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A | B | C
| D | E | F
| G | H | I
| J | K | L
| M | N | O
| P | Q | R | S
| T | U | V
| W | X | Y | Z
A
ABC art - a 1960's art movement and style
that attempts to use a minimal number of textures, colors, shapes
and lines to create simple three-dimensional structures. Also
known as minimalism.
Abstract art - any art in which real objects
in nature are represented in a way that wholly or partially neglects
their true appearance and expresses it in a form of sometimes
unrecognizable patterns of lines, colors and shapes.
View
our collection of contemporary abstract paintings
Abstract expressionism - a style and movement
of non-representational painting where artists apply paint quickly
and forcefully to express feeling and emotion. Developed in the
1940's and 1950's, the often-large works appear to be accidental
but are very intentional. Jackson Pollock is the movement's most
important figures.
Academic - art that conforms to traditional
standards or the standards of a particular academy or school.
Achromatic colors - white, gray and black
colors as opposed to the chromatic colors.
Acrylic colors - synthetic painting colors
made by distributing pigments in a vehicle made of a polymethyl
methacrylate solution in mineral spirits. Often called plastic
paints to distinguish them from polymer colors that also contain
acrylic. First used in the 1940's, they are valued for their versatility.
Action painting - a form of abstract expressionism,
intended to show the force of the artist's feelings in addition
to the dynamic nature of painting itself.
Advancing and retreating colors - the apparent
tendency of the warm colors such as oranges and reds to appear
to advance toward the viewer and the cool colors of blue and violet
to recede. This is derived from the observable phenomenon that
an object seen from afar will seem more blue or gray than it truly
is. Advancing and retreating colors are used to portray landscapes.
Aerial perspective - the attempt to portray
the atmospheric haze that shows depth in nature. Aerial perspective
is used to add the illusion of depth in painting. The use of retreating
colors and less focus helps to achieve this effect.
Aestheticism - the idea that the pursuit
of beauty is the primary goal of art and that art need not reflect
any moral, social or religious concerns. Also known as "art
for art's sake".
Alla prima - the method of oil painting in
which the desired effects of the final painting are achieved in
the first application of paint as opposed the technique of covering
the canvas in layers with the final painting being achieved at
the end.
Alligatoring - a form of cracking that appears
on paintings in a pattern that resembles an alligator's hide.
All-over painting - a method of painting
in which the entire canvas is covered in a fairly uniform manner
rather than the traditional method of painting the canvas in a
way that delineates the top, bottom and middle of the painting.
First devised by the American artist Jackson Pollock.
American scene painting - a style of representational,
naturalistic painting in the U.S. from the 1920's and into the
1940's that depicted scenes of typical American life in an attempt
to move a way from modernism.
Anamorphosis - particularly popular in the
18th century, an image that is painted in a way that makes it
appear distorted unless viewed from a specific viewpoint or an
optical device
Ancient - dating from a time before the 5th
century.
Antique - of ancient times or of a bygone
era.
Antic work - art using groupings of humans,
animal or flowers in a grotesque way.
Applied art - art used in the design or decoration
of useful objects. Applied art is secondary to the function of
the object itself as opposed to fine art where the primary function
is aesthetic.
Aquarelle - a technique or work derived from
the technique of using transparent watercolors in painting.
Arabesque - Intricate decorative ornamentation
of interlacing lines, fruits, floral and animal symbols loosely
based on Arabic styles.
Archaic - pertaining to a relatively simple
period in the development of a particular region's art.
Art Deco - popular in the U.S. and Europe
in the 1920's and 1930's, a style of design and decoration with
designs are geometric and highly intense colors, to reflect the
rise of commerce, industry and mass production.
Art for art's sake - the idea that art is
valued purely for its aesthetic value and not for any religious
or moral value.
Art nouveau - French for "new art".
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an art movement
and style of decorative painting, sculpture and architecture which
is characterized by the use of flowers and leaves in flowing,
interlacing lines. Henri Toulouse-Latrec and Gustav Klimt were
among those greatly influenced by the movement.
Asymmetry - the depiction in a work of art
of two sides as being not identical without impairing the general
harmony of the work. Asymmetry is used to prevent a work from
appearing static and superficial, as no two sides of a life form
are identical.
Atelier - an artist's studio or workshop.
Attributes - any object or article used to
symbolize the profession of the person being represented, such
as a caduceus for a doctor.
Avant-garde - French term for "vanguard",
a term that describes artists and their art that stand at the
beginning of a movement that often does not conform to the traditional
or previously accepted ideas or standards.
B
Background - the part of a picture or scene
that appears to be the farthest from the viewer, typically nearest
the horizon.
Barbizon school - the name of a group of
French landscape painters in the French village of Barbizon during
the period about 1830 to 1880 who were the first to paint landscapes
from nature rather than from memory in a studio. The approach
led to realism.
Baroque -a dynamic and dramatic style
of art and architecture in mostly Catholic countries during the
17th century that stressed emotion, variety and movement. It was
a style that used ornate forms as well as ill`usionism and realism
to achieve its purpose.
View
our collection of Italian Baroque Paintings
Batik - an Indonesian method of printing
textile. A design is made on the fabric by coating it with wax
to repel dye. The cloth is then dipped in dye after which the
wax is removed so the design appears in the original color of
the cloth. Often, this process is repeated for a number of colors
to complete the desired design.
Bauhaus - a German school of art and architecture
that tried to meld the techniques and materials of industrial
mass production (including glass, concrete, steel and chrome)
and the aesthetics of design. Founded by Walter Gropius in 1919,
it was closed by Hitler in 1933 with many of its practitioners
and teachers relocating to the United States.
Bird's eye view - seeing from a high enough
view or altitude as to give a comprehensive view of a scene; also
known as aerial view.
Board - used as a surface for art, often
refers to a piece of wood lumber or a durable sheet of another
material such as cardboard.
Body art - a style of art where the artist
uses his or her own body as the medium for expression often shown
in private or public performances. Examples include tattooing,
piercing, scarification, henna painting and branding.
Boite - French for "box", the collection
of an artist's work to be viewed by clients.
Bravura - a term used to describe bright
and excited brushwork.
Brush - the tool used to apply paint to a
surface, often consisting of a gathering of bristles held together
by a ferrule attached to a handle. The bristles may come from
hairs of a variety of animals including boar, squirrel and badger
as well as synthetic. Red sable hairs are often considered the
finest. Different shapes are desirable for different paint types
and techniques.
Byzantine - the art and architecture of the
Eastern Roman Empire from about AD 330 to 1450. The style itself
is mostly religious. Pieces are characterized by a strong use
of colors and figures. The figures seem to be flat with prominent
eyes and backgrounds that are golden in tone. Most works of the
period tend to be clear and simple, probably for an effective
presentation of the intended religious lesson.
C
Cachet - a substitute for a signature on
a work of art that is original and creative yet simple.
Calligraphy - the art of handwriting where
the writing has been done in an ornamental way.
Chinese
Calligraphy art from worldimages gallery
Camaïeu - a painting or decoration technique done
in numerous shades of the same single color disregarding the actual
color of the content.
Canvas - the support used for an acrylic
or oil painting that is typically made of linen or cotton, stretched
very tightly and tacked onto a wooden frame. Linen is considered
far superior to the heavy cotton for a canvas.
Caricature - A picture where the subject
is depicted in a satirizing way that exaggerates its distinctive
characteristics in a comical or grotesque way. Often used as a
commentary on political or social matters.
Cartoon - an often humorous or satirical
drawing to evoke emotions, usually with a caption. A cartoon is
typically a simple-lined drawing and tells a story or continues
a story; it can consist of one or more pictures or frames.
Chiaroscuro - the painting or drawing of
forms where depth and space are illustrated contrasting light
and shade.
Chroma - the degree of a color's brilliance.
Chromatic color - any color that is not white,
black or gray.
Classicism - typically referring to what
are considered characteristics of classical art that include simplicity,
harmony, proportional representation and emotional restraint.
Collage - introduced by the Cubists, the
technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles
such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface
such as a canvas whereby a three-dimensional result is achieved.
Color wheel - a radial diagram of colors
where primary colors (red, blue or yellow) are on one side and
secondary (made by mixing two primary colors) colors appear on
the other. A color wheel is used to identify, mix and select colors.
Complementary color - a color that is directly
opposite another on the color wheel, such as yellow and purple,
blue and orange, red and green. When mixed together, two complementary
colors yield a brown or gray color.
Cool colors - colors in which blue is predominant
including blue and blue-green. Cool colors are associated with
water, sky and foliage and appear to recede from the viewer.
Constructivism - a modern art movement beginning
in Russia that aimed to create abstract sculpture for an industrialized
society. The movement utilized technology and building materials
such as glass, plastic, steel and chrome. Vladimir Tatlin was
the first artist to develop such art.
Content - the subject matter of a work of
art and its values apart from the artist's ability. Form and content
are the two elements that comprise a work.
Copy - a reproduction of a work of art usually
done in the same medium.
Cotton canvas - a canvas made from cotton.
Though considered to be less desirable than linen, it is also
less expensive.
Craft - the artist's technical skill or ability
beyond the aesthetic value of a work. Also, manual activities
done by artisans as opposed to those practiced by artists of fine
art.
Cubism - a very influential 20th century
art movement driven by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. The movement
attempts to break up subject matter, analyze it and reassemble
it in an abstract form.
D
Dada - a controversial art movement begun
in Germany in the early 20th century. Works reflected cynicism
toward social values and tradition. The artists employed unusual
methods and materials in their works. Marcel Duchamp's photograph
of the Mona Lisa with a mustache is one example of the Dada movement's
creations.
Decorative art - artwork intended for ornamentation
purposes. Differing from fine art, decorative art is intended
to have a purpose as interior decoration. Some examples of decorative
art include furniture, ceramics, glass and jewelry.
Deep color - a color that has a high degree
of saturation and low lightness. Deep colors typically have little
white mixed in them.
Design - the plan or arrangement of elements
in a work of art. The ideal is one where the assembled elements
result in a unity or harmony.
Dichroism - the property of a substance to
show two different effects under different viewing circumstances.
For example, some colors appear different when applied using horizontal
strokes than when applied using vertical strokes.
Diptych - a painting done on two separate
canvases or panels hinged together.
Distortion - changing the way an object looks,
exaggerating a shape's normal image by stretching or changing
to make it more interesting or to emphasize the image or express
the artist's feelings.
Double image - a painted figure or object
that is identifiable as two separate objects. For example, a cloud
that resembles a cherub.
Drawing paper - a dull finish, hard-textured
paper for drawing that features good ability for erasing and water
resistance.
E
Earth colors - painting pigments that are
made from naturally occurring materials from the earth.
Eclecticism - an art method of borrowing
and combining styles from multiple art movements, schools, styles
or other artists into one work of art.
Empathy - feeling of concern and understanding
for another's situation or feelings. Also, an emotional feeling
of identification or understanding of a work of art.
Equilibrium - a state of balance between
opposing forces or elements.
Etruscan art - art from the northwestern
Italian area of Etruria, now Tuscany, before the advent of Rome.
The art is notable for its urns, sculptures and ceramics.
Expressionism - a style in painting where
the artist disregards traditional standards of proportion and
realism while expressing his or her own inner experience of emotions
by using distortion and emphasis.
F
Figurative - art that represents a human,
animal or object's form by means of a symbol or figure.
Figure - usually referring to a representation
of the human body though sometimes also that of an animal or other
thing.
Fine art - art that is created for its own
aesthetic purpose rather than for a practical, utility purpose.
"Art for art's sake.
Foliated - designed or decorated with foliage
or leaf patterns.
Folk art - handicrafts and ornamental works
produced by people with no formal art training but trained in
traditional techniques often handed down through generations and
of a specific region.
Foreground - the area of a picture that appears
to be closest to the observer, often depicted at the bottom.
Form - the total product of all the aspects
of a work of art and how they come together to become one singular
unique work.
Formalism - strict observance of the established
rules, traditions and methods employed in the arts. Formalism
can also refer to the theory of art that relies heavily on the
organization of forms in a work rather than on the content.
Full length - of a portrait that depicts
the entire body figure of the subject.
G
Genre painting - painting that represents
a phase or aspect of common everyday life and people.
Giclée - a printmaking process usually
on an IRIS inkjet printer to make reproductions of a photograph
of a painting; the printer can produce a very wide range of colors
resulting in prints that are of very high quality.
Gothic - the style of Western European (especially
from France and England) art from the 12th to 15th centuries,
which greatly influenced architecture, sculpture and painting.
Gouache - the technique or product where heavy, opaque
watercolor is applied to paper and produces a more brilliant and
strong-colored result than usual watercolors.
Gradation - a smooth progression of shades
or tints from light to dark, from one color to another or of objects
from small to large.
Grand manner - a type of painting where figures
of great importance are painted in a way that elevates them above
the everyday and common. Other elements in the painting are reduced
by means of simplifying or eliminating, shifting the focus to
the significance of the primary subject.
Grotesque - a style of painting or other
art that either greatly distorts or where fantastic animal forms
and human figures are combined with leaves, flowers and other
objects in an ornamental way.
Guild - originating in the Middle Ages, an
association of skilled craftsmen practicing a particular craft.
H
Halftone - a shade of a color whose value
is between the darkest and lightest tones of a color; also, in
printmaking, the use of a pattern of dots of varying sizes and
distances apart to depict varying shades.
Hellenic art - the art from the Greek culture
from 1100 B.C. to 100 B.C.
Hieroglyphics - used by the ancient Egyptians,
a system of writing which used symbols (hieroglyphs) rather than
letters or words
History painting - painting of scenes from
the past.
Horizon line - in a painting, a level line
where land or water ends and the sky begins. Vanishing points,
where two parallel lines appear to converge, are typically located
on this line. A horizon line is used to attain the perspective
of depth.
Hue - the common name of any color as found
in the rainbow or a spectrum or that characteristic of any color,
such as a brown tending toward red.
I
Idiom - the styles or techniques that are
characteristic to a particular artist or period, movement or medium.
Illusionism - in a work of art, the creation
of a deception image of reality by using certain techniques including
perspective.
Impressionism - beginning in France in
the 1860's, a significant art movement and style of painting where
artists attempted to paint their subjects in a way that showed
the changing effects of natural lighting throughout the day. Monet,
Cézanne, Sisley, Renoir and Pissarro are members of the
group of Impressionist painters.
View
our collection of Impressionism Paintings
India ink - in the United States, the common
name for liquid black drawing ink made from carbon.
Iridescence - the color effect on a surface
that shows a lustrous, rainbow sort of brilliance. Examples of
iridescence include a soap bubble or oil on water.
Islamic Art - art that is produced in the
cultural and religious tradition of those who subscribe to the
tenets of Islam. Calligraphy is one of the most highly prized
forms of art in the Muslim world with its being used to decorate
architecture, furniture and clothing. Animal figures can be found
in much Islamic art and mosaic art has been an area of much accomplishment.
Figures are largely absent from Islamic art and, possibly due
to little story telling in the Koran (Islam's holy book), there
is not much opportunity to depict parables in art. Islamic art
covers the people of a large area with much cultural diversity
thus making it difficult to summarize the breadth of the art.
J
Japanism - the influence of Japanese art
and culture on Western art.
Looking
for a good collection of Japanese Paintings?
K
Key - the range of color values and tone
quality in a work of painting. A low-key painting has mostly darker
colors while one in a high key is dominated by brighter and lighter
colors.
Kitsch - art that is considered to be overly
sentimental, pretentious design. Work that is kitschy is usually
mass-produced and met with critical disfavor. Interestingly, what
is kitsch in one time period becomes art in another, an example
being the work of Norman Rockwell.
L
Landscape - a painting, drawing or photograph
that scenery such as trees, forests, meadows, and rivers. The
movement toward a landscape being primary in a work of art, rather
than simply the background, began in the 17th century.
Contemporary
Landscape Paintings from worldimages gallery
Light - technically, the spectrum of electromagnetic
radiation, which can be seen by the human eye; also, the source
of light or its use in painting such as the illumination of a
subject or an aspect of a piece of work for emphasis.
Limited edition - a set of prints of a known
number, usually not more than 200 that are signed by the artist
and numbered
Literary - having or telling a story in painting,
drawing or sculpting
Lithography - a method of printing invented
in the late 18th century, a drawing is made on a flat plate with
a grease-based crayon and then washed off. Ink is then applied
and it adheres to the crayon but rinses clean from the rest of
the plate. Covering the plate with paper and pressing lightly
to transfer the ink then make a print or lithograph.
Luminism - the American art style in the
1850's to 1870's which used light or lighting effects as a major
characteristic; also, the school of painting that focuses on the
expression of the effects of light whether as the above American
art style or the French Impressionists.
M
Mandala or mandara - traditionally used in
Hinduism and Buddhism, one of several geometric radial designs
and mystical symbols that are to aid meditation
Mass - in a work of art, the space that is
occupied by an element that is significant to the design.
Master - also known as old master, an
artist who is a leader or teacher of a school, period, or movement.
View our collection of Paintings
from the Masters
Métier - the area or subject in which
an artist is most qualified, most accomplished or most comfortable.
Middle distance - in a painting or picture,
the middle part of the composition between the foreground and
the background.
Miniature - a work of art where they represented
object is created on a much-reduced scale.
Minimal art - also known as minimalism, a
movement and style of art from the 20th century which attempts
to reduce art to the basic geometric shapes with the fewest colors,
lines, and textures. Minimal art does not seek to be representational
of any object. Also known as ABC art.
Mixed media - the art technique where the
artist employs two or more media such as painting, charcoal, collage,
etc. and combines them in a single work.
Monochrome - literally one color, painting
or decoration done in different shades of the same color.
Montage - a single picture composition created
by superimposing or arranging many portions of images in a way
that makes them join or blend into one.
Mosaic - a very old decorative art, the art
technique of setting small pieces (tesserae) of tile, glass, stone
in a base of plaster or concrete. Often very intricate and detailed,
mosaic is usually used on walls, ceilings and floors.
Motif - a design that is the predominant
theme or a distinctive repeated pattern, design or shape in a
work of art.
Munsell system - the system of specifying
colors developed by Albert Munsell in 1915; the system is based
on three characteristics of color discernible to the human eye:
hue, value, and chroma.
N
Naïve art - usually referring to art
by artists who have no formal art education or training, a style
of painting that is often simple with bright colors, unrepresentative
perspective and childlike subject matter.
Narrative - having a story or idea.
Native American Art - artwork created by
the indigenous peoples of North America, including but not limited
to painting and drawings on paper as well as stone surfaces, weaving,
jewelry and pottery.
Neoclassical art - art that is reflective
of the Classical period of art, that is, the art of ancient Rome
or Greece.
Neo-impressionism - a movement in painting
as a reaction to Impressionism; originated by Georges-Pierre Seurat
in the late 19th century, the movement used the technique of pointillism
which uses dots or points of color which the brain automatically
blends upon viewing it.
Nimbus or halo - the circle of radiant light
around the head of a religious figure used to indicate holiness.
In art, it was often placed around the heads of kings as well
to indicate reverence.
O
Objective art - art in which the subject
matter is represented as a recognizable object as opposed to abstract
art.
Oceanic art - art that is produced by the
native inhabitants of the South Pacific islands of Polynesia,
Micronesia, and Melanesia. It includes skin tattoos, stone carvings
and tortoise-shell carvings.
Oil painting - developed over time during
the 15th and 16th centuries, the technique or result of using
paints made from pigments mixed with oil on a canvas. Oil paint
allowed for more demanding uses than the drier, less useful egg
tempera type of paint.
Opalescence - the trait of a white surface
having iridescence and resembles the colors in an opal.
Op art - from the early 1960's, an abstract
style of art. This style is unique in its attempt to show movement
on the surface by using optical illusion.
Opaque - the characteristic of not being
able to be seen through or not allowing light to show through.
Original - a work that is a new creation
by an artist as opposed to that which is copied or reproduced
in another work.
Overmantel - a piece of art that is of a
mostly long horizontal shape and is suited to hang in the space
over a mantelpiece.
Overpainting - the final layer of paint that
is applied over the underpainting or under layer after it has
dried. The idea behind layers of painting is that the underpainting
is used to define the basic shapes and design so that the overpainting
can be used to fill in the details of the piece.
P
Painterly - in painting, sculpture or architecture,
the use of masses of color to show as opposed to linear painting
which uses contours and edges to define its forms. The forms are
thus more amorphous and the eye can interpret more movement.
Painting - in art, the creation by an artist
of a piece with aesthetic value using the application of paint
to a surface.
Paint quality - the beauty of the surface
of a painting especially as to how skillfully the paint is handled
and used to create.
Palette - a thin board of wood, plastic,
metal, paper or other material with a hole for the thumb to hold
while painting where the artist holds and mixes the paints he
or she is using while painting.
Panorama - from Greek meaning "all view",
the wide-open view of the complete surrounding area.
Papyrus - a predecessor of modern paper used
in ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, made from parts of the Mediterranean
sedge plant.
Parchment - a predecessor of modern paper,
a type of writing material derived from the skins of calves or
sheep.
Parergon - part of a work of art that is
not its main theme such as a person that is a secondary subject
to a landscape. Also, artwork created by a person who works primarily
at another job such as someone who paints on the weekend but works
at a main job during the week.
Pastel - a crayon made from pigment mixed
with gum and water and pressed into a stick-shaped form. A work
of art created from these crayons is also called a pastel. Pastel
can also indicate a pale color.
Pastiche or pasticcio - a work of art that
is clearly derived from multiple styles; sometimes used to parody
other artists or styles.
Pattern - also referred to as design, the
repetitive use of any form, object or color in a work. Patterns
can be waves or circles, for example.
Perspective - the art technique used to give
an illusion of three-dimensional nature on a two-dimensional surface,
mostly by giving the illusion of depth. One example is that objects
further in the distance appear smaller and higher in the picture
Photomontage - an art composition created
by arranging multiple photographs into one; often, uses photographs
that hold elements or represent a single theme that the artist
is trying to express.
Picturesque - common in 19th century Europe
and America, a style of representational landscape painting which
focuses on unusual designs and rustic or quaint features.
Pisciform - of or related to the shape of
fish.
Pointillism - an area of French impressionism
where color is broken up into dots or points. These points compose
forms that are visible to the viewer only from a distance where
the eye blends the points to create such forms or objects.
Polyptych - a painting done in more than
three sections or panels that may be hinged together.
Pompier - a term used to describe a work
of art that is common and pretentious.
Pop art - developed in New York in the 1960's,
a style of art that derives from mass popular culture including
consumer products and cartoon characters. Some leading artists
of the style include Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy
Warhol.
Portfolio - a portable case for carrying
the art or images of an artist; also, the collection of works
that an artist has created and is offering for sale or to show
as a representation of the artist's style and skills.
Portrait - a representation of a person or
group or animal on a two-dimensional medium that typically also
shows some aspect symbolic of the subject.
Post-impressionist painting - as a reaction
to the Impressionists, this style focused on the emotional content,
structure and form of their subjects and eliminated the strong
focus on lighting in their works. Examples of artists of this
movement include Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin.
Prehistoric art - art created during the
first known period of human culture about two million years ago.
The period is broken into three major periods: Old, Middle and
New Stone Ages. The old is dominated by the use of stone tools,
carvings and paintings while the Middle is characterized by pottery
and the New by pottery, spinning and weaving. The three periods
illustrate the evolution of a previously nomadic group to urban
civilizations who domesticated animals and plants.
Primary color - the three colors of red,
blue and yellow from which all colors can be derived with the
addition of black and white.
Prototype - the original form which serves
as a model on which successors are based.
Provenance - the source or origin of a work,
can also be the record of ownership from when the artist created
it.
R
Realism - the attempt to represent people,
objects, or places in a realistic manner as opposed to an idealized
way; also, a later 19th century art movement in France which objected
to the idealized style of Romanticism by creating works that depicted
a more true view of everyday life.
Realism art
from worldimages gallery
Renaissance - French for rebirth, the revival
of culture and learning during the 14th and 15th centuries in
Europe that emphasized Roman and Greek art and culture.
Representational art - art that attempts
to accurately depict its subject so that it is recognizable to
the viewer.
Romanticism - in the early 19th century,
a movement in art that rejected the more objective, reasoning
style of classicism and embraced a more dramatic, personal and
emotional style even to the point of melancholic emotion.
S
Saturation - the intensity or vividness of
a color.
Scale - the proportion or ratio of a painted
object's size to the original object being depicted.
School - a group of artists who have a common
style which may come from geographic, movement, period or other
attribute.
Seascape - a painting or work of pictorial
art that depicts the sea or a scene that includes the sea.
Secondary color - one of three colors created
by mixing equal parts of two primary colors (red, blue and yellow);
secondary colors include violet, orange, and green.
Shade - a color which when compared to another
has a clear difference in color whether lighter, darker, greener,
etc.; also indicates an area of darkness due to an absence of
light in an area of a painting or picture.
Silhouette - an outline of a single solid
color that is usually a portrait and is placed on a strongly contrasting
background, usually black on white.
Silk screen - the process of making a print
during which an image is imposed on a screen of silk and blank
areas have been blocked out. Ink is then forced through the mesh
onto the paper surface. Andy Warhol is known for his use of the
silkscreen method in his painting.
Simultaneous representation - the depiction
in a painting or picture of more than one image of the same object
or person; often done with different perspectives of the same
image such as showing the profile and the frontal perspective
of a person's face.
Sketch - a quick outline or drawing used
to capture the basic elements and structure of a situation often
used as the basis for a more detailed work.
Still life - usually set indoors, a grouping
of inanimate objects that are positioned and then painted by artist,
often including fruit, bowls, flowers and books.
Style - the usual technique or expression
of an artist or group of artists.
View
the Styles of Paintings from worldimages
Sunday painter - a person who paints as a
hobby or non-primary occupation; sometimes used to imply that
the painter is not a professional artist.
Super realism - similar to photo-realism,
a style of painting in which the details of the subject are represented
in such realistic detail as to mimic photography.
Surrealism - a successor to Dadaism, the
style or movement starting in the 1920's which was influenced
by Freud's focus on dreams. Works in the Surrealist style often
appear dreamlike, irrational and fantastical in their presentation.
Some contributors include André Breton, Salvador Dali,
and Joan Míro.
View Surrealism
art by Salvador Dali
T
Technique - a method or way of working with
materials to create a work of art.
Tectiform - shaped like a house.
Tenebrism - meaning dark and gloomy, a style
of painting in which light is rendered in great contrast to dark
to create a dramatic effect. Often, a work appears to have a single
source of illumination to highlight the primary subject.
Tertiary color -- literally third color,
colors that are created by mixing unequal amounts of two primary
colors; for example, two parts of yellow and one part of blue
would yield the tertiary color of a yellowish green.
Texture - the surface quality or physical
feel of a piece of art; examples are flat, prickly, bumpy, rough,
smooth, etc.
Tonalism - a style of painting in which the
artist attempts to accurately capture the visual effects of the
sunlight on the subject.
Translucent - able to allow some light to
transmit some but not all light.
Transparent - able to allow all light to
pass through, often appearing clear and glasslike.
Triptych - a set of three paintings often
on panels that are related in subject matter.
Trompe l'oeil - literally, trick of the eye,
painting that is so realistic to the viewer's eye that the viewer
may thing that the viewed objects or scene are actually real and
not painted.
U
Underpainting - the preliminary coats of
paint in a painting that render the basic outline before the final
paint layers are added to complete the work.
V
Value - degree of lightness on a scale from
dark to light of black and white or any color. Low values indicate
darker color or less lightness and high values indicate lighter
color or more lightness.
Vanishing point - in perspective, the point
on the horizon in the distance where two lines seem to converge
and visibility ends.
Verism - the 20th century concept that not
only items or subjects of great beauty are worthy of art but that
everyday subjects also have aesthetic value for art.
Vignette - a picture or painting where the
borders are undefined and seem to fade or blur away.
W
Warm colors - colors in which red or yellow
are dominant including purple, orange, yellow and red. Warm colors
are associated with the sun and heat and appear to come toward
the viewer.
Watercolors - a paint that uses water as
its base usually painted on heavy paper.
Worm's eye view - the viewing perspective
of seeing from the floor or the surface of the earth.
Z
Zeitgeist - literally, spirit of the times,
the outlook or general feeling characteristic of the art creations
of a time or cultural period.
Zones of recession - the three areas of a
painting or picture that attempts to show spatial depth; the three
areas are the foreground, the middle distance and the background.
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