Art
acrylic rod-a tool used to condition and flatten polymer clay into sheets
acrylic-a water-soluble paint that is permanent when dry; can duplicate many oil and watercolor
appearances
addition-sculpture method in clay in which pieces of clay are combined or added together to
make a whole
aerial perspective-sense of depth created in a painting through use of subdued colors to indicate
distance
analogous color scheme-choice of 2 or 3 adjacent colors on the color wheel
armature-an interior support of some sculptures
assemblage-sculpture created of related or unrelated material parts
asymmetrical-shapes which do not match if they could be folded in half
background-the area in a picture or piece of artwork that is highest in the picture frame and
therefore, farthest away from the viewer
bake-the term used to describe heating the clay in an oven at the appropriate temperature for the
appropriate amount of time
balance-principle of design concerned with the arrangement of the elements of a composition;
the 3 types of balance--symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial
bisqueware-a first firing of unglazed clay
blade-a super-sharp cutting tool necessary for precise slicing
blending-a mixing of adjacent areas so the areas change gradually into each other
bull's eye-a cane design that has a coil in the center and different colors of clay in rings from the
center out
burnish-to polish leatherhard clay by rubbing it with a smooth object
canes-designs built from longs coils or sheets of different ways to create patterns or pictures
which are then thinly sliced and used
casting slip-special liquid clay used to make clay projects by pouring into a plaster mold
clay-moist earth of decomposed rock that has a plastic quality
coil-a long, snake-like length of polymer clay
color-an element of art comprised of hues produced through the reflection of light to the eye
complementary color schemes-color choices that allow only the 2 colors that are opposite each
other on the color wheel, e.g. yellow and purple
complementary colors-colors opposite each other on the color wheel, e.g. red and green, blue
and orange, yellow and violet
composition-how a piece of artwork is planned and arranged on a surface
condition-working polymer clay with hands or tools to warm, soften, and align all the clay's
molecules
contour-the outline of a shape or the outermost edge of a form
cool colors-the colors associated with water--blue, green, and violet
crosshatch-line technique in which one or more sets of lines cross each other, creating shading
effects
cyanoacrylate glue (superglue)-glue that will hold baked polymer clay together
dedicated-term used to describe tools or surfaces that should be used only for polymer clay and
never used for anything else, especially food preparation
diagonal lines-slanted lines
dimensional-to not be flat; to have some degree of height or thickness
dry foot-to remove any glaze off the bottom of a pot or project before glaze firing
earthenware-a low-firing type of clay
emphasis-principle of design that stresses an element in a composition to make it more
prominent
fimo-a brand of polymer clay that is very stiff and strong
fire-heating clay products in a kiln at high temperatures so they become permanent
foreground-the area in a picture or piece of artwork that is lowest in the picture frame and
therefore, closest to the viewer
form-object with 3 dimensions--length, width, depth
glaze-a coating over clay that when heated to a high temperature will melt, sealing the clay and
giving it a decorative finish
greenware-a clay project that has not been fired
horizon line-the line, real or imaginary, where the sky and the land or water meet; often
corresponds to the viewer's eye level
horizontal lines-lines that are parallel to the horizon or the bottom of a piece of paper
imply-to suggest
in the round-sculpture that can be viewed from any direction around it
india ink-black, waterproof ink often used for drawing
jellyroll-a cane made of 2 or more stacked sheets of clay that is then rolled up
kiln-the piece of equipment used to heat clay to high temperatures to make clay harden
permanently
kinetic-sculpture that has parts that move due to wind or mechanical or electrical components
kirigami-Japanese art of cutting and folding paper
knead/wedge-processes in which clay is pushed repeatedly to remove air bubbles from clay and
make it a uniform texture
landscape-a type of artwork in which the main subject is trees, sky, mountains, streams, etc.
leatherhard-unfired clay that isn't quite dry but is firm enough for carving or burnishing
light source-the direction the light appears to come from in the composition
line-a continuous mark on paper or canvas or some surface; path made by a moving point; a
mark made on a surface
linear-composed of lines; emphasizes the line quality
low relief-a 3-dimensional sculpture meant to be viewed only from the front
medium-a material used in artwork; in sculpture, common mediums are metal, clay, stone,
plaster, wood
middle ground-the area between the foreground and the background in a picture or piece of
artwork
mobile-a balanced hanging sculpture
model-to smooth over an area in clay, especially seams
Mokume Gane-a polymer clay technique that tries to duplicate Japanese metalworking that
simulates the look of wood grain
monochromatic-color choice that uses only one color plus tints and shades of that color
mountain fold-when paper is folded down so the fold forms a peak
negative shape-the area around the positive shape
neutral color scheme-color choices that allow only black, white, grays, or browns
non-objective-art that does not represent or even suggest anything
objective-representational art; art that looks like real object, people, or animals
op art-an illusionary type of art in which the shapes in the painting appear to move or blink
origami-the Japanese art of paper folding
parallel-lines or surfaces that are the same distance apart for their entire length
pasta machine-a tool used to condition polymer clay and to make flat sheets of clay of various
thickness
perspective-use of size variation, overlap, value, and converging lines to create the illusion of 3dimensional space (depth) on a 2-dimensional surface
pinch pot-the simplest kind of pot; made by using the fingers to pinch a hole in a ball of clay
plane-real or imaginary flat surface that can extend indefinitely in all directions
plaster-ground-up gypsum that, when mixed with water, turns into a creamy mix that then
hardens
pointillism-a technique using dots of color to create the image and shading
polymer clay-a manmade plastic-based clay that comes in many different colors and hardens when baked
at the proper temperature
pop art-subjects from commercial art and popular culture transformed into art objects
pop-up sculpture-paper sculpture that projects or pops outward when opened
portrait-a drawing of a person, usually of the head area
positive shape-the subject in a representational or realistic work
proportion-principle of design concerned with the size relationships of parts of an object or
composition to each other and to the whole
realistic-art drawn, painted, or sculpted to resemble real objects, people or animals, or scenes
reduce-technique that makes a design in a cane smaller without distorting the image
release-a substance such as water or baby powder that is applied to a surface, like a rubber
stamp, to keep the clay from sticking to it
repetition-using something in art over and over
repousse-a metal-working technique that creates a raised pattern working from the reverse side
sand paint-a textured paint made from white gesso and sand
score-to scratch or rough up the clay; an essential step in joining 2 pieces of clay
score-to cut partway into paper or cardboard so it will fold more easily
scratchboard-black ink-coated white cardboard in which the black is scratched away to reveal
the white
sculpey-a brand of polymer clay that is soft and easy to manage
sculpture-3-dimensional art
seam-the crack that shows where 2 pieces of clay are joined
shade-a color with black added to it
shading-concentrating darker areas on a shape to suggest 3-D shadows to make the flat shape
appear like a 3-D form
shape-element of art that is a 2 dimensional area which is defined by an edge or outline; a line
that encloses itself or crossed other lines or edges
sheets-flat pieces of polymer clay in various thickness
Skinner Blend-a method of mixing 2 or mores colors of polymer clay in order to get a gradual
blend of one color into the other
slab-a flat piece of clay that has a uniform thickness
slice-thinly cut pieces off of decorative canes
slip-clay diluted with water to form a glue-like consistency; most often used when joining 2 pieces
of clay
space-element of art, in both 2 and 3 dimensional art, referring to the area within, around, in
between, above, or below an object
split-complementary color scheme-use of a color plus the 2 colors on each side of original color's
complement, e.g. red + yellow-green + blue-green
stabile-a balanced sculpture on a base
stack-to put sheets or canes on top of each other
stilt-small clay and wire stands for holding a glazed project during a firing
stipple-a black and white dotting technique used to create images and their shading
stripes-the effect created when 2 colors are alternately stacked over and over
subtraction-sculpture method in which pieces are removed from the whole until the sculpture is
finished
symmetrical-shapes which match if they could be folded in half
tempera-a water-soluble paint that remains soluble even when dry
texture-the tactile quality of the surface of an object or material; smoothness to roughness of a
surface
The rule of simultaneous contrast-warm colors appear to advance while cool colors recede
when the colors are adjacent
throw-the term used to describe making clay projects on a potter's wheel
tint-a color with white added to it
triadic color schemes-color choices that allow the use of any 3 colors that form an equilateral
triangle on the color wheel, e.g. red, blue, yellow
unity-principle of design concerned with effect as a whole of elements, principles, and media in a
work of art
valley fold-when paper is folded up so the fold forms a "V" shape
value scale-chart demonstrating the changing values of tones a scale of steps arranged from
dark to light
value-the lightness or darkness of a color
vertical lines-straight up and down lines that are perpendicular to the horizon or bottom of a
piece of paper
vitrify-to become glass-like
warm colors-the colors associated with fire--yellow, orange, and red
waste scraps-saved unused scraps of polymer clay that are used for different stages in other
projects
waterproof-something that will not dissolve in water, even after drying
water-soluble-something that will dissolve in water, even after drying
wedge-a process with the same purpose as kneading, but done by slamming the clay against a
hard surface
wet sanding-the proper technique for sanding baked polymer clay using low (220) to medium
(600) and finally higher (1000) grades of a sandpaper made to be used when wet
wet-in-wet-a watercolor technique in which wet paint is applied to wet paper so that the colors
mix in a less controlled manner
wheel-a piece of equipment used to make pottery by rotating the clay and using the hands and
tools to form the pottery as it spins
work surface-a nonabsorbent surface like glass or ceramic tile/countertop for doing polymer clay
work