ART I midterm study guide
1. ELEMENTS OF ART/DESIGN
a. Line- A line is the distance between two points in art. There are two types of line:
1. Organic
2. Geometric
A line can be actual (ex: a line drawn with a pencil), or line can be implied (ex: the edge of a
shape creates a line that separates that shape from another). Line can be 2D (pencil on paper, for
example) or a line can be 3D (a piece of wire, for example)
b. Shape- When a line crosses over itself and encloses an area, or when two or more lines work
together to enclose an area, a shape is made. There are two types of shape:
1. Organic
2. Geometric
The 3D version of Shape is FORM.
Form is not its own Element of Art, but is instead a variation on SHAPE.
c. Space- Space is the area around, between, or inside parts of an artwork.
There are two types of space:
1. Positive Space is the area that an artwork occupies.
2. Negative Space is the emptiness that surrounds positive space.
d. Color- Color is the visible spectrum of light. Color has three aspects, or qualities:
1. Hue- Hue is the name of the color.
2. Value- Value is the relative lightness or darkness of a color.
3. Intensity- Intensity is the brightness, or saturation, of a color.
e. Value- Value is the relative lightness of darkness of a color.
It allows artists to create the illusion of depth in a 2-D image.
It is both an aspect of Color and its own Element of Art.
f. Texture- Texture is the surface quality of an object. There re two types of texture
1. Actual- The real texture of an object.
2. Implied- The apparent texture of an object.
2. PRINCIPLES
OF ART/DESIGN
g. Rhythm- Rhythm is when an element, or multiple elements, is repeated in a work of art.
h. Balance- Balance is a way of achieving equilibrium in a work of art.
There are 2 types of balance:
i. Symmetry
ii. Asymmetry
i. Unity- Unity combines the principles of design and the physical aspects of an artwork to create
a single, harmonious work.
j. Emphasis- Emphasis is a way of developing the main theme in a work of art. It is the focal
point of an artwork.
k. Proportion- Proportion is the relative size, or quantity, of any two or more Elements in a work
of art.
2. PERSPECTIVE
a. One Point Perspective- Any perspective image that uses one vanishing point.
b. Two Point Perspective- Any perspective image that uses two vanishing points.
c. Orthogonal Lines- An orthogonal line is any line in a perspective image that points to the
vanishing point.
d. Transversal Lines- A transversal line is any vertical line in a perspective image.
e. Horizon Line- A horizon line is the horizontal line in a perspective image that a vanishing point
rests on.
f. Vanishing Point- A vanishing point is any point in a perspective image that the orthogonal lines
point to.
4.
COLOR
a. Hue, Value, Intensity (see above)
b. Color Wheel
1. Primary Colors- A primary color is any color on the color wheel that cannot be made
by combining other colors. They are the colors from which all other colors on the color
wheel are made. EX- red, yellow, blue
2. Secondary Colors- A secondary color is any color on the color wheel that is made by
combining equal amounts of two primary colors. EX- orange, green, purple
3. Tertiary Colors- A tertiary color is any color on the color wheel that is not a primary
of secondary color. EX- yellow-green, red-purple, etc...
4. Complementary Color Scheme- A complementary color scheme is any two colors
that are directly across the color wheel from one another. EX- red and green, blue and
orange, yellow and purple. A Complementary Color Scheme is always made up of only
two colors.
5. Warm/Cool colors: Cool colors are any color that contains any amount of blue, such
as blue, green, purple, blue-green, blue-purple, yellow-green, and more. Warm colors are
any color that does not contain any blue at all, such as red, orange, yellow, yelloworange, red-orange, and more. In a work of art, warm colors appear to come towards the
viewer, while cool colors appear to move away from the viewer.
6. Tint/Shade/Tone: Adding WHITE to any color makes a TINT. Adding BLACK to
any color makes a SHADE. Adding GRAY to any color makes a TONE.
*You should be able to define, identify, and create examples of any Element of Art or Principle of Design.
*You should be able to create a basic example of both 1-point and 2-point perspective (a simple box- above, on
and below the horizon line). You should also be able to identify and define the four vocabulary words for
Perspective.
*You should be able to identify and/or create examples of Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary colors.
*You should be able to identify and/or create examples of Complementary colors and warm/cool colors.