Charcoal Vocabulary
Vine charcoal- Chard willow or vine; medium in value; used to
create a ground
Compressed charcoal- Comes in round, square and chunky
shapes; very dark in value
Charcoal pencils- Rated like pencils 2b, 4b and 6b; Great for
details
Polymer eraser- good at removing large areas
Kneaded eraser- used for erasing small detailed areas; works
well for lifting larger areas too
Eraser stick- can be used to sketch in highlights when starting
with a ground base; good for detailed areas
Blending stump- Use to soften areas where indirect lighting is
involved
Core shadow- Area where the shadow is the darkest
Cast shadow- Area where the shadow of an object covers the
ground
Reflected light- Area where the shadows are lighter due to light
reflecting off another object
Bleached line- Also called an implied line; an area where the
contour line is missing
Fixative-Spray sealant that keeps the charcoal from smudging
Elements of Art
The elements of art are the building blocks of
an artistic creation, a "visual language" or "ingredients" used
by the artist.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Line – a continuous mark made on a surface
Shape – two-dimensional and encloses space (square, etc)
Organic (curvy lines) Geometric (straight lines)
Form – three-dimensional and encloses and takes up
space
Color – that which is perceived when light hits and
reflects off an object. Three properties of color are Hue
(name of a color), Intensity (strength of a color),
Value (lightness or darkness of a color)
Texture – the surface quality or feel of an object. Actual
and implied (what it feels like)
Space – the area between, around and above things.
Positive space (the figure) Negative space (area around
figure)
Value – the lightness and darkness of an area
Principles of Design
The ways in which the Elements of Art
are organized are referred to as the Principles of Design.
1.
Rhythm – The repetition of lines, shapes, or colors to
create a feeling of movement.
2. Movement – the feel of action or directional flow
3. Balance – symmetry, asymmetry and radial
4. Proportion – the relationship of size, large next to small
5. Variety – the use of different or contrasting elements to
add interest
6. Emphasis – used to make something stand out, like dark
next to light (contrast)
Unity – how all the aspects of a work of art work together
Color and Value Terms
Hue: The property of a color which gives it its names – red, green, violet, etc.
The continuous band of the visible spectrum is usually divided into six basic hues
– red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, ranging from the warm colors to the
cool colors.
Chroma: the brightness or intensity of the color. Some colors are bright and clear
while others seem muddy and dull.
White, black and gray are ACHROMATIC, or without chroma. They are
distinguished only by value, and not by hue.
Tone: the darkness or lightness of a color, an easy example to remember is the
differences in skintones.
Value: the distinction between light and dark. Colors have value-colors which are
light are said to be high in value. Colors that are dark are said to be low in value.
Value is the only distinguishing feature of the achromatic colors – white, black
and the range of grays in between them.
Tint: color mixed with white to raise its value. Tints are frequently used for
highlights. Adding white reduces the intensity of a color. Tints seem to come
forward in a work of art; they make objects appear larger.
Shade: a color mixed with black to lower its value. Shades make objects appear
to recede or go back into the picture plane. They appear smaller.
Saturation: the vividness or purity of a color; also called intensity or chroma
Temperature: color has temperature: red, red-orange, yellow-orange and yellow
are warm colors. They are exciting and make objects seem larger and appear to
come forward.
Greens, blues and violet are cool colors. They are restful and calming. Cool
colors recede into the distance and make objects appear smaller.
Yellow-green and red-violet can function as either warm or cool colors since they
contain elements of both. In a blue green painting, yellow-green would add some
warmth,, while in a color scheme of warm reds and yellows, they would act as a
cooler accent.
Putting both warm and cool colors in an artwork can give it balance.
Using the Color Wheel
Primary Colors: are red, blue and yellow. These colors cannot be created by
mixing other colors together.
Secondary Colors: are green, orange and purple. These colors are made by
mixing two of the primary colors together.
Intermediate or Tertiary: colors are made by mixing together a primary and a
secondary color. Examples are red-orange, yellow-orange or blue-green. These
colors are double-named colors.
Color schemes create unusual or weird effects in artwork, and can create moods
that produce an emotional response.
Related Color Schemes:
Monochromatic: color schemes used only one color and its tints and shades
Analogous colors: are colors with a common hue that are next to each other on
the color wheel, such as blue-violet, violet and red-violet.
Contrasting Color Schemes:
Complementary colors: are colors that are opposite each other on the color
wheel, such as red and green, purple and yellow and orange and blue. These
colors intensify each other and can be used for optical effects.
Split Complementary Colors: are a color harmony using three colors: one color
and the two colors on each side of its complement. Example: red=violet, redorange and green.
Double Split Complements: use only the intermediate colors of two
complementary colors. The double split complement palette is the most
frequently used color scheme in painting. Example: red-violet, red-orange,
yellow-green and blue-green.
A Color Triad is three colors spaced equally apart on the color wheel, such as
orange, green and violet. Also called a “triadic” color palette.