Art Media
A work of art created by carving, chiseling, casting, or modeling
Sculpture
the principle of drawing attention to particular content in a work
Emphasis
a scene of inanimate objects, such as fruits, flowers, or dead animals
Still life
Palette
the range of colors used by an artist
the person, object, or space depicted in a work of art
Subject matter
The art of emotive or carefully descriptive hand lettering or handwriting
Calligraphy
the center of interest or activity in a work of art, often drawing the viewer’s attention to the most important element
Focal point
French for “new art,” a visual style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, characterized by organic flowing lines, simulating forms in nature and involving decorative pattern
Art Nouveau
colors (such as blacks, whites, grays, and dull gray-browns) made by mixing complementary hues
Neutral
art that depicts figures and objects so that the viewer recognizes what is represented
Representational
in oil painting, adding a transparent layer of paint to achieve a richness in texture, volume, and form
Glazing
the part of a work depicted as nearest to the viewer
Foreground
a work of art that exposes the weaknesses and mistakes of its subjects to ridicule
Satire
paint made of pigment suspended in oil
Oil paint
a detailed assessment or evaluation of an artwork
Critique
a work involving the human body, usually including the artist, in front of an audience
Performance art
the distance between identifiable points or planes
Space
a European artistic and architectural style of the late sixteenth to early eighteenth century, characterized by extravagance and emotional intensity
Baroque
Monochromatic
having one or more values of one color
a system using converging imaginary sight lines to create the illusion of depth
Linear perspective
a technique in which the artist paints onto freshly applied plaster
Fresco
an image or shape that looks exactly (or nearly exactly) the same on both sides when cut in half
Symmetrical balance
a nineteenth-century artistic style that aimed to depict nature and everyday subjects in an unidealized manner. Also used to describe a historical movement from the same period, which tried to achieve social change and equality by highlighting, in art and literature, the predicament of the poor
Realism
the general classification of a color; the distinctive characteristics of a color as seen in the visible spectrum, such as green or red
Hue
the use of shades of color and clarity to create the illusion of depth. Closer objects have warmer tones and clear outlines, while objects set further away are cooler and become hazy
Atmospheric perspective or Aerial perspective