 days -- neither too fast nor too slowly.

Consistency

the paint should be of a consistency so as to leave a characteristic brushstroke

Palette Knives

made from thin, flexible steel... used for mixing or applying paint

Dippers

Small open topped cans made to hold oil & turpentine that typically clip onto the palette.

Mahl Sticks

Wooden (or aluminum) cane with a chamois tip which rests on canvas to steady arm when painting.

Masking

protect areas from over spraying in airbrushing

taping, stenciling,making fluid, cloth

Tempera Paint

this is a water-based paint using egg as the medium this is a transparent medium

best on chipboard, masonite, and hardboard

Watercolor

a painting medium consisting of pigments suspended in a solution of water and gum arabic

Hot Pressed Paper

Paper with a smooth hard surface, great for precise drawing

Cold Pressed Paper

It has an even texture with good "tooth"

rougher

Stretching

prevents lighter weight papers from buckling when color washed

soak the paper in water then tack to a drawing board

Gouche

Opaque watercolor

Pastels

chemically pure pigments gently bound by gum or resin and are much softer than their harder chalk crayon cousins

cannot be mixed to get new colors

Stick Charcoal

Produced from willow or vine, available in variable degrees of thickness and hardness, typically supplied in 6" lengths.

Compressed Charcoal

Manufactured from powdered charcoal and a binder, relatively strong(stronger than stick), supplied in 3" and 4" lengths.

Charcoal Pencils

Similar to a traditional pencil with the 'lead' being compressed charcoal, available in variable degrees of density and thickness. Ideal for fine work and detail.

Powdered Charcoal

Produced by rolled blotting paper in pencil form, very hard and suitable when a variety of tonal effects are desired.

Kneaded Putty Erasers

Used for error correction, can be shaped to a fine point for detail correction but should be considered unsuitable for large corrections

Graphite Pencils

available in hard and soft qualities on a 18 point scale which runs from the softest, 8B to the hardest 8H or 1 to 4 depending on the way the manufacturer labels.

Charcoal and Carbon Pencil

Notable for the high degree of blackness produced in the lines, like graphite pencils, also available in variable degrees of density and grades

Colored Pencil

soft due to their constituent parts which include filler, binder, lubricant, and coloring

non-erasable