Terminologies of art - the basics
A
Achromatic - Black, white and greys. Artwork that is executed without color.
Acrylic - Thicker and stronger than tempera or watercolor paint, Acrylic is a water-based "plastic" paint.
Albumen Print - This printing process is used in photography printing processes. Egg whites are used in the emulsion.
Alternative Process - This photography term covers approximately 35 different processes for the final unconventional effect.
Art Boards - Art boards are smooth, reflective surface refracts light differently than canvas; making colors more brilliant and vibrant. The firm, consistent surface is perfect for smooth blending of colors, fine brushwork and minute detail. The choice of painting surfaces can have a profound effect on the success of artwork, creating as much impact as paint or technique. Most cracked paint seen in completed paintings results from some type of movement in the support. Art board panels protect artwork from damage, which is caused by the flexing and cracking of paint films. And the solid structure prevents the surface from being accidentally dented, torn or damaged by mishandling. Wood panels are more permanent than flexible fabric. Properly prepared art boards will have a longer life than stretched canvas or other thin flexible supports. Witherspoon originals are made to securely mount flush to the wall. The panels easily hang on a single nail or screw - no need for frames or picture wire. The rigid surface of an art boards ideal for all painting mediums, including collage, mounting prints and works on paper.
Artists Proof - A small group of outstanding prints for the artists use which have been set aside from the edition prints.
B
Balance - An art and design principle concerned with the arrangement of one or more elements in a work of art so that they appear symmetrical (even) or asymmetrical (uneven) in design and proportion.
Basic color principles - All color theory is based on the principle that 'color is light'.
An object that we see as red contains pigmentation which absorbs all of the colored rays of white light except the red color, which it reflects. White pigment absorbs none of the colored rays, and black absorbs all of the colors of the spectrum.
Black - The complete absence of light. Because of impurities, you can not create black with pigments. In most black pigments, the is a slight blue trace. A black surface absorbs all light.
Brayer - In printmaking, a Brayer is a roller which is used to apply ink to printing surfaces.
Brushes - Brush styles are designated by a letter following a series number. Some basic brushes to meet your needs:
F- Flats, square edge, long bristle
B- Brights, flat, square-edged, long sable
R - Rounds, pointed bristle
L- Longs, flat, square-edge, long sable
Filberts- Flat, oval edge, long fibre
C
Canvas - Fabrics that are prepared for painting. Available in panels, stretched on frames, or obtained by the yard.
Chop - An impression made by the artist, or by the printer seal.
Chroma - This is the intensity, or strength, or purity of a color. Squeezing paint directly from the tube to the palette is 'full chroma'.
Cibachrome - A process where a photographic print can be made directly from a color transparency.
Collage - Collage is from the French meaning "paste up". The combination of pieces of cloth, magazines and other found objects to create artwork.
Collograph - This name is derived from the word 'collage'. It is an image built up with glue and other materials.
Color - When light is reflected off an object, color is what the eye sees. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors are orange, purple and green.
Color Wheel - The Color Wheel describes the relationships between colors. It is laid out so that any two Primary Colors (red, yellow, blue) are separated by the Secondary Colors (orange, violet, and green)
Primary Colors are basic and cannot be mixed from other elements. They are to color what prime numbers are to mathematics. One can mix two primaries to get a Secondary Color. You will notice that each Secondary Color on the Color Wheel is bounded by two primaries. These are the components that one would mix to get that Secondary Color.
Complementary Colors - Complementary colors are those which appear opposite to one another on a color wheel. The complimentary colors are red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple. These colors contrast each other in the most extreme way possible. They also help to make each other more active. In the Color Wheel illustration above, the complement of the color is used as text in that section. This is to illustrate the opposite character of the color. The ratios and illustrations on the right of the chalkboard are ideal amounts of color compliments according to Johannes Itten. He believed that equal amounts of red and green are appropriate (1:1 ratio). Blue and orange are different in value, so they their ratios need adjustment (5 blue:3 orange ratio). The same is true of violet and yellow (6 violet:1 yellow). These ratios were probably devised to counter the intensity of colors like yellow and orange.
Hint: All colors travel in waves within light. Color Complements have drastically different wavelengths and, consequently, cause some perception problems for a viewer if they are placed close to each other in a work of art. The cones and rods of the eye cannot handle so much information, so we sometimes detect a quivering or optical distortion when two complements are used near each other.
Composition - The arrangement of lines, colors and form.
Conte - The modern pencil lead invented by Nicolas Conte. It is a black, red or brown chalk.
Contour Drawing - Contour drawing shows the outline of the subject, and not the volume or mass of an object. Blind contour drawings are those created by looking only at the subject, and not the paper while drawing.
Contrast - Contrast is created by using opposites near or beside one another, such as a light object next to a dark object or a rough texture next to a smooth texture.
D
Distemper - This painting technique involves the use of powdered colors that are mixed with glue size, or such things as egg yolk.
Dominance - Dominance is an object or color that stands out in relation to the rest of the painting.
Dry Brushing - Technique used in paintings using more pigment then water.
Dye Transfer - This is one of the most permanent color processes. This method gives maximum control of color, balance and contrast for color prints or transparencies.
E
Easel - An easel is used to support your canvas while painting. Can be a collapsible tripod, studio types and as a combination sketch box unit. Some sketch boxes contain lids that serve as easels.
Edition - A group of identical prints that can be numbered and signed by the artist.
Open Edition: An unlimited number of prints
Limited Edition: Prints that have a known number of impressions, and are usually signed and numbered by the artist.
Egg Tempra - A water-base paint made with an egg yoke binder.
Elements of Art - Elements of art are the basic visual symbols found in the work such as lines, shape, form, space, point, light, motion, direction, scale, dimension, texture and color.
Encaustic - This ancient art uses colored wax for painting. This technique involves painting images onto walls with pigments that are blended with wax. When used with heat, such as an iron, the permanent color is burned into the wall, for good.
F
Fixative Spray - For fixing charcoal drawing on canvas before painting. Fixative spray is available in spray cans, or for use with mouth atomizer.
Form - An element of art, such as you would see in a sculpture that has three dimensions.
Fresco - Pigment is applied directly to damp plaster making this wall painting medium one of the most permanent form of wall decoration.
G
Gesso - A white priming ground to be used on a variety of absorbent surfaces where acrylic colors, polymers, oil colors, tempera or casein will be applied. Dries within minutes to be brilliant white and not yellow. Can be tinted with acrylic colors before application for toned grounds.
Gesture Drawing - This quick drawing captures the energy and movement of the subject. It does not necessarily have to be realistic.
Glaze - Color that is thinned to a transparent state and applied over previously painted areas to modify the original color. (see also Underpainting)
Gold Leaf - Used for gilding, gold or silver (for silver leafing) is beaten to extremely thin sheets.
Gouache (Tempera) - Opaque watercolors and the technique of painting with such colors using white to make tints.
Canvas Giclée Prints - description, terminologies, process
H
Half-tone - still receives direct light but at an oblique angle, and therefore less intense
Highlight - Faces ;directly towards the light source (A good artist usually will have one principal highlight and the other light areas less intense.
Hue - Hue is another word for color. The attribute which describes colors by name, i.e. red, blue, yellow etc.
I
Impasto - A manner of painting where the paint is laid on thickly so texture stands out in relief.
Impressionism - Impressionism is referred to as the most important art movement of the 19th century. The term impressionism came from a painting by Claude Monet. His painting was titled titled Impression Sunrise. Impressionism is about capturing fast fleeting moments with color, light, and surface.
Intensity - This term is used to describe the brightness, or the dullness of a color.
Intermediate colors - Obtained by mixing adjoining Primary and Secondary colors.
L
Line - A line is an identifiable path of a point moving in space. It can vary in width, direction and length.
Horizontal lines run parallel such as === - They serve to express peace, restfulness.
Vertical lines run up and down such as ||||| - They serve to slow the eye down and create visual interest when spread apart in an uneven manner.
Diagonal lines are slanting lines such as \\\\\ - They serve to express action.
Angled lines are a combination of diagonal lines such as /\/\/\/\/ ><<> They serve to express instability.
Curved lines are curly and express movement such as ~~~~~
Linseed Oil - Used as a medium. The traditional "binder" for oil colors.
Lithograph - This is a printing process. A small stone, or metal plate is used. The printer, usually with the artists supervision covers the plate with a sheet of paper which are then run through the printer.
M
Medium - The art material that is used in a work of art such as clay, paint or pencil. Describing more then one art medium is referred to as media. Any substance added to color to facilitate application or to achieve a desired effect.
Modeling Material - Material that is formed into a shape. Most modeling materials harden when the moisture in them evaporates, such as clay or modeling paste for oil and acrylic painters. Some do not harden, such as plastecine and can be used again.
Monoprint - A print that has the same underlying common image, but different design, color or texture.
Monotype - A one of a kind print made by painting on smooth metal, creating a texture that is not possible to paint directly on paper.
N
Newsprint - This paper comes in large sheets, and is inexpensive. Newsprint will eventually yellow, and is not a good choice for preserving artwork. Pen and market will bleed through newsprint.
O
Oil Cup - A container that can be clipped to your oil palette. One cup for the medium, the other cup for the brush cleaner.
Oil Paint - A definition by Winsor & Newton state: "Oils are one of the great classic media, and have dominated painting for five hundred years. They remain popular for many reasons: their great versatility, offering the possibility of transparency and opacity in the same painting; the lack of color change when the painting dries; and ease of manipulation."
Organic - Shapes that are not regular or even, using a combination of edges that are curved or angular.
P
Paint Box
Prints: Canvas Giclée Prints - description, terminologies, process
R
Repetition - Repetition is created when objects, shapes, space, light, direction, lines etc. are repeated in artwork. They serve to unify a composition.
Rhythm - When the regular repetition of particular forms or elements occurs in a work of art, that work is said to have rhythm. It suggests motion.
S
Secondary colors - Orange, Violet, Green. Each color is midway between the Primaries from which it can be mixed.
Shadow edge - appears cut off from both the direct light and reflected light, and is therefore usually dark and dense
Shade - Using a mixture of black mixed with a color to make it darker. The opposite of shade is tint.
Silver print - This generic term covers all prints made on paper that is coated with silver salts. Black and white photographs are usually silver prints.
Shape - Shapes can be in the form of squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and ovals.
Spectrum - The colors that are the result of a beam of white light that is broken by a form of prism into its hues.
Stencil - The process in which an area is cut out of paper, or material such as cardboard to enable paint or ink to be applied to a piece of paper, or canvas through the cutout.
Symbol - A symbol is a picture or image that tells a story of what it is without using words.
Symmetry - Symmetry is when one side of something balances out the other side.
T
Tempera - Tempera is a word used to describe any type of binder such as oil, water or egg that makes a pigment workable as a paint form.
Tertiary colors - Colors that represent a mixture of secondary colors.
Texture - Texture creates the feeling of an object.
Tint - Tint is the opposite of shade. Tinting is combining white with a color to make it lighter.
Tone - The light and shade of a color and the most common method of rendering three-dimensional form.
Turpentine (or Grumtine) - Used for cleaning equipment and to thin mediums.
U
Underpainting - Preliminary painting used as a base for textures or for subsequent painting or glazing.
Unity - A feeling of completeness is created by the use of elements in the artwork.
V
Value - Shadows, darkness, contrasts and light are all values in artwork.
Vintage - A photograph printed within a few years of the negative being made.
W
Wash - A highly fluid application of color.
Watercolour - A translucent, water-based paint that comes in cake or tube form.
Wax Crayon - These crayons are ideal to use to loosen up your drawing style. Crayons are cost effective, and it is difficult to create really detailed drawings.
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