Art History: Exam 1

Front 1

line

Back 1

a mark or implied mark between two end points

Front 2

gestural/communicative

Back 2

a type of line which expresses the artist's inner being or personal style

Front 3

contour

Back 3

a type of line which marks the outer edges of a three-dimensional

Front 4

directional line

Back 4

a line used to direct our attention to a specific area of a work of art

Front 5

cross-hatching

Back 5

a type of line with produces tones or shadows and affords the work a three-dimensional or sculptural look

Front 6

light

Back 6

electromagnetic energy and the basis for vision

Front 7

color

Back 7

an aspect of light

Front 8

hue

Back 8

the pure state of color in the spectrum

Front 9

tints

Back 9

a hue with the addition of white

Front 10

tones

Back 10

a hue with the addition of grey

Front 11

intensity/saturation

Back 11

the brightness, dullness, or purity of a hue

Front 12

primary ( subtractive) color system

Back 12

a color system that applies to objects which reflect light (red, yellow, blue)

Front 13

primary (additive) color system

Back 13

a color system that applies to objects which emit light (red, blue, green)

Front 14

secondary colors

Back 14

two primary colors mixed together

Front 15

complementary colors

Back 15

colors that are opposite on the color wheel. when used adjacently, they produce a vibrant contrast

Front 16

analogous colors

Back 16

colors which are adjacent on the color wheel. when used adjacently they produce a soothing effect

Front 17

value

Back 17

the lightness or darkness of a plane or area

Front 18

shape

Back 18

a two dimensional area, the boundaries of which are designed by lines or suggested by changes in color or value

Front 19

form

Back 19

an object that can be defined in three dimensions (height, width, depth) or the implication of that form on a 2-dimensional surface

Front 20

geometric

Back 20

2-D (square, circle, triangle, etc.)

3-D volumetric or mass (cube, box, pyramid, sphere)

Front 21

organic

Back 21

natural, biomorphic resembling living things

Front 22

volume

Back 22

the space filled or enclosed by a three dimensional figure or object

Front 23

mass

Back 23

volume that has, or gives, the illusion of having weight, density and bulk

Front 24

space

Back 24

the distance between identifiable points or planes

Front 25

perspective

Back 25

the creation of the illusion of depth in a 2-dimensional image by using mathematical principles

Front 26

depth

Back 26

the degree of recession in perspective

Front 27

atmospheric perspective

Back 27

the blurring of forms, colors, and values as they recede into the background

Front 28

overlapping

Back 28

the placement of objects that indicate closeness to the viewer by having the closer objects obscure some of the view of the object further away

Front 29

liner perspective

Back 29

a system of rendering the illusion of three-dimensional depth on a flat, two-dimensional surface. often called the renaissance perspective

Front 30

horizon line

Back 30

in linear perspective, a horizontal line which represents eye level

Front 31

isometric perspective

Back 31

a system using diagonal lines to communicate depth

Front 32

texture

Back 32

a surface characteristic of artwork

Front 33

tactile

Back 33

physical surface variations that can be perceived by the sense of touch

Front 34

visual

Back 34

illusionary texture, particularly on the 2-dimensional surface

Front 35

time

Back 35

the actual of implied period that viewers study and absorb the message and formal qualities of an artwork

Front 36

motion

Back 36

an element that marks the passage of time. can be implied or actual

Front 37

composition

Back 37

the unified organization of the elements of an artwork in such a way that harmony and balance are achieved

Front 38

2-D space

Back 38

having or appearing to have height and length, without significant depth

Front 39

3-D space

Back 39

having or appearing to have height, length and depth

Front 40

picture plane

Back 40

the flat, two-dimensional surface of a drawing, a print or a painting

Front 41

positive form (figure)

Back 41

in a composition, the main focus or object depicted

Front 42

negative form (ground)

Back 42

in composition, the background or objects that are not as important as the figure

Front 43

balance

Back 43

a principle of art in which elements are used to create a symmetrical or asymmetrical sense of visual weight in an artwork

Front 44

asymmetrical balance

Back 44

the placement of artistic elements within a composition so that their visual weights seem even distributed

Front 45

symmetrical

Back 45

usually bi-lateral symmetry. when an imaginary vertical line is drawn down the center of the work and there is equal distribution of elements on either side

Front 46

radial balance

Back 46

when visual elements radiate outward from a central point

Front 47

focal point

Back 47

a principle of art in which elements are used to create attention to a particular content

Front 48

emphasis

Back 48

main area of visual concentration in an artwork

Front 49

contrast

Back 49

a drastic difference between such elements as color and value when they are presented together

Front 50

rhythm

Back 50

a form of repetitive beats that are usually seen in the composition as a pattern. this is accomplished by repeating one or more of the formal elements in the organization of a work

Front 51

repetition

Back 51

multiple uses of the same or similar element within the compostition

Front 52

pattern

Back 52

in composition, a configuration on the surface of an object with a repeated visual element

Front 53

unity/variety

Back 53

either a display of cohesion or dissimilarity of the elements within the composition

Front 54

scale

Back 54

the size of an object of image that is measured by its relationship to other objects and images that are recognized for their normal or actual size

Front 55

proportion

Back 55

the size relationship, or relative size, of parts of objects or imagery to a whole or each

Front 56

representation or naturalistic

Back 56

depicting objects or scenes from real life

Front 57

idealized

Back 57

natural imagery that is modified in a way that strives for perfection within the bounds of values and aesthetics of a particular culture

Front 58

abstracted

Back 58

objects or scenes which are slightly simplified, distorted, or exaggerated

Front 59

non-representational or non-objective

Back 59

artwork which does not resemble any particular object or scene