Elements of Art
How a piece of art literally feels
Texture
elements in a composition that are different from each other, usually in great numbers
variety
red, blue, yellow
primary colors
a fundamental, imaginary horizontal line in a perspective drawing or painting that represents the viewer's eye level, where the sky meets the land or water
horizon
artwork that depicts easily recognizable subject matter
objective art
the area above, around, and within an object
Space
the result of using the elements of art such that they move the viewer's eye around and within the image
movement
violet, green, orange
secondary colors
a drawing created on location, indoors or out, capturing what the sketcher sees from direct observation
urban sketching
new and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them
avant-garde
a moving point
line
the uniform repetition of any of the elements of art
pattern
the lightness or darkness of a color
value
the part of a composition situated between the foreground (closest to the viewer) and the background (furthest away)
middle-ground
style of painting that flourished in France that used pure, brilliant colour aggressively applied straight from the paint tubes to create a sense of an explosion on the canvas
Fauvism
when a line closes with soft, round edges
organic shape
when an artist creates an area of the composition that is visually dominant and commands the viewer's attention
emphasis
red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet
tertiary colors
the point at which receding parallel lines, when viewed in perspective, appear to converge
vanishing point
term applied to new forms of abstract art developed by American painters; often characterized by gestural brush-strokes or mark-making, and the impression of spontaneity
abstract expressionism
when a line closes with harsh, pointy edges
geometric shapes
Elements are equally spaced around a central point, as in the spokes coming out of the hub of a bicycle tire
radial symmetry
reflected light; also called color
hue
"en plein air" translates to this
"open air"
artists working from the 1940s until the early 1960s whose approach to painting emphasized the physical act of painting as an essential part of the finished work
action painters