2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by
Charles McGee
June 4 to September 24, 2011
Teacher’s Guide
www.marshallfredericks.org
(989) 964-7125
2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee
The word I would use if asked to portray Charles McGee in a single word is prodigious. Both his personality
(character and intellect) and his art (sculpture, painting, drawing, and assemblage) are extraordinary and impressive. McGee came to Michigan at age ten from a humble childhood in South Carolina and has lived and worked in
Detroit for seventy-seven years. Those first ten years shaped the texture and content of who Charles McGee is today. His accomplishments as an artist and a human being, as an educator and a gallery owner, present an encyclopedic journey from modesty to greatness.
At age eighty-five in 2009, Charles McGee celebrated his life’s work with a retrospective exhibition at Eastern
Michigan University, a body of work that spanned nearly sixty years. In the exhibition catalogue Energy: Charles
McGee at Eighty-five, his collage Celebration (2007) is referred to by exhibition curator Julie R. Myers as “one of his
greatest masterpieces”. For the last several months, Charles has worked in his Detroit studio to complete the most
recent of his “greatest masterpieces,” Play Patterns II, one of his largest ever three-dimensional pieces (at 10’ x
20’), for the exhibition, 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee.
In early 2010, shortly after I invited Charles to exhibit his work at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum,
he made his first visit to the museum. When we walked into the larger of the two temporary exhibition galleries, he
said “I will create a piece for that wall,” gesturing to the largest flat surface in the gallery. Play Patterns II, a mixedmedia collage on enamel, was finished in May 2011, four weeks before the opening of 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28
Works by Charles McGee. It is my hope that following the exhibition this historically significant assemblage will find
its way to an American museum or private collection.
In light of his major retrospective at Eastern Michigan University and the mounting of an abbreviated version of
that show at Center Galleries at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit less than two years ago, I wanted the
focus of this exhibition to be on the second half of Charles’s career, thus the title 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28
Works by Charles McGee. In 1980, Charles McGee was fifty-six years of age. During the last thirty years he has
produced thousands of drawings and hundreds of paintings and sculptures; taught adult art classes at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center for eleven years; been included in numerous solo and group exhibitions in this country
and abroad; completed seventeen public art commissions; and awarded the first Kresge Foundation Eminent Artist
Award in 2009.
For this exhibition I selected a range of work in multiple media (assemblage, collage, drawing, painting, sculpture, stoneware) from private and public collections and from the artist’s studio, all created in the last three decades. The twenty-eight works in this exhibition represent the exceptional scope of Charles McGee’s oeuvre.
Marilyn L. Wheaton
Director, Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
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Information on the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Location: The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum is located on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University in the Arbury Fine Arts Center, 7400 Bay Rd., University Center, MI 48710.
Contact Information:
Phone…………..…
Fax…………………
Email……………….
Website………...…
(989)964-7125
(989)964-7221
mfsm@svsu.edu
www.marshallfredericks.org
The Collection: The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum Collection features a unique collection of hundreds
of works that span the career of Marshall M. Fredericks (1908-1998), a traditional figurative public sculptor, who
remained active in his metro-Detroit studios until days before his death at age 90. He is known nationally and internationally for his monumental figurative sculpture, public memorials, public fountains, portraits, animals and
whimsical animal figures.
Main Gallery
The Main Gallery features a unique collection of hundreds of works that span the career of Marshall M. Fredericks
(1908‐1998), a traditional figurative sculptor, who remained active in his metro Detroit studios until days before
his death at 90. He is known nationally and internationally for his monumental figurative sculpture, public memorials, public fountains, portraits, animals and whimsical animal figures. The Main Gallery includes about 200 works,
mostly plaster models, which span a 70‐year career of sculpting. The museum holdings include plaster models,
cast and carved sculptures, medals, jewelry, miniatures, drawings, photos, site models, molds, armatures, tools,
machinery and archival materials. Main Gallery highlights include: Christ on the Cross in Indian River, Michigan; the
Fountain of Eternal Life in Cleveland, Ohio; The Expanding Universe Fountain at the State Department in Washington, D.C.; the Freedom of the Human Spirit in Flushing Meadow Park, New York City; the Leaping Gazelle for The
Levi Barbour Fountain at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan; The Spirit of Detroit at the Coleman A. Young Municipal
Center in Detroit; and The Ford Empire and Harlequin Reliefs at Ford Auditorium in Detroit.
The Sculptor’s Studio
The Sculptor’s Studio displays a permanent exhibit of objects and artifacts from Fredericks’ studio. After his death
in 1998, his entire collection of archives, artwork, studio tools, equipment and some personal items became part
of the museum’s collection. These items are arranged in a sequence that explains the casting process. A large didactic panel on the lost‐wax and sand‐casting methods further explains the casting process. Visitors also can view
a kiosk of original images of Fredericks’ studio interior and exterior, the Sculpture Garden and an extended version
of the video “The Magic of Marshall Fredericks: The Poet Lord Byron.” The Sculptor’s Studio furthers the mission of
the museum and fulfills Fredericks’ wish of educating visitors about the process of fine art casting.
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Temporary Exhibition Galleries
The Temporary Exhibition Galleries feature changing exhibitions of national, regional and international artists and
showcase works from the museum collection. Its first exhibition was Cranbrook Fundamentals, which opened October 11, 2003, and closed March 20, 2004. Past exhibitions are listed below.
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Contemporary American Sculpture from the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts (April 30, 2004 to April 30,
2005)
Prints by Sculptors: From the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts (April 30 to August 28, 2004)
Visiting Scholar & Artist Series: Paul Rotterdam: Drawings (October 8, 2004, to January 22, 2005), in conjunction with the Dow Visiting Artist Series
The Preacher and His Congregation: From the Collection of the Flint Institute of Arts, Photographs by James Perry Walker (February 7 to March 19, 2005), in conjunction with Black History Month
Marshall M. Fredericks, (1908‐1998), (April 15 to August 28, 2005)
The Armature Revealed: From the Collection of the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum (June 10 to September 24, 2005)
Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection (October 14, 2005 to April 30, 2006)
Marshall M. Fredericks: Selected Works from the Collection (June 1 to January 19, 2007)
Cultural Reflections, Inuit Art from the Collections of the Dennos Museum Center (February 2 to May 19, 2007)
Pewabic Pottery: Patronage, Private Residences, Public Buildings, Sacred Spaces, (June 1 to September 29,
2007)
David Hostetler: Wood and Bronze Sculptures, (October 12, 2007 to January 26, 2008)
Street Sense: A 20 year retrospective of Tyree Guyton and the Heidelberg Project, (Feb. 8 to May 24, 2008)
Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition, (June 13 to Sept. 20, 2008)
Tangents and Waves: The Art of David Barr and Diane Carr, (Oct. 3, 2008 to Jan. 31, 2009)
Thayer and Thayer, Paintings and Sculpture, (Feb. 7 to May 29, 2009)
The Softness of Iron: Welded Sculptures by Orna Ben-Ami, (June 12 to September 19, 2009)
Breaking the Mold: Contemporary Chinese and Japanese Ceramic Sculpture and Textile Extensions: Quilts in a
New Context, (October 2, 2009 to January 28, 2010)
Sketches to Sculptures: Rendered Reality, Sixty Years with Marshall M. Fredericks,
(February 12 to June 12, 2010)
Artists Portray Artists: Selections From the Kresge Art Museum (October 1, 2010 to Jan. 29, 2011)
Art in Architecture: The Collaborative Spirit of the Interwar Period in Detroit (February 5 to May 28, 2011)
Visit our website at www.marshallfredericks.org to view photos and videos of past and current exhibitions.
Sculpture Garden
School groups can include a Sculpture Garden tour as part of their visit. There are approximately two dozen of Fredericks’ sculptures on campus; most of them are close to the museum.
Admission: Admission to the Museum is free to walk-in visitors.
Tour Information: Museum tours can be scheduled by calling 989-964-7096. Arrangements for tours should be
made 4 weeks in advance.
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What is an Artist’s Statement?
Artists write about why they make their artwork. There are many reasons for doing artwork. Some of the
reasons and influences of doing their art comes from experiences they have had in life, their culture,
where they live, the time period in which they live, people or things that influence them, other artists, art
movement styles, things they enjoy seeing, media they like to work with and methods they like to use to
make art.
Question: Ask your students to write a short statement of why they like to do art. Think of the many reasons and influences of why artists make art above. Have them explain why.
Charles McGee’s Art Statement is below. Have your students read it or read it to them and discuss what
it means.
Charles McGee Art Statement
“Over the time expanse of more than 76 years, I have tried visually to answer the question: What is art?
The deeper the probe the more resolute and clear the answer became that all or everything animate and
inanimate is art; a series of matter in the form of line, shape, value, texture and color arranged in a signature position which speaks of its time. I stand in constant awe and respect for the logic and vast intelligence that manifests in nature’s order. It is from within these broad parameters that my creative imagery finds its form. All animate and inanimate matter acts in the service and replenishment of nature
equally. Therefore, I humbly stand before life like an empty pitcher before a full fountain. The system of
opposites which governs universal order is the source of energy which fuels all of my creative offerings.
Play Patterns II, created expressly for this exhibition, speaks passionately for the strength inherent in the
equation of togetherness of all things in cosmic order.”
Charles McGee
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Charles McGee’s Artwork Influences
There are many things that influence artists and what they create. For example, the time period in which they live,
the geographical location in which they live, the social-cultural background in which they’ve lived, art historical influences, and life experiences they have had. Below are excerpts from a biographical article on Charles McGee.
Excerpts from Charles McGee Biography on www.Answers.com page by Ed Decker:
http://www.answers.com/topic/charles-mcgee
Born: December 15, 1924, in Clemson, SC.
Education: Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now the Center for Creative Studies), 1947-57; Escuela Massana,
1968; Barcelona School of Graphics, 1968.
Life’s Work
McGee developed a strong interest in nature during his early youth on a farm in South Carolina, which would later
come out in his artwork. He was fascinated with all types of animals and insects, and his communion with the natural world was perhaps more intense since he did not begin going to school until he was ten years old. Sandra Yolles
wrote in ARTnews, "It was like nature really had been his [McGee's] classroom and those were his ABCs."
After his family moved to Detroit in the 1930s, McGee began revealing his talents as an artist while attending
grade school. As a young adult, he became a factory worker and gained a familiarity with machinery that served
him well in later years when he began making sculptures that required metal pieces and welding. Further broadening his artistic perspective was the experience he gained as a mapmaker for the government. The various grids,
symbols, and linear structures he worked with as a cartographer became key components of his later artistic creations.
McGee received education in art for a decade during the 1940s and 1950s at the Society of Arts and Crafts in
Michigan, which is now called the Center for Creative Studies. "The formal education made him a fine craftsman,
able to compose, draw and paint with the ease of someone with a master's degree," wrote Marsha Miro in the Detroit Free Press. This education, combined with the child's eye that remained fresh in McGee, steered him toward
the work that would make his mark in the art world.
In the 1970s McGee made a shift into more avant-garde work, incorporating geometric abstractions and devising
minimalist sculptures. He began experimenting more with color, using color itself to make a statement through
changing tones. His light-based sensitivity was greatly influenced by a 1986 trip he took to Mexico, where the Detroit Institute of Arts had organized a Diego Rivera retrospective. While there he strolled the towns and their central
districts, finding that "the light was very individual and informative," according to Glen Mannisto (Detroit Metro
Times).
McGee's manipulation of color and geometric shapes is evocatively displayed in Noah's Ark, a series of mixedmedia creations begun by the artist in 1980. Begun as mural-size paintings and later turned into sculptures utilizing cutouts of foam-core board and cut aluminum, these works are complex yet primal. They demonstrate both
playfulness and sexuality in their juxtaposition of various shapes. Numerous African images are incorporated into
them, and the pieces reveal a balance of elements that in many ways symbolizes the balance of nature itself. The
series also reveals a childlike hope that the creatures of the world can coexist in harmony. Leading off the series
was Noah's Ark: Genesis, which the artist created in 1984. This massive piece consists of four five-by-ten foot panels that feature Egyptian-styled black female figures wrapped by a coiling snake. The figures are on a surface with a
variety of animal figures, depicting Noah's ark as a haven during the great flood.
-Ed Decker
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Noah’s Ark: Friends
c. 1984-85
Mixed media and collage on masonite board
96 1/4” x 48”
Description: A young smiling girl with blue eyes kneels in the center of
the image area with both arms raised and holding a pair of birds with
her right hand and a mole-like creature in the left hand. Other animals,
some very abstract, are also found in the composition. They are snakes,
worms, a hog, and others. Her hair is real corn braids. Above her, saillike canvas with grommets and ropes are adhered to the surface. Her
dress is fishing net material. Some plastic alphabets are adhered to the
surface over her dress area. In this work, McGee combines drawing,
painting, and collage into one artwork.
Q&A
The title of this work recalls the Christian Biblical story of Noah’s Ark.
Research this story with your class and discuss it. Then examine the art
and relate the story to it.
Discuss these questions:
Name the colors you see in this artwork. Greys, black, orange, red, Does
this remind you of a color or black and white movie overall? It almost
looks black and white except for the reds, oranges and blue. Is this lowkey or high-key colors? Low-key colors are darker value and high-key are
brighter value colors. This is mostly low key colors. The more intense
colors are red and orange.
Have the students discuss why he might have used mostly grey colors in
this artwork.
What materials does he use to give a sense of sailing? Netting for the
dress, canvas like the sails on a ship, rope like that found on a sailing
vessel.
What can you recognize in this artwork? Snakes, a person, 4-legged animals, worms, birds, zig zags, exit sign
Art Activity
Have the students create a collage artwork. Select objects and things to
adhere to a surface that might relate to a theme of theirs. Select a variety of materials like cloth, plastic netting, paper, etc.
Facts: From the middle 1800s to the early 1900s Victorian Hair wreaths
were popular. Hair from a deceased person was gathered and saved
and then woven into a wreath form. Non-wreath forms were used also
made. The wreath form was open at the top (resembling a horseshoe) to
allow for the deceased to rise to heaven. This also was a memorial for
family members and heirloom that was passed down from generation to
generation. The hair was woven and shaped with rods and thin wire into
intricate flower-like forms and other forms. The different color hairs provided color variety and different values. Shadow boxes were created for
these because it was a relief sculptural form protected within the shadow box frame. Sometimes friends or groups donated hair and made
them for special projects. Google “Victorian Hair Wreaths” to see images.
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Q&A
What is hydrostone? A very hard and durable plaster.
What is a ritual?
An established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other
rite. (Dictionary.com)
Do artists make artwork for ritual purposes? Yes. Have students
name some rituals like anniversaries, birthdays, religious related
rituals, dressing yourself daily, etc.
Visit the Art21 Website to learn more about the use of ritual in
art making at: http://www.pbs.org/art21/education/ritual/
lesson3.html
The following paragraph was taken from the Art21 website. View
videos on the three artists listed below and learn about how they
use ritual in art making.
Many of the artists featured in Art in the Twenty-First Century
discuss their working process and the routines and rituals they
make part of their art. Janine Antoni makes repetition and ritual
one of the central themes of her work in the interest of “bringing
you back to the making, the meaning of the making.” Gabriel
Orozco takes walks as part of his practice of making art outside
of a formal or fixed studio. Bruce Nauman diligently records daily
activities on his ranch in New Mexico and reflects on them as a
form of meditation and an art practice.
Afterwards have a discussion with your students about how
these artists use rituals in their art making.
Name some of the imagery that can be seen in McGee’s artwork. Worms, 4 legged animals with spots, birds, circles, lines,
spirals, zig zag lines, bugs, and snakes.
Ritual Icon #1
1993
Painted hydrostone
67” x 35” x 22 1/2”
Description: This work resembles an index finger pointing upward. Its surface is like fiberglass or hard plastic. Primitive linear forms are
drawn on the surface with black sharpie-like
pen. The imagery is abstracted and primitive in
style. The drawn images overlap each other
and create a netting-like layer over a light valued blue-green color. A dark band around the
base area also shares the same imagery.
Some of the imagery relates to Noah’s Ark:
Friends and Noah’s Ark: Time Modules. The tip
and a low center band are the only areas with
no imagery. There is a base with a raised
edge . A layer of sand conceals the clamps
holding it to the base.
Why do you think he used these images? Because he may be
aware of them in his environment. Another reason could be that
these mean something to him. Have students discuss this. See
page 6 for more information.
Related Research:
You can find linear primitive drawings from ancient and primitive
cultures that relate to this artwork style.
Artists that relate in style are: Keith Haring, Jean-Michel
Basquiat, Jaune Quick-to-see-Smith, and Emmi Whitehorse,
Aborigional art, Meso and South American art and graffiti art
Art Activity
Ritual Icon Art Project
Have your students create a non-objective form in paper maché
and then paint and draw imagery on the surface. The imagery
should be derived from their personal life. Have them do preliminary drawings of these and then redraw them on the artwork.
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Noah’s Ark: Time Modules
1987
Oil marker on masonite
board
24” x 36”
Description: A black oil
marker drawing on a white
gessoed or painted surface.
Some pencil lines are visible. Recognizable images
include snakes, worms, spirals, zig zags, parallel lines,
dots, bug-like forms, etc.
There is only black and
white for color within the
drawing and the neutral color of the masonite around
the drawing edges.
Q&A
What is line? Line is a continuous moving dot. Can you see line in this artwork? Yes. Have your students look at
the lines. Notice how McGee creates a white space around some of the line work in front of a dark area. This
makes the line visible instead of merging into the background.
When you look at the artwork at a whole is the black and white areas balanced? Yes. Explain this.
Can you see a rectangular form in the composition? Yes, it stretches from left to right with angled edges.
Does the rectangular box look like it’s in front or behind the drawn objects? It looks like it’s behind. How does
McGee make thinks look like they are behind something. He uses an art technique called overlapping. He draws
imagery on top of another image or shape.
Have you ever looked at the clouds and seen animals or different things you recognize. Well if you look at this
artwork do you see things that remind you of anything? Yes , I see an animal form as a whole, or other creatures.
Ask the students to give you their thoughts on what they see in this artwork.
Art Activity
Using only a white sheet of paper and black marker, have the students do abstract line drawings of shapes,
lines, dots, and some recognizable imagery that is not true to real life. Have them overlap the shapes over other
shapes. Ask them to create solid black and white areas within the drawing. Remind them that there must balance overall. Use dots and parallel lines to create middle values and textural areas.
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Celebration
2007
Enamel, paper and fabric collage
60” x 84”
Description:
A rectangular canvas with an under
-painting of yellow and orange linear layered lace-like imagery. The
linear imagery relates to the drawing in Noah’s Ark: Time Modules
and Ritual Icon #1. Darker valued
layered images are central and
contained on the art. Some of the
images are very abstracted human
forms in dance-like positions. Textures define different shapes. On
these forms, McGee uses textiles
with various designs for the shapes
to create actual and implied texture.
Q&A
What is value? The lightness or darkness of a color. What colors display different values? Yellow, orange, black.
How does McGee create the lace-like imagery? By painting layers of different colors over one another. Each layer is
not solid and under layers are visible. When you stand a distance away, it merges into a textural area of yellow and
orange values.
Can you see what figures are in the foreground and background with the central human forms? Have the students
discuss this.
What is abstraction? Abstraction is altering or changing of representational imagery, but with the imagery still recognizable. Have students look closely at the abstracted human forms. And discuss how they are abstracted.
What is texture? Texture refers to the surface quality, actual or implied. How does McGee create texture on the
forms? He collaged fabrics directly to the surface. Examine the different textures created on the forms. He also
creates texture by painting layers of line work over other layers.
How can artists create textures on two-dimensional art? They can adhere a real textural object to the surface or
paint or draw implied textures. In this case, McGee has done both.
What do you think the title of the work “Celebration” means? The figures dance in a joyous fashion in the composition. Have the students respond to the question.
Art Activity
Have students create an abstract artwork using both actual texture and implied texture. Do a demonstration of
various ways to create implied texture. You can get scraps of fabrics, potato sack netting, plastic netting, etc. and
use these for the actual textures. Remind them of the visual elements such as line, texture, value, color, and
shape when they are creating their design.
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Top: Original drawing for Play Patterns II on tracing paper, 11” x 22 1/4”
Bottom:
Play Patterns II
2010-2011
Enamel, fabric, and mixed media on Dibond
120” x 240”
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Charles McGee working on Play Patterns II, in his Detroit studio.
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Charles McGee and an assistant working on Play Patterns II in his Detroit Studio.
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The History of Play Patterns II.
In early 2010, shortly after Marilyn Wheaton, director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, invited
Charles to exhibit his work at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, he made his first visit to the museum.
When he walked into the larger of the two temporary exhibition galleries, he said “I will create a piece for that wall,”
gesturing to the largest flat surface in the gallery. Play Patterns II, a mixed-media collage on enamel, was finished in
May 2011, four weeks before the opening of 2 Centuries, 3 Decades, 28 Works by Charles McGee.
While in the process of creating Play Patterns II, McGee was hospitalized due to a stroke. Many friends and students assisted him with finishing this artwork in time for the exhibition. The friends and students are Linda Allen,
Christina Haylett and Sarah Kalikow. McGee was grateful for their voluntary assistance.
Description
Play Patterns II consists of four 5’ x 10’ panels that are aligned upright (10’ high) next to each other to create a 20’
wide by 10’ high painting. Like Celebration, Play Patterns II has a painted textural-like background. Some primitivelike forms can be seen in blue, orange and lavender over a neutral background. Darker-valued figures and animals
are layered over the top of the textural background. Textures define some of the different figures and animals. On
these forms, McGee uses textiles with various designs for the shapes to create actual and implied texture. He also
uses solid dark colors like a silhouette to define the figures faces, arms, legs, feet, and snakes. On page 11 an image of the original drawing for the painting is above the image of the painting. Contrast and compare the two.
Q&A
Contrast and compare the human figures in Celebration and Play Patterns II. What is the difference? There are abstracted forms in both paintings. However, the human figures are more true to life in Play Patterns II.
What do you think the name of the painting means? Look at the images and let your students discuss what they
see and what they think is happening in this artwork. The four figures to the right seem to be trying to grasp or hold
the two snakes. The single figure to the left holds some kind of object. Perhaps this is some type of ritual. Some
small birds and a dog appear with the human figures. These images echo the imagery in some of his past work..
This is a narrative, a story that is told with images.
Why did McGee paint the snakes as if he was looking at them from above? They are more recognizable then from
seeing them at a side angle. “Twisted perspective” is a method ancient artists would use to make forms more recognizable and identifiable.
What culture(s) can you compare McGee’s artwork to? Aboriginal people. In fact you can find Aboriginal artwork
that relates in imagery to some of McGee’s art. Also African artwork. His abstractions relate to abstractions in African art.
Many of McGee’s artworks include snake forms. Why do you think he might use snakes in his art? In Aboriginal art
they represent mother earth. In other cultures snakes can mean deceit, fertility, guardians, poison, and vindictive.
Look up the symbolism on what you see in his artwork.
McGee uses blues and oranges in the background. What is significant about these colors? They are complementary
colors. Complementary colors are opposite each other on a color wheel. When placed side by side they become vibrant.
Art Activity
Explain to your students what a narrative is. Then have your students create an artwork that tells a story. Post all
the finished works for the class to see. Have the students try to guess what the story is in each artwork. Then have
the artist tell them the story they narrated in their artwork.
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Glossary
Abstract: recognizable imagery greatly altered or changed from reality
Background: the part of an image represented as being at maximum distance from the frontal plane
Balance: The equal distribution of weight or force (actual or implied) among the visual or compositional elements.
Also an equal state of tension through imbalance of elements.
Collage: A picture or design achieved by adhering two-dimensional elements such as photographs, drawings, newspaper, cloth, wallpaper, etc. to a surface. You can also adhere three-dimensional objects to a surface thereby creating a “relief”. The word collage (in French coller) means “to paste”.
Color: hue
Complementary colors: Colors opposite to each other on the color wheel.
Foreground: The ground or parts situated, or represented as situated, in the front; the portion of a scene nearest
to the viewer ( opposed to background).
High-Key Colors: having medium to light values
Low-Key Colors: having medium to dark values
Line: a moving dot or point
Narrative: A story that is told with images.
Non-objective: having no recognizable imagery to what we know in real life; also called non-representational
Overlapping: A device an artist uses to show depth.
Paper maché: A substance made of pulped paper or paper pulp mixed with glue and other materials or of layers of
paper glued and pressed together, molded when moist to form various articles, and becoming hard and strong
when dry.
Plaster: A white powdery mixture of lime and sand that forms a paste when combined with water. Plaster hardens
when it dries.
Shape: An area within a composition that has boundaries that separate it from what surrounds it, making it distinct.
Texture: The surface character of an object, actual or implied.
Actual texture: impasto-thick application of medium to create actual texture on a surface; tactile
Visual or implied texture: illusion of an actual texture; trompe l’oeil (fool the eye) is a term do describe realistic rendering art form
Twisted perspective: method of drawing frontal imagery with a side view
Two-dimensional: having length and width
Value: The lightness or darkness of a hue/color.
Resources: Dictionary.com; Note: Other resources are noted within the guide.
Photo credits: Michelle Andonian, Geoffe Haney, Adam Baudoux, The Detroit News Archives
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