Dictionary

The arrangement of lines, forms, tone and colour, even in a painting depicting an aspect of the known world, can be viewed as a series of nonrepresentational relationships.

This is the french term for an academy of art. it has also acquired the secondary meaning of the drawn study of the nude figure practiced there, and by extension painted studies of the nude.

Art cards editions and originals. aceos are collectible little pieces of art. an aceo is always 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. that is the size of a standard sports trading card. the rule about size is the only rule in the aceo world. an aceo can be created in any medium the artist desires: paint, colored pencils, ink, etc. there are even aceos made from wood, clay, fabric, and metal.

A painting process involving fast drying paints comprised of pigments suspended within an acrylic polymer emulsion. acrylic paintings can resemble watercolor or oil paintings depending on the methods and additives used during the painting process.

A nontoxic, water-based pigment available in tubes or jars and may be washed out of brushes.

That branch of philosophy which focuses on the nature and value of art, the nature of beauty, and provides a criteria by which works of art are analyzed and evaluated.

An allegory is the description of a subject in the guise of another subject. an allegorical painting might include figures emblematic of different emotional states of mind. allegorical subjects were frequently painted from the renaissance until around 1800.

Sometimes referred to as american folk art, americana artworks depict patriotic subjects like famous americans, historical landscapes, and slices of american life typically executed in a primitive or folk manner.

Is a commonly used term for photography that uses a progressively changing recording medium, which may be either chemical process based (e.g., photographic film or plate) or electronic (e.g., videocon or ccd sensor). through common use this term has come to mean anything that is "not digital" despite some amount of controversy that the use of film isn't a true "analog" process

Closely related hues, especially those in which you can see a common hue; hues that are neighbors on the color wheel, such as blue, bluegreen, and green.

A broadly applied term which refers to the history and culture of a period of western civilization. it is primarily used in an art-historical context to describe greco-roman life and art in europe prior to the decline of the roman empire.

Distinctions have in the past been made between the fine and applied arts. painting is usually seen as 'fine', while the making of jewelry or porcelain, for example, is seen as 'applied'.

A type of etching in which a ground of fine particles is used. this material resists acid, but is not a solid coating, which allows for a tonal effect in the printed result.

The art form of designing and planning the building of structures such as homes, churches, bridges, shopping centers, office buildings, schools, etc. architecture is common to all cultures throughout history.

A high quality, durable, acid-free paper meant for use in publication that require a permanent medium such as those of high legal, historical or significant value, including artworks.

The field of inquiry that describes, interprets and evaluates works of visual art, often by making comparative judgments.

An eclectic form of stylish modernism based on mathematical geometric shapes. art deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939.

The field of inquiry into the origins of visual art in worldwide and/or specific cultures, including the social, religious, cultural, philosophical, aesthetic and technological factors which influence changes in their production over time.

An international style of art, architecture and applied arts especially the decorative arts that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890-1905). A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it is characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs as well as highly stylized, flowing forms.

An object formed by humans, particularly one of interest to archaeologists, such as a tool or a work of art.

Term used to described film directors who are considered to have a distinctive, recognizable style, they are identifiable regardless of their genre.

Avant-garde refers to a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo. many artists have aligned themselves with the avant-garde movement and still continue to do so. refers to people or works that are experimental or innovative

Part of the picture plane that seems furthest from the viewer usually in the upper portion of the image.

The Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1740s.

Bauhaus architecture's characteristics include functional shapes, abstract shapes used sparingly for décor, simple color schemes, holistic design, and basic industrial materials like concrete, steel, and glass.

The art of depicting the form, color, and details of plant species, frequently in watercolor paintings. They must be scientifically accurate but often also have an artistic component and may be printed with a botanical description in books, magazines, and other media or sold as a work of art. Its original purpose was to aid in plant identification for medicinal and culinary uses.

The term refers to the art of the eastern christian empire, the capital city of which was constantinople or byzantium, now part of turkey and called istanbul. certain artistic traditions that originated in the byzantine empire, particularly in regard to icon painting and church architecture, are maintained in greece, serbia, bulgaria, macedonia, russia and other eastern orthodox countries to the present day.

Canvas is one of the most commonly used supports for painting. it consists of strong unbleached cloth, usually of hemp or flax, fixed over a wooden framework.

In italian capriccio (plural capricci) means that which is capricious, whimsical or fantastic. in relation to painting the term is usually used to describe imaginary topographical scenes.

Art where the subject's distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.

Making visual art from clay, a naturally occurring earth substance. the pottery is produced using this process and is then fired in a kiln to make it stronger.

Historically used in painting to sketch in the composition prior to painting, charcoal is also used to accomplish complete drawings. charcoal is available in vine, compressed, and powdered forms.

One of the oldest continuous artistic traditions in the world. traditional painting involves essentially the same techniques as calligraphy and is done with a brush dipped in black or colored ink; oils are not used. as with calligraphy, paintings are most commonly made on paper and silk. the finished work is then mounted on scrolls, which can be hung or rolled up. many traditions of western painting have been adopted by contemporary chinese painters, who have incorporated both eastern and western traditions into a style that is entirely their own.

A technique used to separate mixtures into their different components. chromatography can be used to determine the type of oil used in paint or the type of resin used in a varnish.

A full color photographic print produced from a color slide, a film negative or a digital file. the photographic processes known as chromogenic are characterized by a reaction between two chemicals to form the color dyes that make up a photographic image. these images are composed of three main dye layerscyan, magenta and yellowthat together form the full color spectrum.

Twentieth-century technique of making art in which various materials, such as paper, photographs, fabric, string, etc., are pasted on a flat surface.

Art made for commerce purposes (advertising, etc.)

Graphic art produced for purposes such as advertising and packaging.

Arrangement of objects, shapes, colors in a work of art.

Art in which the concept or idea involved in the work takes precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. when an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. the idea becomes a machine that makes the art.

A modern art movement beginning in russia that aimed to create abstract sculpture for an industrialized society. the movement utilized technology and building materials such as glass, plastic, steel and chrome. vladimir tatlin is credited as the first artist to develop this type of art.

The term used to describe art produced at this present point in time, or art produced since world war ii. the definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced since world war ii.

Message or theme the artist is trying to communicate in a particular work of art.

Outline or outside edge of shapes. contour lines will define something in a drawing, painting, or other work of art.

The process of producing works of visual art using various materials, media and techniques, usually of an original concept or idea, and involving higher-order thinking skills.

A 20th century avant-garde art movement pioneered by pablo picasso and george braque that revolutionized european painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. in cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed and re-assembled in an abstracted form the paintings are not supposed to look real, the artist uses geometric shapes to show what he is trying to paint.

Organization, plan or arrangement of a work of art.

A form of photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. the captured image is then digitized and stored as a computer file ready for digital processing, viewing, digital publishing or printing.

The art of representing objects, ideas, etc. on a surface using pencil, crayon, marker, pen, or other marking material to make lines or values usually on a flat surface.

The Dutch Golden Age was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 to 1672, in which Dutch trade, science, and art and the Dutch military were among the most acclaimed in Europe. The first section is characterized by the Eighty Years' War, which ended in 1648.

A freestanding upright support for a painter’s canvas.

The observable components of which all works of visual art are comprised, includes: line, shape, color, texture, value (light and dark), form, and space.

The process of creating a three-dimensional raised image or design in paper and other materials.

Paint made from pigment mixed with melted wax and fixed by heat after application on the surface.

An intaglio printmaking method in which a sharp tool called a burin is used to scratch lines into a metal plate. this technique is used to create a print.

It is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal (the original process—in modern manufacturing other chemicals may be used on other types of material). as an intaglio method of printmaking, it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains in wide use today.

A process of conveying ideas, feelings and meanings through selective use of the communicative possibilities of visual art.

In expressionist art, the artist tries to express certain feelings about some thing. the artists that painted in this style were more concerned with having their paintings express a feeling than in making the painting look exactly like what they were painting.

Fauvism was an art style that lasted only four years, beginning in 1905. it got this name because the paintings had bright and unusual colors. the subjects in the paintings were shown in a simple way, and the colors and patterns were bright and wild.

The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to make art that reflects women's lives and experiences, as well as to change the way that women are viewed within art history and art practice. founded in the 1960s, the style is very much alive today.

Sometimes written as figurativism, describes artworkparticularly paintings and sculptureswhich are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.

A name taken from a latin word meaning "to flow"is an international network of artists, composers and designers noted for blending different artistic media and disciplines in the 1960s.

Art typically created by people who have little or no formal artistic training who use techniques and styles that represent a particular region or culture. however, there is an emerging trend among trained artists to work in this style.

Paintings and decorative objects made in a naïve style.

Part of the picture plane that seems closest to the viewer, usually in the lower portion of the image.

A way of drawing or painting an object or person (using linear perspective) so that it seems to go back in space. prominently used during the renaissance.

The fundamental shape or structure of an objectsuch as sphere or cube.

Wall-painting on plaster with a water-based medium. true fresco (buon fresco) is one of the most permanent forms of wall decoration because the pigment is applied while the plaster is still damp.

A type of japanese tissue paper made from the inner bark of the gampi bush. this soft, silky medium is used for the mending and conservation of artworks on paper.

A dominant photographic process that are gelatin silver prints, monochromatic (gray scale) and typically glossy. they were most popular from the period of the 1880s until the 1960s, at which time it was eclipsed by consumer color photography.

Is a neologism coined in 1991 by printmaker jack duganne, for fine art digital prints made on inkjet printers. the name originally applied to fine art prints created on iris printers in a process invented in the late 1980s but has since come to mean any inkjet print. they are often used by artists, galleries, and print shops to denote high quality printing but since it is an unregulated word it has no associated warranty of quality.

Gold (or silver) beaten into extremely thin sheets; used for gilding.

Medieval artcovers over 1000 years of art history in europe, the middle east, and north africa. it includes some major art movements and periods such as early christian art, migration period art, celtic art, byzantine art, islamic art, pre-romanesque and romanesque art, and gothic art.

A type of painting similar to watercolor but more opaque and reflective in nature due to the presence of white chalk in the paint.

The actual name of a color, such as blue.

Was developed in france during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (ex. claude monet). the paintings were usually in bold colors and did not have a lot of detail. the paintings in this style were usually outdoor scenes like landscapes. the pictures were painted to look like they were shimmering.

Art is made by a social or ethnic group native to a particular land. these groups include the aborigines in australia and the native americans in the united states.

An artistic genre of three-dimensional works designed to transform a viewer's perception of a space. the genre incorporates a very broad range of everyday and natural materials, which are often chosen for their evocative qualities, as well as new media such as video, sound, performance, immersive virtual reality and the internet. many installations are site

A painting, drawing, photograph, or other work of art, which shows natural or outdoor scenes, such as rivers, lakes, mountains, or trees.

A print produced by lithography. a lithograph is an authorized copy of an original work created by the artist himself or other skilled craftsmen. the artist uses a set of greasy crayons or pencils to draw a mirrored image of the original artwork onto a smooth stone tablet. the image may be directly printed from this plate (resulting in a reverse image) or offset by being transferred through a flexible sheet prior to printing.

Machine or frame for weaving.

The resources used in (1) the creation of works of visual art, such as canvas, clay, fabrics, fibers, film, paint, paper, wood, etc., and (2) the study of works of art, such as art reproductions, books, videocassettes, filmstrips, slides, etc.

Visual artworks are grouped according to the materials used to produce them, such as film, oils, pen and ink, pencils and watercolors, etc.

Material used by an artist to produce a work of art. may also refer to the liquid mixed with pigment to make paint.

Area of a picture between foreground and background.

Describes movements in various forms of art, architecture and design where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental elements. it is primarily identified with developments in post-world war ii western art, most strongly with american visual arts in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Any work of art created by employing any combination of mediums.

Creating artwork that uses more than one medium or technique in combination.

Photography that uses a variety of techniques and processes including hand colored photographs.

The latest styles of art, often associated with revolutionary ideas and styles in art, architecture, and literature. the art that developed in the early 20th century as a reaction to traditional forms.

Ushered into western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, modernism in the visual arts rejected the old standards of how art should be made, viewed, and what it should mean. modernist artists affirmed the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology, or practical experimentation.

Design based on a single hue.

Floor or wall decoration made of small pieces of stone, ceramic, shell, or glass set into plaster or cement.

Art by native americans in the united states, use of art has been used as a form of expression for hundreds even thousands of years. arts include painting, pottery, sand painting, carving, beadwork and baskets.

A european movement began after a.d. 1765, neo classical artist’s favored strong, clean colors with contrasting lights and darks. as a reaction against baroque and rococo styles, they sought to return to the perceived purity of the arts of rome.

Colors that blend or combine with all other colors to alter their value or intensity. black, white, gray and variations of brown are considered neutral colors.

An artist's "body of work" is their oeuvre. the term is commonly used by: museum and cultural heritage curators, the interested public, the art patron, private art collector community and galleries.

A process of painting that uses paints composed of pigments that are bound with an oil medium.

May be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

Artwork not copied or imitated from the work of someone else.

Pigments (color) mixed with oil or water. pigment particles in paint stick to the surface of the support material on which the paint is applied.

Used to apply paint to the surface of different support materials.

The term painting, refers to works of art created by applying paint to a flat surface such as canvas or paper.

Is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video or a 3d model. panoramas first originated in the 19th century as a way of immersing large crowds of people into a reconstruction of a foreign place using monumental images.

Modeling material made of mashed newspaper and liquid paste.

A combination of pure pigment and binder forming permanent-colored sticks. when the ground is completely covered with pigment, the work is considered a pastel painting; leaving much of the ground exposed produces a pastel sketch.

A drawing that uses black ink.

Visual and sensory awareness, discrimination and integration of impressions, conditions and relationships with regard to objects, images and feelings.

Refers largely to a performance which is presented to an audience but which does not seek to present a conventional theatrical play or a formal linear narrative, or which alternately does not seek to depict a set of fictitious characters in formal scripted interactions. it therefore will often include some form of action or spoken word, which is a form of direct communication between the artist and audience, rather than a script written beforehand.

The iranian cultural regionconsisting of the modern nations of iran, armenia, turkey, afghanistan, tajikistan, azerbajian, uzbekistan and surrounding areasis home to one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stone masonry.

System for giving the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

Person using the technique of photography to capture optical images on light sensitive surfaces.

The process, activity, and art of creating a still picture on a sensitive medium such as film. during the printing process additional modifications can be made.

Photorealism evolved from the pop art movement and was a response to the flowing brush strokes and explosion of paint that was abstract expressionism. photo realists relied extensively on photographic reference to compose and execute their works.

Surface of a painting or drawing.

Referring to landscapes painted outside rather than in a studio, with the intention of catching the impression of the open air.

The artist uses small dots or strokes of paint to make up the pictures. from far away, these dots blend together to form the picture and give the impression of different colors as they blend together.

The concept behind pointillism involves painting small dots of primary colors on the painting surface which are visually mixed by the eye when viewing from a distance creating secondary <secondary colors> and intermediate colors <intermediate colors>. george seurat is the most famous artist who practiced pointillism.

Pop art can be any every day item that is drawn in a brash and colorful way. pop art is short for popular art. it is inspired by comic strips, advertising, and popular entertainment.

Image of a person’s face.

Or art that emerged after modernism in the late 20th century, envelops many sub-movements including installation art, conceptual art, intermedia, multi-media, and performance art.

After world war ii, america (most specifically new york) became a center of artistic production in the art world (whereas before they had been housed in europe). characterized by movements such as abstract expressionism and pop art, the term "post-war american painting" is sometimes used to categorize the entirety of contemporary art produced in the past six decades.

Ceramic container made from clay, and then fired in a kiln.

The three basic colors: red, blue and yellow. they can be mixed to form all other colors.

The basic colors of red, yellow, and blue from which it is possible to mix all other colors on the color wheel.

Primitive art looks like art that is done by a child. usually the picture is painted very simply, and the subjects are "flat", or two-dimensional.

Refer to the different ways the elements of design may be used in works of art in the western european tradition, such as: balance, rhythm, center of interest, emphasis, contrast, repetition, movement, variety, and unity. although, works from cultures that are not part of the western european tradition may give evidence of such principles, they were not created according to these principles and should not be judged by them.

The art process used to produce an impression from one surface to another and may be repeated one or more times to produce identical images. several basic printing processes used in the classroom include stencil, block, and monoprint.

A complex operation involving a number of methods or techniques, such as the additive/subtractive process in sculpture, or the etching/intaglio processes in printmaking.

Realism is a type of art that shows things exactly as they appear in life. it began in the 18th century, but the greatest realist era was in the mid-19th century.

An art style which emphasizes the personal, emotional and dramatic through the use of exotic, literary or historical subject matter.

Technique of transferring textural qualities of a surface to paper by placing the paper over the surface and repeatedly rubbing over the top of the paper with crayon or pencil until the image is clearly visible on the paper.

A type of installation art. objects (often found objects) are arranged in a seemingly random fashion or tossed and “scattered” into the space in an act of chance.

Also known as silk screen or serigraph. a method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of silk or other fine mesh. negative areas are coated with an impermeable substance and ink is forced through the mesh onto a printing surface. this technique was made famous by andy warhol.

A three-dimensional work of art, which may be carved, modeled, constructed, or cast.

Colors that are mixtures of two primary colors. red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make violet.

The three colors obtained by mixing equal parts of two primary colors: red + yellow = orange; red + blue = violet; blue + yellow = green.

Black and white photographs that have been bleached and dropped into a sepia bath resulting in a monotone photograph in shades of warm browns. because this photographic technique was used extensively in the past it often evokes a vintage feel.

Dark value of a color made by adding black to it. opposite of a tint.

Shaded areas in a drawing painting photograph, or other work of art. shadows show the surface of the subject that reflects the least light, and are used to create the illusion of form. opposite of highlight.

A mixture of nitric acid and gum arabic (or in rare cases, saliva) that can be dripped, spattered or painted onto a metal surface to provide an interesting effect in the completed etching

A painting, drawing, photograph, or other work of art that shows an arrangement of inanimate objects.

An artist’s or group of artists’ characteristic way of making art or expression, often typical of a cultural group or time period.

The person, object, event, or idea on which an artwork is based.

The categories for identifying the type of content in visual works of art, such as abstractions, animals, landscapes, genre (people in everyday activities), human figures, cityscapes, seascapes, etc.

Surrealists paintings were generally based on dreams. their paintings were filled with familiar objects, which were painted to look strange or mysterious.

Visual image that stands for or represents something else.

The processes by which art materials and media are used to create/produce works of visual art, such as carving, drawing, painting, printing, etc.

Complex equipment used in the study and creation of art, such as lathes, presses, computers, lasers and video equipment.

In a painting is the feel of the canvas. it can be based on the paint and its application or the addition of materials such as ribbon, metal, wood, lace, leather, sand, etc.

Having three qualities including depth, height, and breadth, as in a sculpture, for example.

Light value of a color made by mixing the color with white.

Instruments and equipment used by students to create and learn about art, such as brushes, scissors, brayers, easels, kilns, carving tools and cameras.

A work of art (often a panel painting), which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and folded. the middle panel is typically the largest and is flanked by two smaller related works, although there are triptychs of equal-sized panels.

Flat. having only two qualities of height and breadth, as in a drawing or painting, for example.

The oneness or wholeness in a design that occurs when all parts work together to create a cohesive whole.

In perspective, the point at which receding lines seem to converge and vanish.

A common tongue, or mother language, to which all ordinary conversation or exchanges refer. in photography or other artistic production, it is a work by an amateur or unknown artist who uses everyday life and common situations as subjects. examples of vernacular art include travel and vacation photos, family snapshots, photos of friends, class portraits, identification photographs, and photo-booth images. vernacular photographs are types of accidental art, in that they often are unintentionally artistic.

Video art relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s and is still widely practiced, often in video installations. video art can take many forms: recordings that are broadcast, viewed in galleries or other venues, or distributed as tapes or discs; sculptural installations, which may incorporate one or more television receivers or monitors, displaying "live" or recorded images and sound; and performances in which video representations are included.

A broad category that includes the traditional fine art, such as drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture; communication and design art such as film, television, graphics and product design; architecture and environmental art such as urban, interior and landscape design; folk art; and works of art such as ceramics, fibers, jewelry, works in wood, paper and other materials.