Glossary of art terms for CPAR (4​th​ quarter)

Key terms

Elements​ - The elements of art are the building blocks used to create a work of art.
● line
● texture
● shape
● Form
● color
● space
● value

Principles​ - the means an artist uses to organize elements within a work of art.
● Rhythm
● Balance
● Emphasis
● Proportion
● Gradation
● Harmony/unity
● Variety
● Movement

Medium ​- ​The materials used to create a work of art, and the categorization of art based on the materials used

Techniques ​- ​The method with which an artist, writer, performer, athlete, or other producer employs technical skills or
materials to achieve a finished product or endeavor.

Classification of arts according to medium

• Practical​ - works that primarily meant to be functional in everyday life.
• Environmental​ - widely describe a range of works or practices that involve the use of
space, or are analyzed in the way that they interact with their surroundings.
• Pictorial ​- a classification of artwork that is predominantly visual and spatial.
• Auditory​ - creative works that engage the sense of hearing, while not being necessarily
musical in nature.
• Narrative​ - creative works that follow a sequential/story structure, such as events
unfolding across time (mostly applied in the literary sense, but is also applicable other
artforms that follow this sequential logic)
• Dramatic​ - a term tied up with theater, and is used (in the book) to describe works done
by or for a performance-based representation, such as by actors.
 • Musical​ -creative works that harness a logical arrangement of sound-one of the most
common is rhythm-and is observable in music, poetry, and dance (with musical
accompaniment).

Subject​ - The literal topic depicted in a work, ​perceptible​ and identifiable as is by superficial
judgment.

Themes​ - The broad topic or philosophy presented on the conceptual level, codified into the
elements of the artwork; thus ​the theme is not immediately perceptible.

Perspective drawing terms

Perspective ​- ​In art, a technique used to depict volumes and spatial relationships on a flat surface, as in a painted
scene that appears to extend into the distance.

Vanishing point​ - ​A vanishing point, or point of convergence, is a key element in many works of art. In
a ​linear perspective​ drawing, the vanishing point is ​the spot on the horizon line​ to ​which the receding parallel lines
diminish.

Horizon line​ - i​t is the level of the viewer's eye in relation to the scene of the painting. The horizon line is an
imaginary line to which all converging lines recede (in other words where all things recede).
 Painting jargons
Impasto​ - ​a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface in very thick layers

Trompe-l'œil​ - ​ is an art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the ​optical illusion​ that the depicted objects
exist in three dimensions.

Chiaroscuro​ - ​the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting; the treatment of light and shade in
drawing and painting

Brushwork - ​The manner in which a painter applies paint with a brush.

Support​ – surface where paint is applied

Wet media​ –​ Oil paint, paint, acrylic, watercolour.

Dry media​ –E​.g​.​ pencil, pen, graphite, charcoal, pastels, Conté, silverpoint.

Splatter/flicking technique:​ means flicking a loaded brush or a cup of paint at a vertical surface to form splashes or
splatters

Drybrush​ - a painting technique in which a paint brush that is relatively dry, but still holds paint, is used
Basic shading techniques
(stippling)
 Graphite pencil guide
B – Black (B, 2B, 3B, 4B…)
H – Hard (H, 2H, 3H, 4H…)
F – Fine

Photography jargons

Aperture ​- ​The aperture refers to the size of the opening in the lens through which the
light enters the camera.

ISO ​- ​The ISO refers to how sensitive the digital sensor in your camera is to light. The
lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to light. Setting a higher ISO number
increases the sensitivity of your camera sensor to light.

Shutter speed​ - ​The shutter speed refers to the length of time the opening in the lens
remains open to let light into the camera and onto the sensor.
 Color theory jargons

Color theory​ - ​a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific
color combination.

Hue – name of the color in the color wheels

Tone -- created when you add both black and white to a hue.
Tint -- created when you add white to any hue on the color wheel.
Shade -- created when only black is added to a hue.

RGB – Red, Green, Blue; colors on screen

CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black; colors on print

Some fancy color names:

Sarcoline - ​"​flesh-colored" or nude
Mikado – UST yellow
Chartreuse – a type of orange
Color harmonies:​ basic techniques for combining colors
Primary: ​Red, blue, yellow

​
Secondary:​ Orange, green, violet

Tertiary colors​ - created by mixing primary and secondary colors: E.g. Red violet, Yellow orange,
blue green

Monochromatic colors ​are all the colors (tones, tints and shades ) of a single hue
Rectangle (tetradic)
The rectangle or tetradic color scheme uses four colors arranged into
two complementary pairs.

Split-Complementary​
The split-complementary color scheme is a variation of the complementary
color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to
its complement.

Triad​
A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color
wheel.