DRAWING & PAINTING VOCABULARY

The student may learn the following vocabulary:

(Terms that are bolded may apply to upper level classes)
abstraction simplification and alteration of forms to present the essence of objects,
people, or places
air brush a spray attached to a generator that applies pigment evenly
acrylic paint synthetic plastic resin based paint
alla prima style of painting where, instead of building colors up with layers, the
painting is done in one session while the paint is still wet
analogous colors colors that are side by side on the color wheel and have a common hue
anatomy study of the parts of the human body
atmospheric perspective
The effect of air and light on how an object is seen. The more air between
the viewer and the object, the more the object seems to fade. A bright
object seems closer to the viewer than a dull object. (aerial perspective)
avant garde term used to describe the work that is in the newest form of visual
expression
background area of a picture that is farthest away
binder liquid that holds together pigment
bleeding tendency for some colors to show through a second layer of paint
blend to merge colors, sometimes called feathering
blind contour line drawing in which the artist never looks at the paper
canvas cloth on which a painting is made
chiaroscuro referring to the modeling of volume by depicting light and shade by
contrasting them boldly
color scheme plan for organizing colors (monochromatic, analogous, complementary,
triad, split complementary, warm, and cool)
color tonality an arrangement of color schemes
color wash to apply a thin second color on top of a first, allowing the undercoat to
show through
color wheel radial diagram of colors in which primary and secondary, and sometimes
intermediate colors are displayed as an aid to color identification, choosing,
and mixing
complements colors opposite each other on the color wheel
composition the organization or arrangement of a work of art
contour drawing with a continuous line without lifting the drawing tool or looking
at the paper
cool colors violets, blue-greens and blues (colors that recede)
craftsmanship quality of what a person does
critique reflection or discussion when dealing with works of art
diptych a work of art in two sections or parts
drag to apply a second color of paint on top of a first to allow the brush
strokes to show through
dry brush applying pigment lightly over a surface, creating an area of broken color
earth colors colors including yellow ochre, burnt umber, raw sienna, and burnt sienna
encaustic pigment is mixed with melted wax and resin and then applied to a surface
while hot
en plain air "in the open air," used chiefly to describe paintings that have been
executed outdoors, rather than in the studio
faux represents a process to create false, artificial, or fake material
ferrule metal piece that attaches hairs to the brush handle
fixative chemical that is sprayed over a drawing to prevent it from smearing
flog to apply glaze, then while it is wet, to hit with a flat brush to create
texture
focal point portion of an artwork's composition on which interest or attention centers
foreground area of a picture that appears nearest to the viewer
foreshortening way of drawing an object so that it seems to go back into space
frottage method of making a design by placing a piece of paper on top of an object
and then rubbing over it, as with a pencil or charcoal
gel medium add to acrylic paint as an extender for thick transparent glazes to increase
gloss
gesso white mixture of chalky pigment combined with glue used to prepare a
canvas for painting
gesture act of making a sketch with relatively loose arm movements
glaze a coat over a painting sometimes meant to protect the paint underneath
glossy smooth, shiny, lustrous surface
golden mean a mathematical expression of proportion that ancient Greek philosophers
observed, "divine proportion"
gouache watercolor medium which is mixed with finely ground white pigment to
provide an opaque paint
gradated wash a wash that is light or thin in an area where little color has been applied,
and gradually becomes darker or heavier into another area, where more
color has been applied
grisaille term for paintings done in all grays, black and white
hard-edge edges of shapes are crisp and sharp, not blurred
hatching creating tonal or shading effects with closely spaced parallel lines
highlight the area on a form that reflects the most light
horizon line level line where water or land seems to end and the sky begins
hue color at its purest intensity
impasto thick textured build up of a picture's surface which is created through the
repeated applications of paint
intensity brightness or dullness of a color
intermediate color color made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color (ie: red
orange) tertiary colors
juxtaposition in painting, the close placement of colors on forms side by side
landscape painting or drawing of natural scenery such as mountains, lakes, etc.
layering technique in which art media are used over one another
light source the place where the light appears to be coming in on a painting
limited palette a palette of just three paints such as blue, yellow and an earth color
linear perspective to create the illusion of spatial depth on a two-dimensional surface
local color natural color of an object
luminosity exceptional brightness and clarity
masonite fiberboard made from wood fibers used to paint on
matte lacking highlights or gloss
medium a painting method (oil, watercolor, etc)
middleground the intermediate zone of space between foreground and background in a
work of art
mixed media painting or other work of art in which more than one medium and/or
material is used (ie: using acrylic, watercolor and pen in a single work)
moire to use a fine comb to make designs in paint
monochromatic consisting of only one color including its tints and shades
multiple perspectives different illusions of space used in one drawing
neutral colors Neutral colors include browns, blacks, grays, and whites. A color can be
neutralized by adding some of its complement to it.
non objective artwork without recognizable natural objects
oil paint A powdered pigment which is held together with oil, usually linseed oil.
Slow drying pigment.
one-point perspective A form of linear perspective in which all straight edge lines go from points
closer, to points farther, appear to meet at a single point on the horizon.
opaque opposite of transparent. Pigment does not allow underneath colors to
show through
organic free, irregular form that resembles living things
overlapping placing one object in front of another to create depth
palette tray for mixing paints on
picture plane the actual two dimensional surface on which a drawing is made
pigment any substance used as a coloring agent (earth, minerals, or chemicals)
pointillism colors are applied to the canvas in small dots
polychrome multicolored
portfolio a collection of an artists work for presentation
portrait painting or art work of the face
primary colors (blue, red, yellow) cannot be made from mixtures of other colors
prime to prepare a canvas, usually with gesso
proportion relationship of elements to one another and to the whole art work
radial balance composition based on a circle
rag to roll a rag in wet paint, removing paint in an abstract pattern
realism representation of actual places, people or objects
representational
drawing drawing of objects, people or places that look much like what one sees
rule of thirds Rule of thirds says that most designs can be made more interesting by
visually dividing the page into thirds vertically and/or horizontally and
placing our most important elements within those thirds.
saturation intensity of a color
scale relative size or weight of an object compared to a constant size or weight
scumbling adding a thin layer of color over a dry underlayer, allowing the underlayer
to show through
secondary colors colors obtained by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors
shade when black is added to a color to make it darker
silhouette drawing consisting of the outline of something, filled in with a solid color
sketch quick drawing
sfumato smoky hazy effect with soft edges
solvent liquid that controls the thickness, or thinness of paint
spatter to flick paint from a brush that has been dipped in contrasting paint
spectrum the complete range of color presented in a beam of light
split complements one color and the colors on each side of its complement on the color wheel
(ie: red, yellow green and blue green)
still life painting or drawing of inanimate objects
stipple method of using dots rather than lines in drawing and painting
stretchers wooden strips of varying lengths fitted together to make a support frame
for canvas
stump kind of pencil made of a tight roll of paper that is used for rubbing down
hard lines in pencil drawing,
subjective colors colors that have no connection with object reality
subject matter things represented in a work of art
style unique character contained in a work of art, period of time, or geographic
location
symbol an image that stands for something else
technique way in which an artist uses a material in the creation of an artwork
tempera painting medium in which pigment is mixed with water
tertiary colors colors made by mixing a primary color with its adjacent secondary color
(ie: red and orange = red orange)
thumbnail sketches small quick sketches that are plans for a final piece of art
tint light value of a color, made by mixing the color with white
tonality arrangement of colors in a painting in which one color dominates the work
of art
tooth the texture of paper
triad three colors equally spaced on the color wheel (red, yellow and blue form a
triad) do (orange, green and violet form a triad)
trompe loeil to paint a subject on a wall or furniture so realistically it fools the eye
Two point perspective
drawing straight edge lines that go from points closer, to points farther,
appear to meet at either of two points on the horizon
warm colors (red, orange, and yellow) warm colors seems to move toward the viewer
wash thin, translucent layer of pigment, usually watercolor or India ink
watercolor paint composed of a water-soluble pigment
wet in wet action of spreading paint when new pigment is added to a wet paper