VISUAL ART VOCABULARY LIST

ABSTRACT - A style of art that uses shapes, designs, textures and colors in a way that
emphasizes moods or feelings.
ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM - A New York 19!s painting mo"ement whose su#$ect is
re"ealed through the use of pure design elements and analysis. A harmony of materials re"ealing
raw "isual interest.
ACADEMIC ART - Art that follows prescri#ed rules% not experimental.
ACANTHUS - A plant with a large leaf, fre&uently represented on columns, friezes and
moldings.
ACROPOLIS - 'he highest point of any ancient (reek city and the site of the temples. 'he
acropolis in Athens contained the )arthenon.
ACRYLIC - )igment in a plastic #inder medium% water-#ased paint that adheres to most
surfaces.
ADDITIVE SCULPTURE - *culpture made #y adding, com#ining or #uilding up materials.
+odeling with clay and welding steel parts together are ways of making additi"e sculpture.
ADVERTISING - )rinted, painted or spoken art that communicates positi"e aspects of a product
or idea to an audience in order to persuade them to do or #uy something.
AERIAL PERSPECTIVE - 'he effect of distance or atmosphere that creates haziness or
changes in color.
AESTHETIC - 'he artistic &ualities of art work% defined #y "isual, moral, social and
contemporary standards.
AESTHETIC QUALITIE* - ,ues within a work of art, such as literal, "isual and expressi"e
&ualities, which are studied during the art-criticism process. *ee also -.iteral /ualities,- -0isual
/ualities- and -1xpressi"e /ualities.-
AIRBRUSH - An air compressor is used to power this instrument to create color gradients,
highlight and shadow effects 2atomizer3.
ALLA PRIMA - )aint applied to can"as in one coat instead of applied layer #y layer.
ALPHABET - A set of sym#ols or characters used to represent the sounds of a language.
ALTARPIECE - A religious work of art placed #ehind the altar of a church or site.
ALTERNATING PATTERN OR RHYTHM - A pattern or rhythm in which two or more
shapes, designs or colors repeat in a one-after-the-other se&uence.
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AMERICAN SCENE PAINTING - 2usually3 paintings of the rural +idwest during the 194!s
and 195!s.
ANALOGOUS COLORS - ,olors that are closely related, such as #lue, #lue-"iolet and "iolet --
all of which ha"e the color #lue in common. 6amilies of analogous colors include warm colors
2red, orange and yellow3 and the cool colors 2#lue, green and "iolet3.
ANATOMY - 'he structural makeup of the human #ody, including the muscles, #ones, and flesh.
ANIMATION - +o"ing art made #y putting many pictures together. 1ach picture shows a small
change in mo"ement. 7hen the pictures are all shown &uickly one after the other, the o#$ects in
the pictures seem to mo"e.
ANKH - 1gyptian sym#ol for life.
APPLIED ART - 8esign principles applied to functional o#$ects such as furniture and
metalwork.
APPLIQU - A design made #y stitching pieces of colored fa#ric onto a larger piece of cloth.
Appli&u9 is used for wall hangings and as decoration on clothing, &uilts and pillows.
AQUATINT - An etching techni&ue consisting of sprinkling a metal plate with powdered resin
and heating it to adhere, creating a dense or lightly granulated effect.
AQUEDUCT - An ancient :oman system of using gra"ity to #ring water from the mountains to
the cities. Arched #ridges were used for crossing "alleys.
ARABESQUE - 8ecorati"e techni&ue that uses cur"ing plant forms% fre&uently used in ;slamic
art.
ARCH - A cur"ed structure o"er an opening such as a door or window. An arch may either stand
alone or support the walls around the opening.
ARCHAIC ART - (reek sculpture or "ases from <4! to c. =!! >,% ancient art.
ARMATURE - A skeleton-like framework used to support figures of clay or paper-m?ch9. An
armature keeps a sculpted figure with parts that stick out from drooping or falling apart.
Armatures can #e made of wire, piping, metal rods, rolled paper or similar materials.
ARMORY SHOW - An exhi#it in New York in 1915 that introduced )aris-#ased +odernism to
America.
ARTIFACT - @and-made o#$ect that represents a particular culture or period.
ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT - A return to the hand-made decorati"e arts during the
195!s.
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ART DECO - Applied design from the 194!s and 195!s deri"ed from 6rench, African, Aztec and
,hinese motifs.
ART GALLERY - A #uilding where people can see and sometimes #uy artworks.
ART MUSEUM - A place where artworks are shown and cared for.
ART NOUVEAU - An 1A9!s asymmetrical decorati"e style featuring sinuous forms #ased on
o#$ects found in nature.
ASCENDER - 'hat part of the lowercase letter that rises a#o"e the #ody of the letter, as in #, d,
f, h, k, l and t.
ASH CAN SCHOOL - )aintings of e"eryday life in the city done #y a group of painters of
realism.
ASPHALTUM - A stop-out "arnish employed in the intaglio process when long #ites are
re&uired. Bsually mixed with turpentine or #enzene for #etter control. Also one of the
ingredients in hard ground. Also employed in lithography #y some printmakers in preference to
tusche. ,alled #itumen in older texts.
ASSEMBLAGE - A piece of art made #y com#ining a collection of three-dimensional o#$ects
into a whole. ;t can either #e a free-standing sculpture or #e mounted on a panel, and is usually
made from scraps, $unk or "arious man-made or natural o#$ects.
ASYMMETRICAL - 8ifferent on either side of a central axis.
ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE - A way of showing depth and distance in a painting #y
using fading colors and hazy details in distant o#$ects. 2*ee also linear perspecti"e3.
AVANT GARDE - At the forefront of new de"elopments in art.
BACKGROUND - )arts of an artwork that are in the distance and lie #ehind o#$ects in the
foreground.
BALANCE - 'he arrangement of the parts of an artwork, to create a sense of e&uili#rium. 'he
weight or size of o#$ects, their placement and colors are all #alanced in a work of art. >alance is
a principle of design.
BARBIZON SCHOOL - 6rench landscape artists who worked near >ar#izon, 6rance, c. 1A5=-
1AC!.
BAREN - Bsually associated with the printmaker of Dapan. A slightly con"ex hand tool, a#out =
inches in diameter, for #urnishing the #ack of paper when printing from an inked relief #lock.
+any 7estern artists use an ordinary household ta#lespoon for the same purpose, though the
results are not necessarily e&ual in &uality.
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BARK PAINTING - A type of art created #y the A#origines o"er !,!!! years ago. )aints were
made from plants, then designs were painted on #ark.
BAROQUE - 8etailed, swirling composition, diagonal lines, unusual "iewpoints% period from
1<
th
to mid 1A
th
centuries.
BARREL VAULT - A half-round stone ceiling made #y placing a series of arches from front to
#ack. Also known as a tunnel "ault, it was de"eloped #y the :omans and adopted later #y
:omanes&ue church #uilders.
BAS-RELIEF - A 6rench word meaning -low-raised work.- 'his art is also called relief
sculpture.
BASELINE - 'he imaginary horizontal line on which the #ase of letters or characters rests.
BASILICA - A long #uilding that today is used as a ,hristian church% in :oman times, a pu#lic
place.
BAT - A plaster sla# used to a#sor# excess moisture from clay.
BATIK - An ;ndonesian method of handprinting fa#ric #y co"ering parts of the fa#ric with wax.
7hen the fa#ric is dyed, color does not adhere to the waxed areas. 'he wax is then remo"ed,
lea"ing a design made #y the undyed areas.
BATTEN - A narrow, then strip of wood used for a "ariety of purposes in art, e.g., ceramics or
framing.
BAUHAUS - A design school that existed in 7eimar, (ermany, from 1919 to 1955 until it was
closed #y the Nazis.
BEAD - 'he line formed #y a continuous weld, usually along a seam.
BEAM - 'he horizontal supporting unit of a structure, usually made of steel or wood.
BEAUX-ARTS - A tradition of the 19
th
and 4!
th
centuries following principles of the 6rench
Academy.
BENCH-HOOK - A wood or metal de"ice to pre"ent linoleum from slipping while it is #eing
cut.
BESTIARY - An illustrated #ook in the +iddle Ages that showed "arious real or imaginary
animals and told stories a#out their natures and ha#its. 'he stories often ended with a moral.
BINDER - A material which causes a state of cohesion.
BIOMORPHIC - Art #ased on irregular a#stract forms found in nature.
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BISQUE WARE - 'he first heating of unglazed clay which turns the ware into a hard,
consolidated mass.
BLAUE REITER, DER (THE BLUE RIDER) - A group of a"ant-garde (erman
1xpressionists.
BLEED - )rinting #eyond the edge of a sheetEs trim marks so that the printed image extends to
the edge of the trimmed sheet. ;n preparing art for reproduction, the studio allows an additional
1FA- #eyond the trim lines for a #leed.
BLEND - 'o mix colors together. Also to mo"e smoothly from one color to another without
making a line.
BLIND CONTOUR DRAWING - A kind of drawing done in one continuous line, in which the
pencil is kept mo"ing while the eyes remain on the o#$ect, ne"er looking down at the paper.
BLOCK - ;n printing a piece of thick, flat material, such as card#oard, wood or a potato, with a
design on its surface, used to print repeated impressions of that design. ;n car"ing, a large solid
piece of a material, such as wood or stone, from which parts are cut away to form a sculpture.
BLOCKBOOK - 6ifteenth-century #ooks in which the text and illustration were cut from the
same #lock of wood.
BLOCK RELIEF PRINTING - A means of making prints #y creating a raised design on a flat
surface. 'he design is inked or co"ered with color and stamped on paper or another surface.
BLUEPRINT - A copy of an architectEs plan for a #uilding.
BODY PROPORTIONS - 'he relationship of the sizes of one #ody part to another and to the
rest of the #ody. 6or example, the head usually makes up a#out one-se"enth of a personEs total
height.
BODY SIZE - 8epth of the #ody of a piece of type measured in points.
BOLDFACE - @ea"ier "ersion of a regular typeface, used for emphasis. ;ndicated >6.
BOOK OF HOURS - ;lluminated +edie"al #ooks with prayers for specific times of the day.
BOOK OF THE DEAD - )ainting and hieroglyphics on a papyrus scroll, placed in an 1gyptian
tom#.
BRAYER - A small, hand-held ru##er roller used to spread printing ink e"enly on a surface
#efore printing.
BREAKFAST PIECE - *e"enteenth-century 8utch still life that showed an interrupted meal.
BRONZE - A mixture of copper, tin and other metals. >ecause it is "ery strong and hard, #ronze
lasts for a long time and is commonly used in cast sculpture.
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BRCKE, DIE (THE BRIDGE) - (erman 1xpressionist painters from 8resden working c.
19!=.
BURIN - ,alled a gra"er #y some authorities% a hand tool with a half-round wooden handle from
which pro$ects a steel shaft sharpened to a s&uare or lozenge section. ,utting edges of #urins
"ary in size and shape. Bsed for engra"ing metal or end-grain wood.
BURNISH - 'he process in which the unfired clay surface, usually when leather is hard, is
ru##ed with a hard implement imparting a satin-like sheen to the clay.
BUTTRESS - A support or #race which counteracts the outward thrust of an arch or "ault. A
flying #uttress is an arch which reaches o"er a side aisle to support the hea"y stone roof of a
cathedral.
BYZANTINE - *tylized religious art of the 1astern :oman 1mpire from 55!-1=5 A8.
CALIPERS - A tool for measuring thicknesses or distances #etween surfaces.
CALLIGRAPHIC EXPRESSIONISM - 8ripping or pouring paint onto a can"as.
CALLIGRAPHY - @andwriting when considered as an art or craft.
CAMEO GLASS - A type of glass made first #y the :omans, in which a raised molded design is
o"erlaid on a glass "essel and then fused to it, forming a cameo effect.
CAMEO-RELIEF - ,ar"ing in which the image stands a#o"e the #ackground
CAMERA OBSCURA (DARK ROOM) - A darkened #ox used as a drawing aid in the 1<
th

century.
CAMERA READY - 'ype of art that has #een completely prepared with carefully marked
instructions for the printer. A mechanical is camera ready.
CAMPANILE - ;talian word for a #ell tower% sometimes freestanding such as The Leaning
Tower of Pisa.
CAPITAL - 'he top element of a pillar or column. 'here are three #asic types of capitals which
originated with the ancient (reeksG 8oric, ;onic and ,orinthian.
CARICATURE - A picture in which a personEs distincti"e features, such as nose, ears or mouth
are distorted or exaggerated.
CARTOON - 6ull-scale drawing for tapestry or wall painting% or a humorous or satirical
drawing.
CARTOON ART - 'he kind of art used in comics or cartoons. ;t usually has simple lines, uses
#asic colors and tells a story in one picture or a series of pictures drawn in #oxes called frames.
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CARTOUCHE - A lozenge shape that surrounds 1gyptian names% or a frame of the same shape.
CARVE - 'o cut away unwanted parts from a #lock of wood, stone or other material, using
car"ing tools such as a chisel, knife or file. ,ar"ing is a way of making sculpture #y cutting away
unwanted parts.
CARVING - A su#tracti"e method of sculpture% taking away wood or stone.
CARYATID - A car"ed female figure that su#stituted for a column to support a roof.
CASEIN - A painting medium in which the pigment is #ound with milk curd.
CAST - 'o copy a solid o#$ect #y pouring a li&uid, such as melted metal, clay, wax or plaster,
into a mold and letting it harden. 'he mold is then remo"ed and a copy, or cast, is left in the
shape of the mold.
CASTING - :eproducing -- in plaster, #ronze or plastic -- an original piece of sculpture made of
clay or a similar material.
CAST SHADOWS - *hadows made on the ground #y o#$ects.
CATHEDRAL - A large church structure, which houses the congregation of a :oman ,atholic
>ishop. ;t contains his throne, called a cathedral.
CAVE ART - )rehistoric art found in ca"es.
CELTIC ART - Art produced from c. =! >, to c. C!! A8 #y the ,elts% mostly porta#le o#$ects.
CENTER OF INTEREST - 'he most important part in a work of art. All the other parts should
center around, pro"ide #ackground for or draw attention to the center of interest.
CENTERED TYPE - .ines of type set centered on the line measure.
CENTERING - 'he initial step in the throwing process, the manipulation of the clay mass into a
symmetrical mound in the exact center of the wheel head.
CERAMIC - Any o#$ect made of clay and fired.
CERAMICS - H#$ects made of clay that ha"e #een hardened #y firing% also, the art of making
o#$ects out of clay.
CHALICE - A cup used in religious o#ser"ances that has a foot and a stem, often made of
precious materials.
CHALK - ,alcium car#onate, used in gesso, mixed with colored pigment to make pastels.
CHARACTERS - ;ndi"idual letters, figures, punctuation marks, etc., of the alpha#et.
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CHARCOAL - A soft medium used to make drawings.
CHIAROSCURO - A renaissance system for descri#ing an emergence of form, relying on "alue
changes from dark to light.
CHISEL - A metal tool with a cutting edge at the end of a handle. ,hisels are used #y sculptors
for car"ing stone, wood and other materials. ;n calligraphy, a chisel is a pen ni# ha"ing the
s&uare, flat shape of a sculptorEs chisel.
CIRCLE - A round, two-dimensional shape in which e"ery point on the outside line is the same
distance from the center.
CITYSCAPE - A picture of a city.
CLASSICAL - Hriginating in (reece and :ome% represents unadorned #eauty.
CLOISONN - An Asian techni&ue for fusing ground glass to a metal surface decorated with
thin metal strips.
CLAY - A powdery kind of earth that #ecomes plia#le and can #e molded when it is mixed with
water or oil. ,lay is used to make pottery and sculpture.
CODEX - ,ut-sheet manuscript rather than a scroll% #ound into #ook form.
COIL METHOD - A way of making pottery #y winding rows of clay -ropes,- one on top of
another, on a flat clay #ase. 7hen the walls of the pot reach the desired height, they are shaped
and smoothed #y hand. +uch of the pottery of early cultures was made with this simple method,
which does not re&uire complicated tools.
COLLAGE - A work of art created #y gluing #its of paper, fa#ric, scraps, photographs or other
materials to a flat surface.
COLONNADE - A series of columns at regular inter"als supporting a roof or arches.
COLOR - the hue "alue and intensity of an o#$ect. 'he primary colors are red, yellow and #lue%
e"ery color except white can #e created #y com#ining these three colors. ,olor is an important
element of design.
COLOSSAL ORDER - 6reestanding or attached columns or pilasters that rise through se"eral
stories.
COLOR SCHEME - 'he colors an artist uses and the way they are com#ined in an artwork.
COLOR SEPARATION - 7hen color art is photographed at the printer, filters are used to
separate out indi"idual colors, which, when com#ined in printing, will gi"e the illusion of a full-
color image.
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COLOR WHEEL - A circle di"ided into sections of different colors. ;t shows how colors can #e
mixed or used together.
COLUMN - A large round pillar or post supporting part of a #uilding.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS - ,olors that are opposites on the color wheel and contrast
with each other. 6or example, orange is the complement of #lue, "iolet is the complement of
yellow, etc. 7hen two complementary colors are mixed together, they make #rown or gray.
7hen they are used side #y side in a work of art, they create interesting contrasts. Adding a little
of a colorEs complement to it makes it duller.
COMPOSITION - 'he arrangement of shapes and colors of a painting or sculpture in a pleasing,
decorati"e or expressi"e, well-designed way. 'he term also refers to any work of art.
COMPREHENSIVE - +ore commonly referred to as a comp. An accurate layout showing type
and illustrations in position and suita#le as a finished presentation.
CONDENSED TYPE - Narrow "ersion of a regular typeface.
CONE - A de"ice used to measure the heat work of a kiln.
CONSTRUCTIVISTS - A :ussian group of artists who wished to reflect modern machinery and
technology% working c. 1915.
CONT - A chalk stick a"aila#le in #lack, gray, white, #istro 2#rown3 and sanguine 2red3.
CONTEMPORARY ART - (enerally defined as art produced during the second half of the 4!
th

century.
CONTOUR - 'he outline or edge of a figure or o#$ect. ;n contour drawing, a single, continuous
line is used to draw the outline of an o#$ect.
CONTRAPPOSTO - An *-cur"e or twist of the human figure caused #y placing the weight on
one foot.
CONTRAST - A large difference #etween two things% for example, hot and cold, yellow and
purple, and light and shadow. ,ontrasting patterns or colors add excitement, drama and interest
to a picture.
CONVERGE - 'o come together at a single point. )arallel horizontal lines appear to con"erge
on the horizon in a painting.
COOL COLORS - 'he family of related colors ranging from the greens through the #lues and
"iolets. 2*ee also analogous colors.3
COPYFITTING - 'he process of counting characters and casting off to determine the amount of
space re&uired for any gi"en copy.
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COSTUME - ,lothing characteristic of a particular time, place or people.
CRAYON ETCHING - A type of picture made #y coating paper with se"eral layers of wax
crayon and then scratching a design into the surface with a sharp o#$ect, re"ealing crayon colors
in underneath layers.
CRAYON RESIST - A type of picture in which wax crayon is used to co"er certain areas of a
surface that the artist does not want to #e affected #y paint or another su#stance to #e put o"er the
crayon. *ince wax repels water, the paint will not co"er the crayoned part.
CREATIVITY - the a#ility to design or make something new and original, using the imagination
rather than imitating something else.
CRENELLATION (BATTLEMENT) - 'he upper story of a castle that has openings for archers
alternating with solid walls.
CROMLECH - A circle of upright stones 2dolmens3 such as *tonehenge.
CROPPING - 'he selection and indication of an area of art to #e used for reproduction.
CROSS-HATCHING - *hading done #y drawing closely set parallel lines that crisscross.
,ross-hatching is used to show light and shadow in drawings, paintings and engra"ings.
CUBISM - Natural forms changed #y geometrical reduction.
CUNEIFORM - ,haracters written on clay ta#lets #y the +esopotamians% a precursor to
hieroglyphics.
CUTOUTS - ;n art, pieces of paper or other material cut into realistic or a#stract shapes and
arranged on paper to form designs and pictures.
CYAN - 'he #lue used in color separation. Also called process #lue.
CYLINDER - A round shape with two flat ends. ,ans and pipes are cylinders.
DECORATIVE ARTS - *uch arts as furniture making, glass#lowing, rug and fa#ric design and
other handicrafts which result in functional o#$ects that ha"e great appeal for their #eauty.
DEPTH - 'he third dimension of front to #ack or near to far, represented in an artwork #y the
actual or apparent distance from #ottom to top or front to #ack. 'echni&ues of perspecti"e are
used to create the illusion of depth in a two-dimensional painting.
DESCENDERS - 'hat part of a lowercase letter that falls #elow the #ody of the letter, as in g, $,
p, &, and y.
DESIGN - 'he structural elements of art 2line, shape, form, color, "alue, texture, space and
mo"ement3 and the principles #y which these elements are organized 2rhythm, #alance, emphasis,
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proportion, harmony, and "ariety3. Bnity refers to design in which all parts work together to
create a sense of wholeness. 'he formal analysis of a work of art in"ol"es a discussion of the
workEs design.
DETAIL - A small part of a work of art, enlarged to show a close-up of its features. Also, a
distincti"e feature of an o#$ect or scene which can #e seen most clearly close up.
DIMENSION - A measurement of either length, width or depth. 'wo-dimensional art, such as a
painting, has length and width. 'hree-dimensional art, such as sculpture, includes depth.
DIORAMA - A miniature artwork that includes a realistic #ackground and three-dimensional
foreground o#$ects. *eeing a diorama is like looking at a tiny, real scene.
DIPTYCH - 'wo painted panels that are usually hinged together.
DISPLAY TYPE - 'ype that is larger than text type, generally 1 points or larger. Also called
headline type.
DISTANCE - 'he third dimension of front to #ack or near to far, shown in a two-dimensional
painting #y using techni&ues of perspecti"e.
DISTORT - 'o change the way something looks #y twisting it out of its proper or natural form or
#y exaggerating some of its features. A work of art that is made in this way is distorted.
DOGE - A ruler or go"ernor of 0enice and (enoa.
DOME - A round roof shaped like half a sphere, supported #y a circular or many-sided #ase.
DONOR - A client or patron of an artist who donates the work to an institution% in altarpieces the
donor and family were often included in the painting.
DORIC ARCHITECTURE - A style of (reek architecture characterized #y large, fluted
columns.
DRAWING - Bsually a work in pen, pencil or charcoal on paper.
DRY BRUSH - 'echni&ue in which a #rush drags or skims undiluted paint o"er the surface of a
painting so that the paint is left only on raised points, to create a #roken effect.
DRY MOUNT - 'he process of adhering two surfaces after the initial application of cement
2generally two-coat ru##er cement3 has dried.
DRYPOINT - ;ntaglio process. A medium whose prime characteristic is a soft, warm, "el"ety
line. 'he #urr, which is responsi#le for this line, #reaks down after repeating printing.
DYNASTY - A period of time in which a single family has dominance o"er a people, such as the
+ing 8ynasty in ,hina.
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EARTH COLORS - ,olors found naturally in the en"ironment.
EARTHENWARE CLAY - A low-fire clay, with maturation usually #etween A=! and ele"en
hundred degrees centigrade.
EARTHWORKS - A deli#erate mo"ing of earth and change in natural topography designed #y
artists.
EASEL - A stand on which the artist supports the picture when painting. *ketching easels are
light and collapsi#le% the largest studio easels are "irtually items of furniture.
ECLECTICISM - 'he #orrowing of a "ariety of styles from different sources and com#ining
them.
ELEMENT - Artistic design considerations such as color, line, texture, shape or form and space.
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN - >asic parts which are put together to compose an artwork. 'hese
include line, shape, space, texture, color and "alue.
ELONGATE - *tretching an o#$ect or figure lengthwise, thus altering its proportions and making
it look taller and more slender.
ELONGATED - 'he deli#erate "ertical distortion of a figure% a form of stylization.
EMBOSSING - A method of creating a raised design or relief on a flat sheet of metal #y
hammering a design into the #ack side.
EMBROIDERY - 8ecorati"e designs sewn on cloth with a needle and thread or yarn.
EMPHASIS - 'he use of opposing sizes or shapes, contrasting colors or other means to draw
attention to certain areas or o#$ects in a work of art. 1mphasis is a principle of design.
ENAMEL - 6use glass powder to a metal surface through heating at high temperatures.
ENCAUSTIC - )igment mixed with melted wax and resin, then applied to a surface while hot.
ENGOBE - A kind of slip often used when pottery is to #e glazed. *ee also -*lip.-
ENGRAVING - ;ntaglio processG the act of dri"ing a #urin or engra"er through a plate. :elief
processG 'o incise lines in an end-grain #lock of wood. Also refers to the print o#tained from an
engra"ed plate or a #lock of wood. 7hen loosely used, co"ers all prints which utilize a press.
ENTABLATURE (ARCHITRAVE, FRIEZE AND CORNICE) - 'he structure a#o"e columns
in ,lassical architecture.
ETCHING - A picture made #y coating a paper, metal or plastic plate with wax and cutting or
scratching a design into the wax. A print of an etching can #e made #y co"ering the plate surface
with ink and pressing it onto paper or another flat surface to transfer the design.
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EXHIBIT - A special show of a group of art works.
EXPRESSIONISM - 'he painting of feelings, sometimes with recogniza#le images, often
totally a#stract.
EXPRESSIVE QUALITIES - 'he feelings, moods and ideas communicated to the "iewer
through a work of art. 'his aesthetic &uality is fa"ored #y emotionalism.
EXTENDED - Also called expanded. A wide "ersion of a regular typeface.
EYE LEVEL - An imaginary line marking the le"el of a personEs eyes. 'he horizon line always
appears to #e at a personEs eye le"el.
FACADE - 'he front of a #uilding. 'he faIade accents the entrance of a #uilding and usually
prepares the "isitor for the architectural style found inside.
FACE - 'hat part of metal type that prints. Also, the style or cut of the type% typeface.
FANTASY - *omething unreal that is in"ented #y the imagination.
FERRULE - 'he metal part of a #rush that connects the #ristles to the handle.
FETTLING KNIFE - A special knife for working with clay.
FIBER ART - Art using thread, year or fa#ric, such as wea"ing.
FIGURE - 'he human or animal form used in creating art% e.g., figure-drawing.
FILBERT - A #rush whose #ristles form a flat, tapering shape.
FIRE - 'o #ake shaped clay in a hot kiln to make it into hard pottery.
FIRING - )lacing ceramic ware into a special o"en and heating at high temperatures until it is
mature.
FIXATIVE - A thin li&uid that is sprayed o"er pastels and drawings to keep them from smudging
or ru##ing off the paper.
FLIP BOOK - An animated se&uence in #ook form, made #y drawing a single action on each
page and flipping the pages from #ack to front.
FLUX - 213 Any su#stance used to aid fusion of metals. 243 A material which com#ines with
surface impurities on metal, in effect, cleaning the metal.
FOLK ART - 'raditional art made #y people who ha"e not had formal art training #ut whose art
styles and craftsmanship ha"e #een handed down o"er the generations.
130
FOOT CUTTING - 'he process of incising and trimming the #ottom of a clay o#$ect to form a
pro$ecting circular #ase.
FOREGROUND - 'he part of a work of art that appears to #e in front, nearest to the "iewer.
FORESHORTENING - 'he techni&ue of distortion in perspecti"e 2e.g., of the human figure3 in
order for the su#$ect to appear three-dimensional.
FORM - An o#$ect that has depth as well as height and width. 6or example, triangle, which is
two-dimensional, is a shape, #ut a pyramid, which is three-dimensional, is a form. Also, a style
of creating art according to a certain standard or techni&ue.
FORTRESS - A place that is fortified, or strengthened and secured, #y strong walls and
sometimes artillery.
FOUND OB!ECT - An o#$ect not originally intended to #e used as art, #ut treated as art or
included in an assem#led work of art #y an artist. A found o#$ect may #e natural or man-made.
'he use of found o#$ects is a 4!
th
century art form.
FOUR-COLOR PROCESS - +ethod of reproducing #y separating the color image into red
2magenta3, yellow, #lue 2cyan3 and #lack to create four printing plates, which when com#ined,
produce the full-color original.
FOURTH DIMENSION - +otion in time, a dimension in addition to length, width, and depth,
which #ecame a focus in twentieth-century art. A mo#ile uses the fourth dimension #ecause the
mo#ile is designed to show mo"ement.
FREE-FORM - @a"ing an irregular, or non-geometric shape. A free-form shape is made up of
cur"ing, irregular lines.
FREE-STANDING - *culpture which is designed to #e seen from all sides, including the top,
and which usually supports itself and is not part of, or attached to, a wall or #ackground.
FREEHAND - 8rawn or sketched #y hand without measuring and without using tracing paper,
ruler, compass or any other drawing instruments.
FRESCO - A painting techni&ue in which artists apply wet colored plaster to a wet plaster wall.
A type of mural painting.
FRIEZE - 8ecorati"e relief of figures car"ed in a horizontal #and around a #uilding. 6riezes
were popular in (reek architecture.
FROTTAGE - 'extural ru##ing on paper done with crayon, oil or pencil.
FUNCTIONAL - )ractical or useful.
FUTURISM - An ;talian art mo"ement that tries to show the rapid mo"ement of machinery.
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GALLERIES - :ooms where paintings or other art works are displayed and sold.
GENRE - ;n its most general sense, a distincti"e type of work of art. 'hus landscapes and
portraits are two genres of painting, $ust as plays and no"els are genres of literature. ;n a more
restricted sense, the term is applied to scenes of e"eryday life. 'he latter sense is the more
common in discussion of painting.
GEODESIC DOME - A dome #uilt #y $oining straight, lightweight #ars into interlocking
geometric shapes. 'his system for #uilding domes was de"eloped #y :. >uckminster 6uller, an
American architect and engineer.
GESSO - A hea"y fluid used as a #ase coat for paint, traditionally made of plaster of )aris and
glue, #ut more recently of white pigment and a synthetic #inder.
GESTURE - A mo"ement of the hands, head or other part of the #ody that expresses a thought or
feeling.
GILD - A thin coat of gold leaf applied to the surface of a painting, frame or architecture.
GLAZE - A shiny coating fired onto pottery to decorate it and make it waterproof.
GLOSSY - )hotoprint made on glossy paper. As opposed to matte.
GOLDEN SECTION - A proportion 2in painting3 of roughly A to 15 that was considered #y
:enaissance masters to express perfect "isual harmony.
GOTHIC - All medie"al art produced during the period #etween mid-14
th
and early 1=
th

centuries.
GOUACHE - An opa&ue paint that can #e dissol"ed in water or a painting using this type of
paint.
GOUGING - ,utting or scooping out a hole or groo"e in a surface such as wood or linoleum to
make a design for printing.
GRADATED WASH - A wash that is light at the top, where little color has #een applied, and that
gradually #ecomes darker at the #ottom, where more color has #een applied.
GRADATION - A gradual, smooth change from light to dark, rough to smooth or one color to
another.
GREENWARE - 6inished clayware that is dry #ut has not #een heated into a homogeneous
mass.
GREETING CARD - A card with a message, usually sent or gi"en on a special occasion, such as
a #irthday or holiday.
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GRID - @orizontal and "ertical lines drawn on a piece of paper, di"iding it into e&ual s&uares.
An artist uses a grid to copy pictures #y drawing what is in each of the s&uares separately.
GRISAILLE (LITERALLY GRAY) - A painting in shades of gray, sometimes on the outside of
an altarpiece.
GROG - @ard-fired, crushed clay that is added to clay to add texture and to help control
shrinkage.
GROUT - A su#stance composed of glue and cement, which is used to fill the $oints in masonry
or the cracks #etween the tesserae in a mosaic.
GUILD - An organization of people in the +iddle Ages who all did the same kind of work.
+erchants, painters, sculptors and other craftsmen each had their own guilds.
HALFTONE - A continuous tone image that in order to reproduce is photographed through a
screen so that the tones are translated into a series of extremely tiny dots for printing. 'he screen
#reaks up the tones into dots, densely or sparsely placed depending on the &uality desired, that
when seen from a normal "iewing distance, gi"e the illusion of a continuous tone.
HANDICRAFTS - ,rafts such as pottery, #askets, rugs, candles and dozens of other useful or
decorati"e items that people traditionally make #y hand.
HEADING - >old or display type used to emphasize copy.
HIEROGLYPHICS - A system of writing using pictures rather than words and letters. Bsually,
the term hieroglyphics refers to the ancient writing system of the 1gyptians.
HIGH RELIEF - ;n relief sculpture, a form that extends at least halfway out of the #ackground.
2*ee also middle relief, low relief3.
HIGHLIGHT - 'o center attention on or emphasize through use of color.
HONE - 'o sharpen a cutting edge to its finest edge.
HORIZON - A le"el line where water or land seems to end and the sky #egins.
HORIZON LINE - An actual or imaginary line in a work of art that represents the place where
the sky and earth appear to meet. 0anishing points are located on the horizon line.
HORIZONTAL - *traight, le"el and parallel to the horizon.
HUE - Another word for color, such as red, yellow or green.
ICONIC EXPRESSIONISM - A style in which the painting is dominated #y a form, usually
centralized.
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IDEOGRAM - A picture or sym#ol used in a writing system that represents a thing or idea
instead of a letter or specific word, as in ,hinese writing.
ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - A manuscript, popular during the +edie"al period, in which
the pages are decorated with sil"er, gold and rich colors. Hften these manuscripts contain small
pictures known as illuminations or miniatures.
ILLUMINATION - 'he decoration of manuscript pages, often with gold leaf and #rilliant colors.
ILLUSTRATION - A design or picture in a #ook or magazine that explains the text or shows
what happens in the story.
IMAGERY - 'he imaginati"e expression of o#$ects, feelings, ideas and experiences in art.
;magery can depict #oth physical and nonphysical things.
IMPASTO - A term referring to thick layers of paint applied to the surface of a work. 'he
thicker the layers and lumps on a can"as, the more impacted the painting is said to #e.
IMPRESSIONISM - An outdoor painting techni&ue that shows the changing effects of light and
color.
INK - A kind of medium used to make drawings. An artwork made with ink.
INTAGLIO - An incised or engra"ed design in a plate in one or more mediums.
INTAGLIO RELIEF - *culpture in which the surface of the image is #elow the surface of the
#ackground.
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE - :e"i"al of classical art, literature and learning #ased on
humanism.
INTERMEDIATE COLROS (TERTIARY COLORS) - ,olors which are a mixture of a
primary color and itEs neigh#oring secondary color such as #lue-green, red-yellow, red-orange.
INTENSITY - 'he #rightness or dullness of a hue or color. 6or example, the intensity of the
pure color #lue is "ery #right% if a lighter or a darker color is added to #lue, the intensity is less
#right.
ITALIC - .etterform that slants to the right.
!USTIFY - Act of $ustifying lines of type to a specified measure, right and left, #y putting the
proper amount of interword space #etween words in the line to make it e"en.
KEY - 'he pre"ailing tone of a painting. A predominantly light painting is said to ha"e a high
key, a predominantly dark one a low key.
134
KEYLINE - A mechanical in which all elements are prepared on a single paste-up #oard with no
copy o"erlays. All instructions are marked on and the printer performs all shooting and stripping
operations from the single #oard.
KILN - A special furnace that reaches "ery high temperatures and is used to #ake or fire clay to
produce pottery.
KINETIC SCULPTURE - A kind of art introduced in the 195!s that expresses motion in time
#y including elements that are mo"ed either #y natural forces, such as wind 2as in a mo#ile3, or
#y de"ices, such as motors and cranks.
KITSCH - Artwork, often mass-produced, that goes #eyond good taste.
KORE - *tiffly standing archaic (reek female sculpture, clothed.
KOUROS - Archaic (reek male figure, unclothed.
LANDSCAPE - A "iew of natural outdoor scenery, such as mountains, ri"ers, fields or forests.
LATEX - 6ormerly raw ru##er% now any ru##er-like plastic mass.
LAYOUT - )reliminary drawings made #y the designer to indicate the proposed plan for the final
design. .ayouts may range from small &uick thum#nails, to roughs, to comprehensi"es, each
made with increasing attention to detail and accuracy of presentation as a guide for the studio,
client andFor printer.
LEAD - A kind of soft metal. .ead is often used in stained glass. ;t holds together the pieces of
colored glass.
LEADING - *pace inserted #etween lines of typeset material.
LEATHER-HARD CLAY - ;n the semi-dry state, similar in consistency to leather. 'he clay is
no longer mallea#le, yet is still soft enough for car"ing and $oining, with slip applied to the seam.
LETTERSPACING - *pace inserted #etween characters.
LINE - A continuous mark with length and direction, created #y a point that mo"es across a
surface. A line can "ary in length, width, direction, cur"ature and e"en color. .ine can #e two-
dimensional 2created #y mo"ing a pencil on paper3, three-dimensional 2created with string or
wire3 or e"en implied 2not represented #y an actual line #ut suggested #y the #oundaries of a
shape or form3. .ine can also refer to the outline or shape of an o#$ect.
LINEAR - ;n"ol"ing or consisting of lines% looking like a line, narrow or elongated.
135
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE - *howing depth and distance in a picture with con"erging liens. ;n
linear perspecti"e, lines that are parallel in nature get closer together and o#$ects get smaller in
the distance 2see also atmospheric perspecti"e3.
LINOLEUM CUT - :elief process. A #lock of #attleship linoleum cut into with engra"ing
tools, gouges, kni"es, etc., wherein the image to #e printed is raised a#o"e the surface. Also a
print from such a #lock.
LINTEL - A horizontal #eam o"er an opening, such as a window or door, that supports the
structure a#o"e it.
LITHOGRAPHIC CRAYON - A special crayon made of wax, grease or a similar material, used
to draw a design that is made into a lithograph.
LITHOGRAPHIC STONES - ;mported limestone or other calcareous stone in sla#s of "arying
dimensions, a#out three to four inches thick. 'he stones are hard #ut #rittle, compact yet porous
and "ary in color from a grayed yellow through gray to #lue and #lue-gray 2the darker the color,
the harder and more dense is the stone3.
LITHOGRAPHY - )lanographic process. )rints are o#tained from a stone on which an image
has #een drawn with grease-like su#stances. 'his surface phenomenon, after chemical treatment,
operates on the antipathy.
LOCAL COLOR - 'he o#$ecti"e color of an o#$ect or surface, independent of any modifications
caused #y, for example, reflections or atmospheric conditions. 'hus, the local color of a distant
hillside may #e green, e"en though to the eye, it looks #lue. *ee aerial perspecti"e. ,an also
mean the dominant color in a painting.
LOGO - A sym#ol that identifies a #usiness, clu# or other group. .ogos are often made of a few
artistically drawn letters or shapes 2see also trademark3.
LOGOTYPE - ,ommonly referred to as a logo. 'wo or more type characters which are $oined
as a trademark or a company signature. Not to #e confused with a ligature, which consists of two
or more normally connected characters.
LOOM - Any type of framework used for wea"ing fi#ers at right angles to make cloth.
LOST PATTERN PROCESS - A casting process in which the pattern is enclosed in the mold,
then remo"ed #y some destructi"e process such as melting or dissol"ing.
LOST-WAX (CIRE PERDUE) - A method of creating a wax mold of a sculpture, then heating
the mold to melt out the wax and replacing it with molten metal.
LOW RELIEF - ;n relief sculpture, a "ery slight extension of a form out of the #ackground 2see
also relief and middle relief3.
LOWERCASE - 'he small letters, as opposed to capitals, in an alpha#et.
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MACRAM - 'he art of knotting coarse twine or cord in a geometric pattern. +acram9 is used
to make such things as plant hangers, wall hangings, $ewelry and hand#ags.
MAGENTA - 'he red used in color separation. Also called process red.
MALLET - A type of hammer with a large #lunt, #arrel-shaped head, often mad of wood.
*culptors use a mallet to hit against a chisel when cutting wood, stone or another solid material.
MANDORLA - An almond-shaped #ackground, enclosing the figure of a sacred figure in a glory
of light.
MAQUETTE - A small three-dimensional model for a larger piece of sculpture.
MARBLE - A kind of stone from which sculpture can #e car"ed. An artwork made of mar#le.
MARIONETTE - A small, complete figure, usually of a person or animal and made of wood,
that is mo"ed from a#o"e #y strings that are attached to its $ointed arms, legs and #ody.
MASKING - >locking out a portion of an illustration to pre"ent it from #eing reproduced.
MASS - 'he area inside a shape.
MAT - A cut-out card#oard #order placed around a picture to frame and display it.
MECHANICAL - 'he type and art prepared as camera-ready copy for the printer. All elements
are cemented in accurate position on a #oard and any o"erlays so that the printer can photograph
and strip the elements precisely as specified.
MEDALLION - A large medal usually worn around the neck on a hea"y chain, ri##on or rope.
MEDIA-'he physical materials, such as clay, paint and plastics, used to gi"e a work of art its
material form. Media also refers to the processes, such as glazing, stenciling and chiseling, #y
expression characterizes an artistJs struggle. +aterials per se are merely physical su#stances, #ut
when the artist exploits their &ualities to express an idea, them or feeling, they #ecome
amendium, a means through which artistsJ ideas are realized. )lural of medium.
MEDIUM - 'he material an artist uses - oil, watercolor, pen and ink, chalk and so on 2see also
media3.
MEGALITH - A #lock of stone #asically unchanged, #ut sometimes arranged in lines or circles
of standing stones.
MIDDLE GROUND - 'he part of a work of art that lies #etween the foreground and the
#ackground.
MIDDLE RELIEF - ;n relief sculpture, a form that extends a#out one-&uarter of the way out of
the #ackground 2*ee also high relief, low relief3.
137
MIHRAB - A small niche in a mos&ue wall 2&i#la3 that shows the direction of +ecca.
MIRROR IMAGE - 'he -flopped-o"er- picture that occurs when prints are made from
linoleum, wood or metal plates. 7ords are printed in re"erse, for example.
MOAT - A deep, wide trench around a fortress or castle, often filled with water.
MOBILE"STABILE - 'erms coined to descri#e work created #y Alexander ,alderG the mobile is
a hanging, mo"a#le sculpture% the stabile rests on the ground, #ut may also ha"e mo"ing parts.
MOBILE - A type of sculpture in which o#$ects are suspended and #alanced so that they are
mo"ed #y currents of air. 'he mo#ile as an art form was introduced #y Alexander ,alder in the
195!s.
MODEL - A person who poses for an artist. Also, a small-sized copy of something. 6or
example, architects make small models of #uildings with furnishings.
MODELING - 2in sculpture3 transforming clay or wax into a form% 2in painting3 "arying the
colors to suggest a three-dimensional &uality.
MODIFIED CONTOUR DRAWING - A line drawing made #y looking at an o#$ect and
drawing it with one continuous line, occasionally glancing down at the drawing to check the lines
and proportions 2*ee also #lind contour drawing3.
MOLA - An appli&u9 design made #y the ,una ;ndians in which se"eral layers of cloth are sewn
together and the top layers are cut and turned to show the colors underneath.
MOLD - 213 A shell containing a re"erse image of a model or master which ser"es as a shaping
container when filled with a temporarily li&uid material and which #ecomes the casting when it
has hardened. 243 'o shape #y pressure.
MONOCHROMATIC - A color scheme that in"ol"es different "alues of a single color.
MONOCHROME - A painting done in "ariations of a single color, made #y adding #lack or
white to the #asic hue to create its shades and tints.
MONOGRAM - A design made from the initials of a name. +onograms are often printed on
caps, ties, shirts, towels, handkerchiefs and linens.
MONOTYPE - A kind of printmaking in which a picture or design is painted on a nona#sor#ent
surface, such as metal or glass. 'he design is then pressed onto a piece of paper. Bsually, only
one transfer can #e made this way.
MONUMENT - A #uilding, statue or other structure especially #uilt to remem#er and honor a
person or e"ent.
MOSAIC - A picture or design made #y fitting into plaster or cement tiny pieces of colored
paper, glass, tile, stone or other similar materials.
138
MOUNT - 'o attach a picture to a larger piece of paper or card#oard, lea"ing a wide #order
around it.
MOVEMENT - 'he arrangement of the parts of a design to create a sense of motion #y using
lines that cause the eye to mo"e o"er the work. Also, a tendency or trend #y artists during a
period to use certain techni&ues or methods.
MURAL - A large painting that co"ers a wall. ;t can #e painted directly on the wall or on wood,
paper or can"as to #e attached to the wall.
MYTHICAL - +ade-up, in"ented, or imaginary. +ythical animals, people and o#$ects usually
originated in ancient legends or myths.
NATURALISM - ;magery that appears natural.
NEARIKA - A kind of art that originated in early +exico in which colored yarn or string is glued
on a #ackground to form a solid design.
NEEDLEPOINT - A kind of stitchery made of "ery small stitches on a fa#ric screen.
NEGATIVE SPACE - 'he space not occupied #y an o#$ect itself #ut circulating in and around it,
contri#uting to the total effect of the design.
NEUTRAL - A color not associated with a hue. Neutral colors include #lack, white, gray and
#rown. A hue can #e neutralized #y adding some of its complement to it.
NIB - A point that fits on the end of a calligraphy pen and regulates the flow of ink. Ni#s come in
many sizes from "ery thin or fine to #road and flat.
NONOB!ECTIVE - 7ithout a recogniza#le o#$ect.
NONFUNCTIONAL - ,reated mainly for decoration rather than practical use.
ODALISQUE - 'erm used to refer to a painted reclining woman, from the word for a 'urkish
harem sla"e.
OIL PAINT - A kind of opa&ue paint made #y mixing colored pigment with a special kind of oil.
ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE - A form of linear perspecti"e in which all lines appear to meet at
a single point on the horizon.
ONION DOME - A #ul#ous, pointed dome fre&uently seen in >yzantine architecture.
OPAQUE - *omething that cannot #e seen through% the opposite of transparent.
OPENING - 'he second step in the throwing process, esta#lishing an opening in the middle of
the centered clay mound.
139
OPTICAL MIXING - 'he #lending #y the eyes of pure colors placed next to each other in a
work of art. 6or example, if dots of yellow are placed next to dots of #lue, the colors will appear
to merge into a #right green color when "iewed from a distance. Hptical mixing is important in
;mpressionistic painting.
ORGANIC - 6ree form, or a &uality that resem#les li"ing things. 'he opposite of mechanical or
geometric.
ORIGINAL - Bnusual, different or creati"e, such as original art or ideas. Hriginal can also mean
the actual or initial work of art, rather than a copy.
OUTLINE - A line that shows the edge of an o#$ect. Hutlines show two-dimensional shapes.
OVERLAPPING - Hne shape or part co"ering up some part or all of another. H"erlapping
o#$ects appear closer, and this is a perspecti"e techni&ue used to show distance in pictures.
OVERLAY - A transparent or translucent sheet placed o"er art or mechanical. A tissue o"erlay is
used for simple instructions to the printer while a copy o"erlay, generally on an acetate sheet,
carries camera-ready copy to #e photographed #y the printer.
PAINTERLY QUALITY - 'hat &uality of a work of art that allows #rush strokes to show and
lets us see that it is a painting.
PALETTE - 'he tray or #oard on which colors are mixed.
PAPER-MACHE - An art material made of paper torn into strips or made into pulp and mixed
with paste or glue. ;t can #e molded into "arious shapes when wet and produces a solid material
that is &uite strong when it dries. ;t is used to make molds of decorati"e and functional o#$ects.
PAPYRUS - +arsh plant from which paper was first made in 1gypt% a scroll painted on this
material.
PARCHMENT - 'hin tanned animal hide 2often kid or lam#3, used for illuminated manuscripts.
PARTHENON - A mar#le #uilding constructed a#out ! >.,. in Athens, (reece, as a temple to
the (reek goddess Athena. ;t is perhaps the greatest masterpiece of (reek architectural style.
PASTEL - A kind of crayon. )astels can #e made of oil or of charcoal. Hil pastels are like
crayons% charcoal pastels are like chalk.
PASTEUP - ,amera-ready copy with all elements in position on a #oard. Hften used as a
synonym for -mechanical,- although the paste-up may actually #e only one portion of the entire
mechanical.
PATINA - Hriginally, the natural color of oxidized metal surfaces% more recently, the surface
coloring gi"en to "arious materials such as metal, wood and plaster when used in relation to
sculpture.
140
PATTERN - 'he repetition of shapes, lines or colors in a design. 'he pattern can also #e a
model or mold designed to #e copied.
PEDIMENT - A triangular shape at the end of a #uilding formed #etween the peak of the sloping
roof and the top edge of the wall. ;n (reek architecture, pediments were often decorated with
car"ed relief figures.
PERSPECTIVE - 'he representation of three-dimensional o#$ects on a flat, two-dimensional
surface. )erspecti"e is achie"ed #y creating a sense of depth and distance. 'here are two types
of perspecti"eG linear and atmospheric.
PHOTOGRAPH - A picture taken with a camera.
PICA - 'ypographic unit of measurement% 14 points e&ual 1 pica and < picas e&ual 1 inch. Also a
typewriter with 1! characters per inch.
PICTOGRAPH - 8rawn or painted sym#ols representing things, ideas or stories. >efore
alpha#ets were de"eloped, people communicated using such picture sym#ols.
PIGMENT - 6ine colored powder that, when com#ined with "arious li&uid mixtures 2water and a
#inding agent, for example3, makes paint.
PINCH METHOD - A method of hand-#uilding pottery #y pressing, pulling and pinching a #all
of clay into the desired shape.
PLANE - A cur"ed or flat continuous surface defined #y edges.
PLANOGRAPHY - An area of printmaking which includes lithography and serigraphy.
PLASTIC - 213 A material mallea#le enough to #e manipulated #y hand. 243 A synthetic coherent
material.
PLASTICINE - An oil #ased clay, used for modeling. ;t usually stays worka#le and does not dry
out.
PLEIN AIR - .oose, fluid painting done outdoors, capturing effects of light and air.
POINT - *mallest typographical unit of measurement% 14 points e&ual 1 pica and 1 point e&uals
approximately 1FC4 of an inch.
POINTILLISM (DIVISIONISM) - A method of painting de"eloped in 6rance in the 1AA!s in
which tiny dots of color are applied to a can"as. 7hen "iewed from a distance, the points of
color appear to #lend together to make other colors and to form shapes and outlines. )ointillism
was part of the )ostimpressionist mo"ement.
POLYCHROME - +any colored.
141
POLYPTYCH - A painting that consists of more than three panels hinged together.
POP ART - H#$ects from commercial art and the popular culture transformed into artworks.
PORCELAIN CLAY - A "itreous, high fire clay #ody, usually white.
PORTICO - A co"ered walkway or entrance to a #uilding, often ha"ing a row of columns
supporting the roof.
PORTRAIT - A painting, sculpture, drawing, photo or other work of art showing a person,
se"eral people or an animal. )ortraits usually show $ust the face, #ut can include part or all of the
#ody, as well.
POSITIVE SPACE - 'he space occupied #y an o#$ect as distinguished from negati"e space,
which circulates in and around it.
POST - A pillar, column or similar structure that supports a roof or #eam. )osts were commonly
used in (reek-style architecture.
POSTER PAINT - A fairly inexpensi"e form of opa&ue watercolor used mainly for design work
rather than paintings.
POTTER#S WHEEL - A flat, spinning disc on which soft clay is placed and shaped #y hand.
PRELIMINARY SKETCH - A sketch made to plan or determine the #asic arrangement of a
design or a more complete artwork. A preliminary sketch is simpler and often smaller than the
final piece of art, #ut contains the same outlines and proportions.
PRESSED GLASS - (lass made #y pouring into molds and pressing the inside #y means of a
plunger.
PRIMARY COLORS - 'he hues red, yellow and #lue, which in different com#inations produce
all other colors except white. 'he primary colors cannot #e produced #y mixing any other colors
together.
PRIMING - A layer or layers of material applied to a can"as, panel or other painting support to
make it more suita#le to recei"e paint #y, for example, rendering it smoother or less a#sor#ent.
(esso is historically the #est-known priming material.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN - (uidelines that aid in effecti"ely arranging and composing
designs. 'hese include #alance, contrast, "ariety, pattern, rhythm, emphasis and unity.
PRINT - A shape or mark made from a printing #lock or other o#$ect that is co"ered with wet
color and then pressed on a flat surface, such as paper or cloth. +ost prints can #e repeated #y
re-inking the printing #lock. )rints can #e made in many ways, including using an engra"ed
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#lock or stone, transfer paper or a film negati"e. )rinting is the art of making many copies of one
image.
PRINTING PRESS - A machine that can make printed copies #y pressing an inked or colored
metal plate containing lines of type or an image onto sheets of paper that are threaded through the
machine. )rinting presses are used to make #ooks and newspapers, as well as copies of original
art.
PRINTMAKING - 'he art of making one or more copies of a design or picture such as an
etching or woodcut #lock.
PROFILE - An outline of an o#$ect, usually a drawing or painting of the side "iew of a personEs
face.
PROGRESSIVE PATTERN OR RHYTHM - A pattern or rhythm that de"elops step-#y-step,
as from larger to smaller or smaller to larger.
PROOFS - 'ypeset copy sent #y the compositor to the client for checking and making
corrections.
PROPORTION - 'he relationship of the size of one part to another or to the whole. ;n painting
and sculpture, for example, an artist tries to achie"e the right size or proportion of a nose to a
head and a head to a #ody.
PROPORTIONAL SCALE - A de"ice used to determine the size of the art when it is enlarged
or reduced for reproduction.
PSALTER - A collection of psalms for de"otional use.
PUPPET - A kind of doll that can #e mo"ed and made to look as if it were talking 2see shadow
puppet3.
PUTTI - Nude male infants, often with wings, used in ,lassical and :enaissance painting%
cheru#s.
PYRAMID - An ancient #uilding design found in 1gypt and ,entral America, usually ha"ing a
s&uare #ase and four triangular sides that meet in a point at the top. )yramids were used as tom#s
and for religious worship and ceremonies.
QUILT - A #edco"er made #y stitching two layers of fa#ric together, usually in an ornamental
design, and stuffing the layers with padding. /uilts are usually made out of odds and ends of
material.
RADIAL BALANCE - A design #ased on a circle with the features radiating from a central
point.
RASP - A kind of file that has sharp, rough teeth that can cut into a surface. ;t is used in
sculpture and ceramics to shape materials such as wood, clay and plaster.
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REALISM - A style of art in which artists try to show o#$ects, scenes and people as they actually
appear.
REALISTIC - .ooking like real people, o#$ects or places as we actually see them. :ealistic art
portrays lifelike colors, textures, shadows, proportions and arrangements.
RECTANGLE - A two dimensional shape with four sides and four right angles. 'he top and
#ottom may #e longer or shorter than the sides.
REFLECTION - An image gi"en #ack #y a reflecting surface, such as a mirror or a still lake.
REGISTER - 'he ad$ustment and read$ustment of the separate plates, #locks, stones or screens
in color printing to assure proper alignment.
RELIEF - A type of sculpture that is halfway #etween solid free-standing sculpture and flat
painting. ;n a relief, figures rise up from a #ackground that is flat or has hollowed-out parts.
RELIEF PRINT - A print o#tained from a relief #lock. ,ertain collages on card#oard may #e
inked and printed to produce relief prints. Also, metal plates may #e printed as relief prints, in
addition to their #eing printed in the intaglio manner.
RENDER - 'o reproduce or represent #y artistic means, such as drawing, painting or sculpture.
REPETITION - :epeating a part of or a pattern in a work of art. :epetition makes the parts of a
picture come together.
REPLICA - An exact copy or reproduction of an artwork, sometimes made on a smaller scale
than the original.
REPOUSS - A relief in which the image is produced primarily #y impact on the #ack of the
medium, usually soft sheet metal.
REPRESENTATIONAL - 0ery close to the way an o#$ect really looks. +any paintings and
drawings are representational. 'hey look similar to the way things really look.
REPRODUCTION - An exact copy of an artwork sometimes made on a smaller scale than the
original.
RESIST - A type of art in which oil or wax, which will not mix with water, is used to #lock out
certain areas of a surface that the artist does not want to #e affected #y paint, "arnish, acid or
another su#stance.
RETOUCHING - A process of correcting or impro"ing art, especially photographs, #efore
negati"es are made. :etouching is done with paints or dyes applied with #rush or air#rush or "ia
"arious computer software packages.
REVERSE - 'o change #lack and white relationships, negati"e to positi"e, and "ice "ersa.
(enerally refers to line art.
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RHYTHM - :egular repetition of lines, shapes, colors or patterns in a work of art.
ROMAN - .etterform that is upright, like the type you are now reading.
ROMANTICISM - A type of painting that idealizes images% often with surrealistic or
imaginati"e compositions.
ROSE WINDOW - .arge circular windows of stained glass found in (othic cathedrals. A fine
example is o#ser"ed on the faIade of the ,athedral of >urgos in *pain.
ROUGH - A casual layout used to indicate the o"erall plan for a design.
RUBBING - A design made #y ru##ing a crayon or soft pencil o"er a paper co"ering a textured
o#$ect.
RUNNING STITCH - An em#roidery stitch that is used to outline shapes.
SAND CASTING - A method of creating sculpture from molten material #y pouring the material
into a ca"ity formed in a mold of wet sand.
SATIN STITCH - An em#roidery stitch that is used to fill in shapes.
SATURATED COLOR - @ues undiluted with white, conse&uently deep and intense.
SCALE - 'he relationship #etween the sizes of parts in an artwork to their size in reality. ;f a
picture is drawn to scale, all of its parts are e&ually smaller or larger than the parts in the original.
SCALE DRAWING - A reproduction of a drawing in which the dimensions and sizes are in the
same ratio as in the original. *cale drawings are usually made #y using a grid and can #e smaller,
larger or the same size as the original.
SCALING - ,alculating the proportions of art for enlargement or reduction to fit a particular
area.
SCORE - 'o cut into, #ut not all the way through, paper or thin card#oard in order to make a line
where it will #end easily. *coring is often done with an K-acto knife. Also, in clay work, to
make small groo"es or scratches in pieces of clay to #e $oined together. *coring and applying slip
to the roughened surfaces creates a firm #ond that holds pieces together.
SCRIBE - 2metal3 - A hard, pointed metal tool 2sometimes tipped with a diamond3 used to draw
on metal.
SCRIMSHAW - A folk art in which line drawings are car"ed or engra"ed into #one or i"ory.
SCRIPT - 'ypeface #ased on handwritten letterforms.
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SCULPTURE - Art of reproducing o#$ects in relief or in the round out of hard material #y means
of chisel% car"ed work% art of modeling in clay or other plastic material, figures or o#$ects to #e
later cast in #ronze or other metals% v.t. to represent #y sculpture.
SEASCAPE - A picture of a scene at sea or a scene including a portion of the sea.
SECONDARY COLORS - ,olors created #y com#ining two of the three primary colors, red,
yellow and #lue. 'he secondary colors are orange, green and purpleG orange is a mixture of red
and yellow, green a mixture of #lue and yellow and purple a mixture of red and #lue.
SELF-PORTRAIT - A picture an artist makes of himself or herself.
SEPARATOR - A surfacing material used to pre"ent sticking or #onding and often used in
casting to pre"ent the casting material from sticking to the mold.
SERIFS - *hort cross-strokes in the letterforms of some typefaces.
SERIGRAPHY - *tencil process. A method of producing original multicolored prints ha"ing a
real paint &uality. )aint, ink or other color is forced through a stencil of silk each time for each
color re&uired in the print.
SFUMATO - A su#tle #lending of colors in order to create a misty effect.
SHADE - A color to which #lack or another dark hue has #een added to make it darker. 6or
example, #lack added to red produces a darker shade of red 2*ee also tint3.
SHADING - *howing gradations of lightness and darkness in a picture #y darkening areas that
would #e shadowed and lea"ing other areas light.
SHADOW PUPPET - A type of puppet that is mo"ed #ehind a lighted screen so that only the
shape or silhouette is "isi#le. 'hese puppets are popular in Dapan, ,hina and :ussia.
SHAPE - A definite form outlined #y lines or a change in color or shading. *hape is an element
of design.
SILHOUETTE - An outline of a solid shape without any details inside, like a shadow. +ost
silhouettes are of a personEs profile, done in #lack or another dark solid color and attached to a
light #ackground.
SIMPLIFY - 'o make simpler or more #asic #y remo"ing details, ornamentation or complex
lines or parts. :ealistic shapes may #e simplified into geometric ones to make a#stract art.
SKETCH - A simple, &uick, rough drawing done without a lot of detail #ut catching the chief
features and a general impression of an o#$ect or scene. *ketches are usually made in preparation
for a later, more detailed work.
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SKYSCRAPER - A "ery tall #uilding with many floors supported #y a steel framework. 'he
first modern skyscraper was the @ome ;nsurance >uilding in ,hicago, designed in 1AA5 #y
7illiam .e>aron Denney.
SLAB METHOD - A method of making pottery in which a thick, flat plate or slice of clay is cut
into shapes which are $oined to form an o#$ect.
SLIP - A creamy mixture of clay and water or "inegar used to cement two pieces of clay, such as
a handle and cup, together or for dripping on pottery as decoration.
SOLDER - 'o #ond metals using heat to melt in the $oint #etween them% low temperature alloys
of lead which adhere to the two ad$oining metal surfaces.
SPACE - 'he open parts #etween or inside shapes. *paces ha"e their own shapes and also ser"e
to make o#$ects in artwork stand out. *pace is an element of design.
SPEC BOOK - A catalog containing specimens of all the typefaces, in all sizes and "ariations,
a"aila#le from a specific typesetter.
SPLIT COMPLEMENTS - Hne color plus the two colors that are on either side of its
complement on the color wheel. 6or example, the complement of #lue is orange, and the two
colors on either side of orange are yellow-orange and red-orange. 'herefore, the split
complements of #lue are yellow-orange and red-orange.
SQUEEGEE - A flat, wood #ar with a ru##er #lade. 'he tool used in pulling the printing ink
across the silkscreen to produce a print.
STABILE - An a#stract sculpture that has mo"a#le parts similar to a mo#ile, #ut that is attached
to a solid, unmo"a#le #ase rather than suspended.
STAINED GLASS - )ieces of #rightly colored glass held together #y strips of lead to form a
picture or design. *tained glass was first used in churches during the +iddle Ages.
STATUE - A car"ed, modeled or sculpted three-dimensional figure, especially of a person or
animal, that stands up #y itself.
STENCIL - A pattern consisting of a cut-out design used for printing. )aint, crayon or another
medium is pressed or applied o"er the stencil, filling in the cut-out spaces so that a design comes
through onto the paper underneath.
STENCILING - A method of printmaking using stencils and a coloring medium to create a
design or pattern on paper or another surface.
STILL-LIFE (NATURE MORTE) - A drawing, painting, collage or other artwork that shows an
arrangement of nonmo"ing, nonli"ing o#$ects, such as fruit, flowers, #ottles, #ooks and other
o#$ects of daily life. Bsually, a still life is set indoors and contains at least one man-made o#$ect,
such as a "ase or #owl.
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STITCHERY - A kind of artwork in which designs or pictures are made #y stitching yarn,
thread, string or other materials to a fa#ric #acking.
STONEWARE CLAY - A high-fire, "itreous clay, with maturation usually a#o"e 1,4!! degrees
centigrade.
STUDIO - 'he place where an artist or designer works.
STYLE - 'he name gi"en to a group of works seen as #elonging together #ecause they resem#le
each other in some particular way. 7orks in the same style share a common formal design,
su#$ect matter, theme or function. Style names are sometimes identical with the culture that
produced the works, such as 1gyptian, :omanL or Aztec. Hther style names are deri"ed from the
name of a gi"en historical period, such as (othic or :enaissance, while at other times a style
name refers to a characteristic "isual &uality that per"ades a group or school of artists, such as
,u#ist or hard 1dge. Style also refers to the personal mannerisms or characteristics that
distinguish an artistEs work from his or her contemporaries.
SUBTRACTIVE SCULPTURE - +aking sculpture #y remo"ing material from a large #lock or
form. +ar#le, wood and soap car"ing are some types of su#tracti"e sculpture.
SUMI-E - A kind of Dapanese #rush drawing done with simple, flowing, cur"ing lines that are
created with careful #rushstrokes.
SYMBOL - *omething that stands for something else, especially a letter, figure or sign that
represents a real o#$ect or idea.
SYMBOLIC ORNAMENTATION - 8ecoration that uses sym#olic figures to represent a story
or idea, often found in #uildings, stained glass windows and other art forms of the +iddle Ages.
SYMBOLISM - 'he use of a figure or design to stand for something else. *omething concrete,
such as a lion, is usually used to represent an a#stract &uality, such as courage.
SYMMETRICAL - @a"ing a kind of #alance in which things on each side of a center line are
identical. 6or example, the hal"es of a personEs face are symmetrical. 'he principle of symmetry
is important in drawing portraits.
SYMMETRY - A form of #alance in which parts on #oth sides of a center line are the same.
TAPESTRY A picture or design wo"en or stitched in cloth and hung on a wall.
TECHNIQUE - 'he way an artist uses his or her tools. No two artists ha"e exactly the same
techni&ue.
TEMPERA - An opa&ue, water-solu#le paint a"aila#le in li&uid or powder form. ;t is called
showcard or poster paint.
TENEBRISM - An effect such as chiaroscuro, with most figures in shadow, yet others in a shaft
of light.
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TERRA COTTA - Bnglazed, fired clay, usually of pinkish color.
TESSERAE - 'he indi"idual pieces used in making a mosaic.
TERTIARY COLORS - *ee intermediate colors.
TEXT TYPE - +ain #ody type, usually 14 point and smaller.
TEXTILE - A piece of wo"en cloth% fa#ric. ,otton, "elour, silk, polyester and #urlap are
examples of textiles.
TEXTURE - 'he way a surface looks and feels - rough, smooth, silky and so on.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL - @a"ing length, width and depth. A sculpture is three-dimensional,
#ut a drawing is only two-dimensional since it is flat and has only length and width not depth.
THROW - 'he term used to denote the forming process on the potterEs wheel, pro#a#ly deri"ed
from the initial act of propelling a #all of clay onto the wheelhead.
THUMBNAILS - *mall, casual sketches used as a rough indication of a design plan.
TIE-DYE - ,olorful cloth with designs of lines and circles. 'he designs are made #ecause
o#$ects are tied into the cloth with string. 'he wrapped areas resist the colored dye into which the
cloth is dipped.
TIFFANY GLASS - A style of glass designed in the early 4!
th
century #y .ouis ,omfort 'iffany,
using rich colors and the #otanical forms and patterns characteristic of Art Nou"eau.
TINT - A color to which white has #een added. 6or example, white added to #lue makes a lighter
#lue tint 2*ee also shade3.
TITLE - 'he name gi"en to a picture, sculpture or other piece of artwork, reflecting the main
idea of the work.
TONE - 'he tint, shade, #rightness or "alue of color.
TORSO - 'he trunk, or main part of the human #ody, not including the head, arms and legs.
TOTEM - An o#$ect or image that ser"es as a sym#ol or em#lem of a family, person, idea or
experience.
TOTEM POLE - A pole or pillar of wood car"ed and painted with totem images showing the
history, traditions and legends of the Northwest ;ndians.
TOWER - A tall, "ertical structure that either stands free or is part of a #uilding.
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TRACERY - 8ecorati"e ornamental stone or wood patterns used #etween pieces of glass or on
walls.
TRADEMARK - A special design, name or sym#ol that represents a company or #usiness. +ost
trademarks are registered with the go"ernment and cannot #e used #y anyone else 2*ee also log3.
TRANSFER - 'o print or copy a drawing or design from one surface to another #y #ringing the
two surfaces into contact.
TRANSLUCENT - 'he a#ility to permit the passage of light #ut not image.
TRANSPARENT - Allowing light to pass through so that o#$ects can #e clearly seen underneath%
the opposite of opa&ue. 7indow glass, cellophane and watercolors are transparent.
TRIAD - 'hree colors e&ually spaced on the color wheel. 6or example, yellow, #lue and red
form a triad as do green, purple and orange and so on.
TRIPTYCH - A painting done in three sections hinged together.
TROMPE L#OEIL (FOOL THE EYE) - A painting so real that you want to touch the o#$ects.
TURRET - A small tower, usually containing stairs, that is located on the top of a #uilding.
TUSCHE - (rease in li&uid form used in making lithographs and serigraphs.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL - @a"ing height and width, #ut not depth% flat. )aintings, drawings and
stitchery are examples of two-dimensional art forms.
TYPOGRAPHY - 'he art and process of working with and printing from type. 'odayEs
technology, #y mechanizing much of the art, is rapidly making typography a science.
UNIFIED - @a"ing all parts look as if they #elong together in a complete whole.
UNITY - 'he appearance of oneness or wholeness achie"ed when all parts of a work of art look
as though they #elong together, are interrelated and #alanced and produce a total desired effect.
Bnity is a principle of design.
UN!USTIFIED TYPE - .ines of type set at different lengths which align on one side 2left to
right3 and are ragged on the other.
UPPERCASE - ,apital letters in an alpha#et.
VALUE - 'he lightness or darkness of tones or colors. 6or example, white and yellow ha"e a
light "alue and #lack and purple ha"e a dark "alue. 0alue is an element of design.
VANISHING POINT - ;n linear perspecti"e, the place on the horizon where parallel lines seem
to meet or con"erge.
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VARIETY - An assortment of lines, shapes or textures in a work of art. 0ariety is a principle of
good design.
VAULT - An arched ceiling or roof made of stone, cement or #rick.
VELLUM - 'hinned calf-hide, prepared for writing.
VERTICAL - *traight up and down% perpendicular to the horizon.
VIEWFINDER - A rectangular opening, usually in card#oard, through which the artists looks at
the su#$ect of the painting.
VIEWPOINTS - *ides from which an o#$ect can #e seen. A shoe has many "iewpoints% if you
put a shoe on a ta#le, you can mo"e around the ta#le to see different "iews of the shoe.
VOID - An opening, gap, hole or empty space, often used in modern sculpture. 0oids are an
important feature in the sculpture of @enry +oore.
WARM COLOR - A color that gi"es the feeling of warmth. Yellow-green, yellow, yellow-
orange, orange, red-orange, red and red-"iolet are warm colors.
WARP - 'he "ertical threads that are attached to the top and #ottom of a loom, through which the
weft is wo"en 2*ee also weft3.
WASH - 'he #ackground of a watercolor picture prepared using thin, watery paint applied
&uickly with large, sweeping #rushstrokes.
WATERCOLOR - A transparent paint made #y mixing powdered colors with a #inding agent
and water. 'he term also refers to a painting done with watercolors.
WATERSCAPE - A painting of or including a #ody of water.
WEAVING - 'he interlacing of threads and other materials to create a textile design as an
integral part of cloth.
WEDGING - ,utting, pounding and kneading clay to mix it and get rid of air #u##les until it has
a smooth and e"en texture and is ready to use.
WEFT - 'he threads or strands of yarn that are wo"en #ack and forth across the warp threads to
make solid textile 2*ee also warp3.
WOOD ENGRAVING - :elief process. A #lock of end-grain wood cut into with #urins,
gra"ers, tint tools, etc. A print from an end grain #lock.
WOODCUT - :elief process. A #lock of plank grain wood cut into with a knife and "arious
gouges, chisels, etc., wherein the image to #e printed stands in relief a#o"e the rest of the #lock.
A print from such a #lock.
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WORDSPACING - ;n composition, adding space #etween words to fill out line of type to a
gi"en measure.
X-HEIGHT - 'he height of the main portion of a lowercase letter, not including ascender or
descender.
YARN - A strand-like fi#er made of cotton, wool, or a man-made material and used for stitchery,
wea"ing, knitting, and appli&u9.
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