2-D DESIGN VOCABULARY TERMS
Unit 1 Vocabulary:
DESIGN – To choose and arrange elements in such a way that they satisfy an artistic and/or
functional intention.
CONTENT – The idea being conveyed in a work of art.
FOCAL POINT – The area toward which the viewer’s eye is most compellingly drawn in a
composition.
FOREGROUND – In a two-dimensional work that creates the illusion of three-dimensionality,
the area that seems closest to the viewer.
BACKGROUND – In a two-dimensional work that creates the illusion of three-dimensionality,
the area that appears farthest from the viewer, also called “ground” or “field”.
POSITIVE SPACE – The area in a composition that appears to be filled or occupied.
NEGATIVE SPAE – The area in a composition that appears to be unoccupied or empty.
REPETITION – Use of similar lines, shapes, forms, textures, values or colors to unify a design.
RHYTHM – A particular visual “beat” marking the movement of the viewer’s eye through a
work, often established by repetition of similar or varying design elements.
VARIETY – Variations on a theme or strong contrasts in a design.
BALANCE – Distribution of the visual weight of design elements.
EMPHASIS – Drawing attention to a portion of a composition.
ECONOMY – Using only what is needed to create an intended effect, eliminating any elements
that might distract attention from the essence of an idea.
PICTORIAL COMPOSITION – Compositions that develop an illusion of the three-dimensional
world on a two-dimensional surface.
PICTURE PLANE – In a two-dimensional work, the flat surface having only height and width.
ABSTRACT ART – Art that is descriptive of representation of known physical objects with
great economy.
NONOBJECTIVE ART – Art that is not a representation of any particular object from the world
of our experience.
FINE ART – Disciplines involving the creation of artwork principally for aesthetic appreciation;
also called the “visual arts”.
FUNCTIONAL or APPLIED ART - Disciplines involving the use of the principles and elements
of design to create functional pieces or art for commercial uses; also known as “applied design”.
Unit 2 Vocabulary:
VISUAL WEIGHT – The illusion of relative weight in a portion of art.
HORIZONTAL BALANCE – Balancing the left and right sides of a composition in terms of
visual weight.
VERTICAL BALANCE – Balancing the visual weight of upper and lower areas of a
composition.
SYMMETRICAL BALANCE – Formal placement of identical figures on either side of an
imaginary central line; also called “formal balance”.
ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE – The use of figures of different visual weights to create an
overall impression of balance; sometimes called “informal balance”.
RADIAL BALANCE – The balance of forces around a central point.
Unit 3 & 4 Vocabulary:
GRID STRUCTURE – The entire area of a design is divided into structural subdivisions of
exactly the same size and shape, without odd spatial gaps between them. This influences the
design within the subdivisions.
GRID STRUCTURE - GRADUAL CHANGE – The structural subdivisions exhibit a gradual
change in size and shape. This influences the design within the subdivisions.
GRID STRUCTURE – ERRATIC CHANG) – The subdivisions exhibit an erratic or
unpredictable change in size and shape. This influences the design within the subdivisions.
MODIFIED LINEAR STRUCTURE – The structural subdivisions are not visible, line is used as
the unit form and a design is created by an “empty space” or “bump” in the regularity of the line.
Unit 5 & 6 Vocabulary:
VALUE – The degree of lightness or darkness of a surface; sometimes called “tone”.
VALUE CONTRAST – The degree of difference between light and dark areas (as in high
contrast or low contrast).
HORIZON LINE – The distant point at which sky and ground seem to meet.
VANISHING POINT – The point of the horizon line at which visually converging parallel lines
appear to meet.
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE – In two-dimensional art, a system of representing three-dimensional
spatial relationships derived from the optical illusion that parallel lines, if extended to the
horizon line, appear to converge; also called “vanishing point perspective”.
AERIAL or ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE – The use of softer edges, lessened value
contrast, and less distinct detail in areas intended to be farther away from the viewer, as in hills
seem from a distance.
GRAY SCALE – A graded range of equal steps of gray between white and black.
Unit 7 Vocabulary:
VISIBLE SPECTRUM – The range of light rays that can be discerned by the human eye.
WAVELENGTHS – Frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, some of which we can see as
colors.
HUE – The name of a color (as in “red” or “red-yellow”).
TINT – A light value of a hue, created by adding white to a hue.
SHADE – A dark value of a hue, created by adding black to a hue.
SATURATION – A measure of the relative brightness and purity or grayness of a color.
COLOR WHEEL – Any of various attempts to illustrate color relationships as positions on a
circle.
PRIMARY COLORS – The irreducible hues in a color system from which all other hues can be
mixed.
SECONDARY COLORS – Hues obtained by mixing two primary colors.
TERIARY COLORS – Hues obtained by mixing a primary color with a secondary color.
MONOCHROMATIC HUES – Use of a single hue, in varying values.
ANALOGOUS HUES – Colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel.
COMPEMENTARY HUES – Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Mixed
they “gray” or neutralize each other; juxtaposed they may produce strong optical effects.
SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST – Juxtaposition of complementary hues, creating such optical
illusions as intensification of each hue and vibrations along the edge where they touch.