A Visual Arts Vocabulary List
abstract: to simplify, rearrange or distort an image; a non-representational form of art.
aesthetics: the philosophy or study of the nature of beauty, the value of the arts and
the inquiry processes and human responses associated.
analogous colors: colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel
analysis: in art criticism, the step in which you determine how the principles of art are
used to organize the element of art. In art history, the step used to determine the style
of the work.
appropriation: the act of borrowing imagery or forms to create something new.
art criticism: an organized approach for objectively studying a work of art consisting of
four stages: description, analysis, interpretation and judgment.
background: the area of a picture that appears farthest away in a three-dimensional illusion.
balance: a principle of art that is concerned with the sense of stability of the visual
elements. There are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial.
base line: the imaginary line on which an object lies.
blind contour: line drawing in which the artist never looks at the paper. This method helps the
artist develop a feel for space and form. It also improves eye-hand coordination.
caricature: a representation of a person or thing that exaggerates their most striking or
characteristic features.
cast shadows: the shadow cast by a form onto a nearby surface.
collage: the process or product of affixing paper or objects to a two-dimensional surface.
color: a visual element that refers to what the eyes see when light is reflected off an
object. Hue, value and intensity are three properties of color.
color wheel: an artists tool of the color spectrum bent into a circle displaying primary,
secondary and intermediate/tertiary colors and useful in organizing color schemes.
complimentary colors: hues that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel
composition: a arrangement of the visual elements in an artwork often used to refer
to a work of art itself.
conceptual art: works of art in which the idea is equally if not more important than the finished
product.
contemporary art: art made after 1970 or works of art made by living artists.
content: the message the work communicates. The content can relate to the subject
matter or be an idea or emotion. Theme is another word for content.
context: the location, information, or time-frame that informs how a work of art is viewed
and what it means.
contrast: a principle of art that uses the differences between the visual elements to
create variety, emphasis or interest. Contrast in value is the difference between light
and dark.
creativity: using imagination rather than imitating something else. Generation of
ideas, images and/or solutions.
design: the overall conception of a work of art
diminution: the phenomenon of objects farther away appearing smaller in linear
perspective
diptych: a work of art in two sections or parts
dominance: effect created by making certain elements appear more important than others
in a composition
elements of design: the basic components used by the artist to create works of art.
Shape, value, texture, space, form, line and color are elements of design.
emphasis: a principle of art that stresses one element of art, defines a center of
interest or draws attention to certain areas with a work of art.
eye level: an imaginary horizontal line that is even with the height of your eyes.
figure: the human form or any recognizable object or nonrepresentational shape
fixative: a chemical that is sprayed over a two-dimensional work of art to prevent smearing
and to make are media, such as charcoal, graphite or pastels, adhere to the paper.
foreshortening: a technique used to show the proportions of an object in space, and
distinguish the foreground and background of a picture plane.
form: the visual element that is three-dimensional; having height, width and depth.
genre: a means of categorizing works of art based on style, form, and subject matter.
gesture: a description of figural movement; the embodiment of the essence of a figure.
ground: any surface on which a picture is drawn or painted, such as canvas, paper,
cardboard, etc.
harmony: the related qualities of the visual elements of a composition. Harmony is
achieved by repetition of characteristics that are the same or similar.
hatching: a technique in which lines or strokes are placed parallel to each other; used to
create gray tones.
highlight: the area on a form that reflects the most light.
hue: the characteristic or quality identified by the name of the color
iconography: symbols and images that have a particular meaning, either learned or
universal.
illusion: a visually misleading or perceptually altered space or object.
implied line: line that is suggested by a change in color or value
installation: a work of art created for a specific architectural situation, installations often
engage multiple senses such as sight, smell and hearing. The placement of individual works
of art in a gallery is also commonly referred to as an installation. Installations are generally
temporary and stationary, but some installations travel to different locations and exist over
longer periods of time.
juxtaposition: the state or position of being placed close together or side by side, so as to
permit comparison or contrast.
kinetic: having mechanical or moving parts that can be set in motion; art that moves.
line: a visual element that is the path of a moving point through space. It has the
properties of direction, width and length.
linear perspective: technique used to create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional plane.
local color: the natural color of an object as it appears to the naked eye.
mass: the illusion of weight or density of an object
medium (media): the materials used to create a work of art.
modeling: the use of light and dark values to create form
modernism: an historical period and attitude from the early to mid-20th century, characterized by
experimentation, abstraction, a desire to provoke, and a belief in progress.
monochromatic: a color scheme of one color plus black and white
monument: a public work of art, usually large in scale, which commemorates a group of
people, historical event, or ideal.
motif: a recurrent or dominant theme in a work of visual or literary art.
movement: a principle of art used to guide a viewer’s eye throughout the work; a
trend.
mythology: an allegorical narrative often incorporating legendary heroes, gods, and demi-gods of a
particular people or culture.
narrative: the representation in art, by form and content, of an event or story.
negative space: spaces surrounding shapes or forms in two- and three-dimensional
art.
nonobjective: artwork without recognizable natural objects. The images are products of the artist’s
imagination.
organic: free, irregular form that resembles living things.
overlapping: placing one object in front of another, to create depth in a work of art.
palette: a particular range of colors or a tray for mixing colors.
pattern: repetition of elements or motif.
perspective: a formula for projecting the illusion of three-dimensional space onto a
two-dimensional surface.
picture-plane: the surface of a painting or drawing.
positive space: shapes or forms in two-dimensional and three-dimensional art.
positive-negative reversal: the perception of shapes in a work of art that alternate between
positive and negative identities.
principles of design: refers to the ways artists organize the visual elements of art:
generally found to include balance, emphasis, contrast, unity, movement and rhythm.
May also include: proportion, scale, repetition, pattern, and variety.
process: an artist's investigation, or the steps the artist takes to make a work of art, processes differ
widely from artist to artist.
proportion: a principle of art concerned with the relationships in size, one part to
another or to the whole.
render: to reproduce or represent by artistic or verbal means.
repetition: an art element repeated over and over that can produce visual rhythm.
representational: works of art that depict recognizable people, places or things—often figures,
landscapes, and still lifes.
rhythm: a principle of art in which the appearance of movement is created by the
recurrence of elements.
scale: when proportional relationships are created relative to a specific unit of
measurement.
shape: the visual element that has two-dimensions: height and width. A space with a
defined or implied boundary. Two basic groups: geometric and organic.
space: the visual element that refers to the area between, around, above, below and
within objects.
style: the identifying characteristics of the artwork of an individual, a group of artists, a
period of time or an entire society.
subjective: personal or individual viewpoint through which the artist is free to change, or modify
characteristics of a natural form, emphasizing personal emotions.
symbol: a visual image that represents something other than itself.
technique: specific methods or approaches when working with materials in creating
works of art.
texture: the visual element that refers to the way something feels or looks like it feels
and can be actual or implied.
tooth: the texture of a sheet of paper
unity: a principle of art that is concerned with the sense of wholeness or
completeness.
value: the visual element that refers to lightness and darkness.
vanishing point: in linear perspective, the point on the horizon line at which all the receding parallel
lines converge.
vantage point: a point of view, or a place from which subject matter is viewed.
variety: a principle of art through which different elements are used to add visual
interest.
visual elements of design: the basic ingredients artists use to create works of art: line, shape,
form, color, texture and space.