Art, Craft and Design Notes : Keywords and Definitions of the Elements of Art

Keywords and Definitions of the Elements of Art

Elements of Art:

The formal Elements of Art and definitions.

Dominant Horizontal Line - images that have strong visual lines relative to the horizon.

Dominant Vertical Line - images that have strong visual lines relative at a right angle to the horizon.

Dominant Diagonal Line - images that have strong visual lines at angles to the horizon that are not parallel or perpendicular.

Dominant Organic Shape - images that have strong visual shapes relating to, derived from, or characteristic of living things.

Dominant Geometric Shape - images that have strong visual shapes relating to the laws of mathematics, Geometry.

Prominent Figure/Ground Relationship - Images in which the shape or mass defining the figure is set logically into the space defining the environment.

Figure: The main focus of the composition (positive space) Ground: The secondary portion of the composition (negative space)Our ability to separate elements based upon contrast--that is, dark and light, black and white. In this discussion, we'll expand this definition from one of simple biological perception to one that includes abstract concepts such as subject/background and positive/negative space.

Figure Ground

Linear Perspective - A system for depicting three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface that depends on two related principles: that things perceived far away are smaller than things nearer the viewer, and that parallel lines receding into the distance converge at a vanishing point on the horizon line.

Atmospheric Perspective

a technique, often employed in landscape painting, designed to suggest three-dimensional space in the two-dimensional space of the picture plane, and in which forms and objects distant from the viewer become less distinct, often bluer or cooler in colour, and contrast among the various distant elements in greatly reduced.

Chiaroscuro - Drawing and painting, the use of light and dark to create the effect of three-dimensional modelled surfaces.

Implied Texture - The use of a medium, such as a pencil or paint, to create the visual representation of the surface of any object.

Achromatic Colour Scheme - images in which differing values of black and white are the only colours used.

Monochromatic Colour Scheme - images in which differing values of a single hue are the only colours used.

Analogous Colour Scheme - images in which differing values of pairs of colours that are adjacent to each other on the colour wheel, such as yellow and orange, are the only colours used.

Complimentary Colour Scheme - images in which differing values of pairs of colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as yellow and purple, are the only colours used.

Polychromatic Colour Scheme - images in which differing values of multiple colours are used.

Dominant Primary Colours - images in which differing values of yellow, red, and blue are the main colours used.

Light Used for Emotional Impact - the use of lighting in an image to create strong feelings in the viewer.

Implied Motion - the placement of figures and objects in an image that suggests action.

Large Scale - when an object which is normally, or expected to be, small is constructed at an enormous size.

Repetition - recurring shapes, lines, colours, and values that create rhythmic linkage.

Rhythm - an effect achieved when shapes, colours. Or a regular pattern of any kind is repeated over and over again.

Pattern - a repetitive motif or design.

Symmetrical Balance - when two halves of a composition correspond to one another in terms of size, shape, and placement of forms.

Asymmetrical Balance - achieved in a composition when one side it visually smaller with intense colour while the other is larger with moderate colour.

Radial Balance - a circular composition in which the elements project outward form a central core at regular intervals like the spikes of a wheel.

Strong Focal Point - when the central of visual attention, often different from the physical center of the work, is clearly distinguished.

Lack of Focal Point - When the central of visual attention is unclear.

Strong Directional Force - when the implied movement of the composition drives the viewer towards a location or place.

Representational - any work that seeks to resemble the world of natural appearance.

Abstract - the rendering of images and objects in a stylized or simplied way, so that though they remain recognizable, their formal or expressive aspects are emphasized.