Art Vocabulary 2011-2012

warp - the set of yarns or strings placed lengthwise in a loom, crossed by and interlaced with the weft to form woven fabric.

installation art - 3D works of art that are often site-specific and designed to transform the viewers perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, exterior installations are often called Land Art.

Installation Art by Yayoi Kusama

Spiral Jetty, Land Art by Robert Smithson

proportion - the relationship between different things or parts with respect to comparative size.
rainbow roll or blend roll -  A technique of simultaneously rolling 2 or more colors on a relief surface from the same brayer.  Colors have a soft
blended transition from one to the next.

(A brayer is a hand roller used in printmaking to spread ink across a surface.)

composition - the harmonious arrangement of the visual elements of a work of art in relation to each other and to the whole.
design - Radial means anything relating to or arranged like rays.  A radial design is one where all components are distributed around a center point.  A star, a wheel and a daisy are examples of radial design.  Also a snowflake:

puppeteer - a person who manipulates puppets. 
Jim Henson is a very famous puppeteer.  He created the Muppets. 

Contour-
the outline of an object, body or land mass.  The edge or line that defines or bounds a shape, especially a curving form.


Hot Glass/Warm Glass/Cold Glass-


Hot glass work is done over an open flame, such as blown glass and torch work or lampwork.

Warm glass is glass fused, molded or slumped in a kiln.


Cold glass is done without any heated element, such as etched glass or stained glass.


Collection- 
A collection is an accumulation of objects.  The works of art that make up the holdings of a museum or art collector.  Museums typically have both permanent collections and traveling collections.  Collections may be centered around a medium or technique or a particular artist.  For example, the Andy Warhol Museum here in Pittsburgh has a collection of Warhol's artwork and The Mattress Factory Museum has a collection of installation art.  People collect things such as stamps, figurines, models trains etc. as a hobby.

Mosaic - art created by assembling small pieces of colored tile, stone or glass.  The individual pieces, known as tesserae are used to create a pattern or a picture.  Mosaic is one of the world’s oldest art forms, dating back over 4000 years.

shading - showing a change from light to dark in a picture by darkening areas that would be in shadow and leaving other areas light.  Shading produces depth.

kiln - a furnace or oven for firing, burning, baking or drying something.  Our kiln in Studio 101 has been fired up lately to fuse glass.  The middle school artists are creating glass fish...pictures coming soon...

  Collage – a work of art created by pasting flat elements to a surface to create a picture or design.  Can include “found objects.”  Introduced by Cubist artists this technique is still used today by contemporary artists. 

A collage by artist Hannah Hoch.

Font - A complete set of characters in a particular size and style of type.  These are a few common examples:

  
Landscape - A work of art that represents a view of natural scenery.
For example, Wheat Fields after the Rain, painted by Vincent VanGogh.  This painting is owned by our Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh!

Stylize - To alter the natural shapes, forms, colors or textures in a work of art, in order to represent a particular style of art.
In this Mexican amate bark painting the birds and plants are stylized, not realistic.

Studio Habits - These are the habits every artist in Studio 101 should strive to develop.

I am respectful of every artist in our studio and the artwork they create. 

I have an open mind - I am ready to learn new things and see new things.

I am ready to try something new, and ask questions and persevere if it doesn’t come easily to me.  I understand there is an opportunity to learn from my mistakes.

I am ready to lend a hand to help keep our studio beautiful and our art materials organized and in good condition.

I am ready to look carefully to become a better artist.

I try to express myself through my artwork.

I am willing to help others.

I am ready to reflect on my work and evaluate my own process.

I am not bringing gum/food/drink, outside aggravations or a bad attitude into our studio.


Technique - a technique is a procedure or method an artist uses.  Think about the way you work with different media in Studio 101.  What techniques have you mastered?


Portrait - a painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph or other artistic representation of a person.  The example below is a self-portrait painted by artist Vincent VanGogh.

Spectrum - the distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism.  Commonly referred to as "rainbow order".

Sculptor: 

A person who practices the art of sculpture. A sculpture is a three dimensional work of art.  Pictured below is local, Pittsburgh sculptor, Thaddeus Mosely. 

Blend: 

To merge or mix colors applied to a surface, with a brush, pencil or other medium. This is sometimes called gradation, such as the colors in the background of this Peter Max print.

Studio:

1.     The workroom of an artist such as a painter, sculptor, dancer or musician.

2.     A room or place for instruction or experimentation in one of the arts.

The word “studio” comes from the Latin word studium meaning to study or zeal.  Zeal means enthusiasm.  
Bring your enthusiasm to Studio 101!