VSST 101 - Design I Vocabulary 1

Point

An element in space having a definite position and technically no dimension. In art and design, we have the dot, bad, or blob. Like the breadth of a line, the size of a ___ is not usually its most important attribute

Dot

The smallest two-dimensional element

Stippling

A method for producing areas of value by clustering small dots or points

Line

The path a point makes as it moves across a surface. In mathematics, a ___ joins two or more points. It has length and direction, but no width. In art, ___ have breadth, but this is not their most important parameter. In graphic design, ___ art means black or another single color, with no other values or colors

Line Quality

A characteristic of line determined by its weight, direction, uniformity, or other features

Hatching

Drawing several thin (usually parallel) lines close together to create an area of value

Cross-Hatching

Superimposing hatched lines at right angles to the initial hatched lines, to build up value and to suggest form and volume

Contour Line

A periphery line used to follow the edges of forms; a line that bounds or delimits a form or an area

Cross-Contour

A line that crosses and defines the surface undulations between, or up to, the outermost edges of shapes or objects

Outline

A real or imaginary line that describes a shape and its edges or boundaries. A line that defines the outer most limits of an object, form or shape. The ___ makes the shape or form inherently graphic

Explicit Line

A line or edge within which forms are clearly delineated: it may not always be a black line, but it has clear and distinct edges that stand out from the background

Psychic Line/ Implied Force

The mental connection between two points or elements. An invisible line joining, for example a person’s eyes to the object they are looking at, or the line that extends into space from the tip of a pointing arrow directing the viewer’s eye to follow it

Implied Line

An imaginary line created by arranging points or short lines in such a manner that our brains join them, for example, a dotted or dashed line. With lines that appear to stop, start, and disappear, the missing portions are implied to continue and are completed in the mind of the viewer

Gesture (as line)

A free line within and around a form showing the dynamics of a scene or pose, the action of drawing, and the movement of the eye rather than a tight arrangement of shapes

Lost and Found Edges

Where edges are sometimes hard and sharp against a background, and sometimes are soft and blurred, receding into the background. Now you see them, now you don’tW

Weighted Line of Thick and Thin Line

Thick and thin line is the use of varying widths and values of line by way of the pressure applied when creating a line with a drawing implement. A softer lead used with a drawing implement will yield a darker and wider line, while a harder lead will result in a narrower, lighter line. Hard lead pencils (H) give a crisp line, while soft lead pencil (B) produces a softer line

Bridge Passage

Where two adjacent parallel planes are graduated in opposite directions, from dark to light and light to dark, there will be an area where differences of values dissolve

Wireframe

A mesh of points and planes in space, as found in computer graphics, which can accurately describe solid forms. Produced using a 3D modeling program or by laser-scanning a 3D object or body

Focal Point/ Center of Interest

The area of a visual image that first attracts and usually sustains the viewers attention

Radial Balance

A composition in which all visual elements are balanced around a certain point

Figure/Ground Relationship

The relationship of an object to its surroundings in terms of perspective, form and atmosphere. A strong figure ground relationship occurs when the proportions of black to white may not be the same, but both spaces or patterns of shapes are strongly activated

Repetition

The repeating of a form or motif within a composition to create harmony, connect differeing visual languages and the establishment of a visual syntax

Thumbnail Sketch

A rough sketch of very small proportions used to map out a larger scale and more complex composition

Preliminary Sketch

A drawing or other composition that is not intended as a finished work, but an exploration into formal and conceptual ideas for a finished, more advanced image

Gesture (drawing)

Gesture drawing explores the form and movement of an object in space, as your eye follows its shape. A gesture drawing is the initial stage of a drawing. It is the recorded information of the subject matter being depicted that captures the movement, speed and general position. A gesture is a non-committal stage of drawing. It can be drawn lightly and can be reworked numerous times