Elements of Art
Principles of Design
Categories of Art
Materials & Techniques
Potpouri
100
This element of art can be described as the path of a moving point.
What is line?
100
This principle refers to the distribution of visual weight in an artwork.
What is balance?
100
This type of representational artwork focuses on natural scenery.
What is a landscape?
100
This is the physical stuff that an artwork is made of (e.g. paint, charcoal, clay, metal, etc.)
What is a medium/media?
100
The empty area around or between objects in a composition.
What is negative space?
200
In a composition, the objects or filled areas are called this type of space. In sculptures, this would be something we could physically touch.
What is positive space?
200
An artist places one bright orange shape among several dull blue shapes so your eye goes to the orange shape first. Which principle is being created?
What is emphasis?
200
An artist paints a realistic picture of their best friend. The work belongs to this type of representational art.
What is a portrait?
200
Drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography are all generally placed in this broad type of media.
What is 2D media?
200
An artist creates one large dark shape on one side of a composition and several smaller light shapes on the other, creating this kind of balance.
What is asymmetrical balance?
300
Circles, squares, and triangles belong to one group of shapes. Irregular, free-flowing shapes belong to this group.
What are organic/freeform shapes?
300
An artwork places rough next to smooth, light next to dark, or organic shapes next to geometric shapes. Which principle is being used?
What is contrast?
300
An artwork clearly depicts a person, place, or recognizable thing, even if the artist has stylized it. It belongs to this major category.
What is representational art?
300
This category of art usually involves the artist themself, unfolds in front of an audience, and can incorporate elements of theatre, music, or dance.
What is performance art?
300
Utilizing this principle of design, an artist paints a jockey riding a racehorse to depict the feeling of speed.
What is movement?
400
Dark blue, medium blue, and light blue are all the same general color family, but differ in this element of art.
What is value?
400
An artist repeats shapes across a composition, but changes their size and spacing so the repetition creates a visual beat/tempo. Which principle is being created?
What is rhythm?
400
An artwork contains only lines, colors, shapes, and textures and was never intended to represent anything from the natural world. Which category best describes it?
What is nonrepresentational (non-objective) art?
400
The Pieta by Michelangelo Buonarroti began as a large block of rectangular marble. He used this method of sculpting- chiseling away bits and pieces of stone until the sculpture was complete.
What is subtractive sculpture?
What is the subtractive method?
500
A horizon line isn't necessarily physically drawn, but we still perceive a boundary between the land and sky. In our line vocabulary, this is this type of line.
What is an implied line?
500
An artist repeats similar colors and shapes throughout an artwork and arranges them so your eye moves smoothly from one area to another. The whole composition feels connected rather than like separate pieces. Which principle is most strongly achieved?
What is unity?
500
An artist begins with a recognizable horse but stretches its legs, simplifies its body, and exaggerates its head to communicate emotion. Which category best describes the finished artwork?
What is abstract art?
500
An artist chooses to paint with their hands instead of a small brush. Why might that choice matter beyond just changing how the artwork looks?
Because the technique/process can contribute to the artwork’s meaning or message.