Design Keywords From "launching The Imagination"

Front 1

abstract shape

Back 1

a shape that is derived from a visual source, but is so transformed that it bears little visual resemblance to that source

Front 2

actual lines

Back 2

lines that are physically present in a design

Front 3

atmospheric perspective

Back 3

a visual phenomenon in which the atmospheric density progressively increases, hazing over the perceived world as one looks into its depth. Overall definition lessens, details fade, contrasts become muted and, in a landscape, a blue mist descends

Front 4

attached shadow

Back 4

a shadow that directly defines a form

Front 5

calligraphic line

Back 5

derived from the Greek words for beautiful and writing, a flowing, and expressive line that is as personal as handwriting. Calligraphic lines generally vary in thickness and velocity

Front 6

cast shadow

Back 6

a dark shape that results from placement of an opaque object in the path of a light source

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chiaroscuro

Back 7

(from Italian meaning "light-dark") the gradual transition of values to create the illusion of light and shadow on a three dimensional form

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closure

Back 8

the minds' inclination to connect fragmentary information to produce a completed form -- Gestalt psychology

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collage

Back 9

an image constructed from visual or verbal fragments initially designed for another purpose

Front 10

composition

Back 10

the combination of multiple parts into a unified or harmonious whole

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continuity

Back 11

degree of connection or flow among compositional parts

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contour line

Back 12

a line that describes the edges of a form and suggests three dimensional volume

Front 13

contrast

Back 13

the degree of difference between compositional parts or between one image and another. Contrast is created when two or more forces operate in opposition

Front 14

cross-contour

Back 14

multiple lines running over the surface of an object horizontally and/or vertically that describe its surface configuration topographically, as in mapping. Cross-controus can also be used in drawing to suggest three dimensional form through tonal variation

Front 15

cross-hatching

Back 15

a technique used in drawing and printmaking to shade an object using two or more networks of parallel lines

Front 16

curvilinear shape

Back 16

a shape whose contour is dominated by curves and flowing lines

Front 17

definition

Back 17

1) the degree to which a shape is distinguished from both the ground area and from other shapes within the design 2) the degree of resolution or focus of an entire image

Front 18

direction

Back 18

actual or implied movement of an element within a design

Front 19

elements of design

Back 19

basic building blocks from which designs are made: line, shape, texture, color, value

Front 20

figure/ground reversal

Back 20

an arrangement in which positive and negative shapes alternatively command attention

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geometric shape

Back 21

a shape derived from or suggestive of geometry

Front 22

gesture drawing

Back 22

a vigorous drawing that captures the action, structure, and overall orientation of an object, rather than describing specific details

Front 23

gradation (or shading)

Back 23

any gradual transition from one color to another or from one shape or volume to another. In drawing, shading created through the gradation of grays can be used to suggest three dimensional form

Front 24

grid

Back 24

a visual or physical structure created from intersecting parallel lines

Front 25

grisaille

Back 25

a gray underpainting, often used by Renaissance artists, to create the illusion of space

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hatching

Back 26

a technique used in drawings and printmaking to create a range of gray tones using multiple parallel lines

Front 27

high definition

Back 27

sharply focused visual information that is easily readable. High definition creates strong contrast between shapes and tends to increase clarity and immediacy of communication

Front 28

implied line

Back 28

1) a line that is suggested by the positions of shapes or objects within a design 2) a line that is suggested by movement or by a gesture rather than being physically drawn or constructed

Front 29

invented texture

Back 29

a form of visual texture that has been created without reference to perceptual reality

Front 30

line

Back 30

1) a point in motion 2) a series of adjacent points 3) a connection between points 4) an implied connection between points

Front 31

line weight

Back 31

variation in line thickness

Front 32

low definition

Back 32

blurred or ambiguous visual info. Low definition shapes can increase the complexity of the design, and encourage multiple interpretations

Front 33

movement

Back 33

in design, the use of deliberate visual pathways to help direct the viewers attention to areas of particular interest

Front 34

negative shape (or ground)

Back 34

1) a clearly defined area around a positive shape or form 2) a shape created through the absence of an object rather than through the presence of an object

Front 35

nonobjective shape

Back 35

shapes created without reference to specific visual subject matter

Front 36

organic shape

Back 36

a shape that visually suggests nature or natural forces. AKA bimorphic shape

Front 37

organizational lines

Back 37

lines used to create the loose linear "skeleton" on which a composition can be built. AKA structural lines

Front 38

pattern

Back 38

a design created through systematic repetition. Many patterns are based on a module, or repeated visual unit

Front 39

physical texture

Back 39

actual variation in a surface

Front 40

orientation

Back 40

the horizontal, vertical, or diagonal position of a composition or design element

Front 41

positive shape (or figure)

Back 41

the principle or foreground shape in a design and the dominant shape or figure in a figure-ground relationship

Front 42

proximity

Back 42

the distance between visual or structural elements or between an object and the audience

Front 43

pure forms

Back 43

circles, spheres, triangles, cubes, and other forms created without reference to specific subject matter

Front 44

rectilinear shape

Back 44

a shape composed from straight lines and angular corners

Front 45

repetition

Back 45

the use of the same visual element or effect a number of times in the same competition

Front 46

representational shape

Back 46

a shape derived from specific subject matter and strongly based on visual observation

Front 47

shape

Back 47

a flat, enclosed area created when a line connects to enclose an area, an area is surrounded by other shapes, or an area is filled with color or texture

Front 48

texture

Back 48

the visual or tactile quality of a form. Texture can be created visually using multiple marks, physically, through surface variation, or through the inherent property of a specific material, such as sand as opposed to smooth porcelain

Front 49

trompe l' oeil

Back 49

a flat illusion that is so convincing the viewer believes the image is real -- "to fool the eye"

Front 50

unity

Back 50

compositional similarity oneness, togetherness, or cohesion

Front 51

value

Back 51

the relative lightness or darkness of a surface

Front 52

value distribution

Back 52

the proportion and arrangement of lights and darks in a composition. AKA value pattern

Front 53

value scale

Back 53

a range of grays that are presented in a consistent sequence, creating a gradual transition from white to black

Front 54

variety

Back 54

the differences that give a design visual and conceptual interest; notably, use of contrast, emphasis, differences in size, and so forth

Front 55

visual movement

Back 55

use of continuity to create deliberate visual pathways. Often used to direct the viewer's attention to areas of particular importance in the composition

Front 56

visual texture

Back 56

texture created using multiple marks or through a descriptive simulation of physical texture

Front 57

volume

Back 57

1) an empty three dimensional form 2) in two dimensional design, a three dimensional form that has been represented using the illusion of space 3) in time design, the loudness of a sound

Front 58

volume summary

Back 58

a drawing that comunicates visual info reductively, using basic volumes, such as spheres, cubes, and cylinders, to indicate the major components of a figure or object

Front 59

volumetric

Back 59

three dimensional in nature

Front 60

weight

Back 60

the visual or physical heaviness of an object