Art Glossary - Visual Art Gifts

Art Glossary

Glossary of Art Vocabulary

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Art

Alla prima
An italian phrase meaning -on the first-. Directly painting on the priming of the canvas with no underpainting.
Analogous Colors
Colors adjacent to each other on the hue circle.
Atmospheric Perspective
The effect of air on the color of an object to show distance.
Balance
The apparent weight of objects placed within a composition.
Bristles
Animal hair at the end of a brush consisting of a narrow base, a wider body, and a tapering point.
Cast Shadow
The rough image cast by an object blocking rays of light.
Chiaroscuro
The process of blending lights, midtones, and darks to show the roundness of form.
Chroma
The saturation, or intensity, of a color.
Complementary Colors
Two hues opposite each other on the hue circle.
Composition
The arrangement of elements in a painting (or other artwork) to create symmetry or balance.
Converging Lines
Lines that get closer together as they reach the vanishing point.
Curved Stroke
A type of brushstroke made with a rotating action.
Diagonal Stroke
A type of brushstroke made at an angle to the horizon.
Double Complement
Two sets of complimentary colors.
Drawing Through
A painting technique where one draws the entire object even though part of it is obscured by another object.
Dynamic Balance
When the weight of painting elements is opposed by other compositional elements.
Easel
A stand used to hold a canvas (or other painting support)
Edge
The point where one shape ends and another shape begins.
Ellipse
A distorted circle as an oval.
Ferrule
The flattened area of metal on a brush where the bristles are glued inside the metal sleeve.
Filbert Brush
A type of brush where the bristles are arranged in a curve.
Flat Brush
A type of brush where the bristles are arranged in a square.
Focal Point
The area of the painting (or other visual artwork) that is the center of interest.
Form
The three-dimensional quality or volume of an object with light and shadows.
Gesture
Glaze
Gradation
Grayscale
Guidelines

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