Visual Art Terms

Visual Art Terms
Art 141 Art for Elementary Teachers
Instructor Kelly Parker

How to Experience Visual Art

1. Medium – the materials and techniques used by the artist to create the work. Example – oil paint on canvas is a traditional painting medium. Plural is media.

2. Form – the components of the composition and how there are arranged. Form is made up of ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design. The resulting arrangement of form can range from representational, abstract, or nonobjective art.

Elements – Individual building blocks of visual communication.

§ Line – leads the eye and is straight, curved, thick, thin, broken, solid, etc
§ Shape – can define solid vs. open forms, geometric vs. organic, etc. Solid shape in sculpture is referred to as mass.
§ Texture – relates to actual or implied surface qualities. Rough or smooth, matte or shiny, etc.
§ Space – the degree of depth implied in the work. Space can range from flat to shallow to deep.
§ Value – light and dark relationships. Value contrast can be limited or sharp, high or low.
§ Color – schemes can range from muted to vibrant, warm to cool, etc. Related terms – primary, secondary, monochromatic, complements, analogous, tint, tone, shade.

Principles – How the elements are combined to form relationships.

§ Unity/Variety – unity conveys a sense that the elements are working towards a common visual goal and variety alleviates extreme sameness
§ Repetition/Rhythm – the creation of pattern or regular recurrence of a motif or the use of interval and progression to lead the eye.
§ Balance – a sense of equilibrium in a work. Balance can be formal (symmetrical) or informal (asymmetrical).
§ Emphasis – drawing attention to particular parts of a composition to create a primary focal point or multiple areas of interest. Some compositions utilize the absence of emphasis for effect.
§ Scale/Proportion – scale is size relationship of one thing to another. Proportion is size relationship of parts to a whole.

3. Content – the overall meaning conveyed by the work.

§ Subject and function – what is the work about and what is it for?Expressive content – what is being communicated about the subject? Are there possible symbolic meanings to the overall