ART ELEMENTS: DEFINITIONS
LINE
A mark that results from energy or movement
CONTOUR LINE
A line that traces the outer edge of a figure or object
ACTUAL LINE
A line that really exists, no matter what material it is made of
IMPLIED LINE
Constellation created by the mind connecting dots or object edges
PSYCHOLOGICAL LINE
The unseen, yet inferred line connecting the gaze of two persons
HATCHING
The crossing of lines to imply texture or shading
SHAPE
Refers to actual or perceived boundaries
GEOMETRIC SHAPE
Tends to have polygon-like characteristics
ORGANIC SHAPE
Tends to remind one of a living organism
AMORPHOUS SHAPE
Tends to have little resemblance to the natural world
FIGURE / GROUND RELATIONSHIP
The concept that foreground and background are and the space between the shapes visually important
FORM
Is a 3-dimensional version of shape
VOLUME
Measures the amount of material that can fit inside a 3D form
MASS
Measures the density of material within a 3D form
VALUE
Is a range of light and dark
LIGHT/SHADOW
Allow the eye to see form
HIGH VALUE CONTRAST
Occurs when light and dark areas near each other are very different
LOW VALUE CONTRAST
Occurs when light and dark areas near each other are similar/subtle
CHIAROSCURO
An artist’s technique to infer 3D form on a 2D surface
COLOR
May be measured in frequency visible to the naked eye
VISIBLE SPECTRUM
Colors that can be seen, which are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, located between ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths
ADDITIVE COLOR SYSTEM
A system of color made up of light; all colors combined yield white, transparent light
ADDITIVE COLOR PRIMARIES
Red, Green, Blue (RGB)
SUBTRACTIVE COLOR SYSTEM
A system of color made of pigment; all colors combined yield dark, opaque pigment
SUBTRACTIVE COLOR PRIMARIES
Red, Yellow, Blue
HSB
A system for accurately depicting color on electronic screens
HUE
Refers to which color of the rainbow (HSB system)
SATURATION
Refers to how much of the color is present relative to gray (HSB system)
BRIGHTNESS
Refers to how much light is ‘on’ within the color relative to black or no light (HSB system)
SHADE
Is a color to which black has been added
TINT
Is a color to which white has been added
TONE
Is a color to which gray has been added
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
A set of colors located across from each other on the color wheel
ANALOGOUS COLORS
A set of 2-3 colors located next to each other on the color wheel
PRIMARY COLORS (SUBTRACTIVE SYSTEM)
Red, Yellow and Blue which cannot be mixed from other colors
SECONDARY COLORS (SUBTRACTIVE SYSTEM)
Orange, Green and Violet which are mixed from the primaries
TERTIARY COLORS (SUBTRACTIVE SYSTEM)
Red-orange, Orange-yellow, Yellow-green, Green-blue, Blue-violet, Violet-red, which are colors that can be mixed from either the primary or secondary colors
TEXTURE
Can be a physical or perceived change in the depth of a surface
ACTUAL TEXTURE
An uneven surface that can be felt or measured
IMPLIED OR VISUAL TEXTURE
A surface that is perceived to be uneven but is actually smooth
SUBVERSIVE TEXTURE
A texture whose meaning is changed by the artist’s manipulation
SPACE
The absence of mass; a synonym might be ‘emptiness’
DEPTH, PHYSICAL
3D space such as might be found in a hole, valley or canyon
DEPTH, EMOTIONAL
Meaning found within a creative work that stirs the soul
INNER, OUTER, PSYCHOLOGICAL
Spiritual, physical and mental arenas of space
THIRD DIMENSION
The z-axis (depth), in an x-y-z system (height, width, depth)
OVERLAP
Placing objects in front or behind each other to suggest depth
RELATIVE SIZE
Making similar shapes larger or smaller to suggest distance or depth
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
A system using 1, 2 or 3 points to organize objects in space
VANISHING POINT
A place on the horizon toward which parallel lines converge when using a system of perspective
ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE
A system depicting air as mist or fog to suggest distance
TIME
A human construction derived from celestial interactions
FOURTH DIMENSION
A concept suggesting time as a factor in the human experience
STOPPED TIME
Often used in photography to ‘capture’ a moment
CALENDAR
A system dividing a solar year into equal parts
CLOCK TIME
A numerically based system often used in cities and industrial situations
EVENT TIME
A perceived or social system that depends on an occurrence or an action, relative to its start or finish
RELATIVITY
A theory by Einstein that suggests time moves differently in outer space than in gravity
CIRCULAR OR CYCLICAL TIME
A system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Western hemisphere which connects the present as a reflection of the past
MOTION
The perception of change in location of an object or being
ACTUAL MOTION
Motion that can be perceived with the senses or measured by an inanimate mechanism
IMPLIED MOTION
Motion that is suggested or perceived, while the object or scene is actually still and not moving
KINESIS
The scientific term for random motion caused by a stimulus
KINETIC ART
A creative work that uses motion as a primary art element