AMC Study Guide: Spring Exam 2025 Notes

Design Unit

Design Unit Vocab

  • Art Elements: Basic visual components used to create art.

    • Shape: A two-dimensional area with a recognizable boundary.

    • Line: A mark with length and direction.

    • Form: A three-dimensional object with volume and depth.

    • Color: The visual perception of light reflecting off a surface.

    • Value: The lightness or darkness of a color.

    • Space: The area around, within, or between objects.

    • Texture: The surface quality or feel of an object.

  • Art Principles: Guidelines that govern how artists organize the art elements.

    • Balance: The distribution of visual weight in an artwork.

    • Scale/Proportion: The relationship between the sizes of different parts of an artwork.

    • Emphasis: The focal point or area of dominance in an artwork.

    • Movement/Rhythm: The visual flow or sense of motion in an artwork.

    • Variety: The use of different elements to create interest.

    • Gradation: A gradual change from one element to another.

    • Contrast: The difference between elements in an artwork.

    • Repetition/Pattern: The recurrence of elements in an artwork.

    • Unity/Harmony: The sense of cohesion and agreement among the elements in an artwork.

  • Composition: The arrangement of elements within an artwork.

  • Rule of Thirds: A compositional guideline that divides an image into nine equal parts, placing key elements along the lines or intersections.

  • Central Composition: Placing the main subject in the center of the artwork.

  • Framing: Using elements within the artwork to create a frame around the subject.

  • Fibonacci: Related to the Fibonacci sequence which is a sequence of numbers where a number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so forth. The golden ratio is approximately 1.618, often found in art and nature.

  • Focal Point: The area in an artwork that attracts the viewer's attention.

  • Abstract: Art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

  • Design: The plan or arrangement of elements in an artwork.

  • Craftsmanship: The skill and quality of workmanship in an artwork.

  • Portfolio: A collection of an artist's work.

Design Unit Concepts

  • Expression: Conveying personal thoughts, emotions, and ideas through artwork.

  • Abstraction: Simplifying or distorting reality to emphasize certain qualities or concepts.

  • Art Elements: The basic building blocks of art. They provide the visual vocabulary for creating art.

  • Art Principles: The guidelines that artists use to organize the elements of art. They help to create a visually appealing and effective composition.

  • Composition: Arranging elements to create a unified and visually interesting artwork. Using compositions can help emphasize a focal point.

  • Originality & Creativity: Producing unique and innovative artwork that reflects the artist's individual vision.

  • Craftsmanship: Skill and attention to detail in the execution of an artwork, reflecting the artist's care and expertise.

  • Design: The overall plan or structure of an artwork, encompassing both aesthetic and functional considerations.

Design Unit Essential Questions

  • How do the Art Elements and Principles of Design organize works of art?

  • How do artists use Art Elements and Design Principles to express themselves?

  • How do artists apply compositional guidelines to works of art?

  • Why is documenting the creative process important for an artist?

Modeling Unit

Modeling Unit Vocab

  • 3D Modeling/CAD: Creating three-dimensional representations of objects using computer software.

  • 3D Printing: Building a three-dimensional object from a digital design by adding layers of material.

  • Solid (CAD term): A filled, three-dimensional object in CAD software.

  • Hole (CAD term): A void or empty space within a 3D model.

  • .PNG: Portable Network Graphics, a raster image file format that supports lossless data compression.

  • .STL: Stereolithography, a file format used for 3D printing.

  • .JPG: Joint Photographic Experts Group, a commonly used method of lossy compression for digital images.

  • Texture: The surface quality of a 3D model, often represented by an image or material.

Sculpture Unit Concepts

  • 3D Planning: Planning for a 3D artwork requires considering all angles and spatial relationships.

  • Originality & Creativity: Producing unique and innovative three-dimensional artwork.

Sculpture Unit Essential Questions

  • How do people construct meaning, ideas, or things?

  • How can you use the Elements and Principles to activate space?

  • How can a 2D concept become a 3D sculpture?

  • Why do artists choose sculpture processes?

  • What are the differences between additive and subtractive processes?

Construction Unit

Mixed Media Unit Vocab

  • Mixed Media: An artwork that combines different materials or techniques.

  • Questioning: A process of inquiry and exploration used to generate ideas for an artwork.

  • Art Medium/Materials: The substances or tools used to create art.

  • Collage: An artwork created by adhering various materials to a surface.

  • Concept in art: The underlying idea or message conveyed by an artwork.

Mixed Media Unit Concepts

  • Concept in Media: The choice of art media can reinforce the ideas behind an artwork. For example, using expensive materials might reflect wealth or luxury.

  • Questioning: Using inquiry to explore and develop the concept of an artwork.

  • Collage: Creating an interesting and original collage involves thoughtful selection and arrangement of pre-made images.

Mixed Media Unit Essential Questions

  • What is the benefit of using more than one art medium?

  • What does an artist have to consider when creating a mixed media artwork?

  • What is the relationship between one part of the artwork and the whole artwork?

Photography Unit

Photo Unit Vocab

  • Surrealism: An art movement that explores the realm of dreams and the unconscious.

  • Surreal Metamorphosis: A surreal technique that involves transforming one object into another.

  • Surreal Juxtaposition: A surreal technique that involves placing unrelated objects together.

  • Surreal Repetition: A surreal technique that involves repeating an object or image.

  • Surreal Texture: A surreal technique that emphasizes unusual or unexpected textures.

  • Surreal Picture-in-Picture: A surreal technique that involves placing a picture within a picture.

  • Surreal Scale: A surreal technique that involves altering the size of objects.

  • Photography: The art or process of capturing images using a camera.

  • Photoshopping: The process of editing and manipulating photographs using Adobe Photoshop.

  • Layer File: A file that contains multiple layers of images or effects.

  • .PSD: Adobe Photoshop Document, a file format that preserves layers and editing capabilities.

  • .PNG: Portable Network Graphics, a raster image file format that supports lossless data compression.

  • Crop: To trim the edges of an image.

  • Eraser Tool: A Photoshop tool used to erase pixels from an image.

  • Select Tools: Photoshop tools used to select specific areas of an image.

  • Adjustments: Photoshop tools used to modify the color, brightness, and contrast of an image.

  • Filters: Photoshop tools used to apply special effects to an image.

  • Move Tool: A Photoshop tool used to move objects or layers within an image.

  • Undo (Ctrl+z): Command to revert the last action.

  • Cut (Ctrl+X): Command to remove a selected area from an image.

  • Copy (Ctrl+C): Command to duplicate a selected area.

  • Paste (Ctrl+V): Command to insert a copied or cut area into an image.

  • Deselect (Ctrl+D): Command to remove a selection.

  • Screenshot: An image of what is displayed on a computer screen.

Photo Unit Concepts

  • Surrealism Components: Techniques used to create surreal images, such as juxtaposition and metamorphosis.

  • Photoshop Tools and Photoshopping: Using Photoshop tools to edit and manipulate photographs.

  • File Types: Different image file types have different properties and uses.

  • Photographing for Editing: Setting up a photo with editing in mind can make the editing process easier.

Photo Unit Essential Questions

  • How is photography used in the 21st century?

  • What are effective techniques artists use in photography?

  • How do artists use composition in photography?

  • How do you use perspective/point-of-view in a photo?

  • How can cropping be beneficial?