Art Vocabulary 2012/2013

Resist - Resist techniques in art use the incompatibility of two mediums to create layered effects.  Most common is using crayons or wax on paper and fabric and brushing paint or dye over it.  The paint/ink will adhere to the paper or fabric surrounding the wax, but not the wax itself.  Traditional use of this technique with fabric it is called batik, see below:

Exhibition - a public showing of works of art.  Some exhibitions are organized around a theme, sometimes it is the subject matter of the artwork sometimes it is the media used to make the artwork.  Exhibitions occur in museums and galleries but also in public spaces.

First Grade artists have an exhibition at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh that opens Thursday night!

Propel East Art Show May 23, 2013 5:30-8:00 pm!

Upcycling - is the process of converting useless or discarded items or waste into new, more useful materials or  products.

tee-shirt pom-poms

Printmaking - A print is a picture or mark made from a block, plate or other object covered in ink and then pressed onto a flat surface such as paper or textile.  Most prints can be produced over and over again by re-inking the block or plate, except a monotype which is a one-of-a-kind print.

Types of printing include: aquatint, engraving, etching, intaglio, linoleum cut, lithography, mezzotint, silkscreen, woodcut etc.

Andy Warhol - (August 6, 1928 - February 22, 1987) - This year's PSSA artist!  Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Warhol was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement.  His artwork explored the relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and advertisement.  After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became a renowned and controversial artist.  The Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side of Pittsburgh holds an extensive collection of his art and is the largest museum in the US dedicated to a single artist. 

landscape - a picture or artwork that depicts natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers and sky.

pop art - was an art movement in the late 1950's and 1960's that reflected everyday life and common objects.  Pop artists blurred the line between fine art and commercial art.

pattern - one of the principles of design, a pattern is the repetition of anything - shapes, lines, or colors.  It can also mean something used as a model for making things, such as a sewing pattern.

balance - one of the "Principles of Design", it means to arrange the elements in a work of art so that no part overpowers, or seams heavier than any other part.  There are three types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial.

symmetrical

asymmetrical

radial

illustrator - An artist who creates the illustrations or pictures in a book, article or magazine.  Eric Carle is a very successful illustrator, known for his children's book illustrations that he creates using a collage technique.  Eric Carle has illustrated more than 70 books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote, and more than 103 million copies of his books have been sold around the world.

collage - a picture or design created by adhering (gluing) basically flat elements as paper, illustrations, photos, fabric etc. to another piece of paper. Introduced by the CUBIST artists.  From the French word "coller" meaning to paste.


composition - the plan, placement or arrangement of the elements of art in a work of art.

monochromatic - a color scheme that uses one color, or hue, and that color's tints and shades.  

one color + black + white = monochromatic

Pointillism - is a painting technique in which small, distinct dots of color are applied to the canvas, to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism.  

Impressionism - An art movement that originated in Paris, France producing independent exhibitions in the 1870's and 1880's.  Impressionists were known for: visible brushstrokes, painting outdoors, everyday subject matter, accurate depictions of light, and the inclusion of movement.
Noted Impressionist painters include: Claude Monet, Edward Degas, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Mary Cassatt

 

Color - Color is produced by light of various wavelengths, and when light strikes an object and reflects back to the eye, we see color.
Color has three properties: 1. hue, the color name 2. intensity, the purity or strength of the color 3. value, the lightness or darkness of the color. 
 

Point of View - Often used interchangeably with "viewpoint".   The position or angle from which something is viewed or observed and the direction of the viewer's gaze.  Examples of the points of view possible in a picture are: from outside, from inside, from below, from above, etc.  

In a portrait a (snow)person can be shown from different viewpoints such as profile, 3/4 view, in front/behind, close up etc.

Seam - the line formed by sewing together pieces of cloth, leather or other material.  The stitches that make such a line.  Any line formed by joining two edges.

Textile - cloth or fabric.  Art made using textiles or fabric is called fiber art, including handmade dolls such as these:

 


Critique - an evaluation of something, usually a work of art, with comments on its good and bad qualities.


Value - the lightness or darkness of a color; contrast between light and dark.  You can make a color darker by adding black, it is called a shade.  You can make a color lighter by adding white, it is called a tint.

Brushwork - the particular manner in which the artist applies paint with a paintbrush.  Please be aware of good painting techniques to get your best brushwork.  Choose your brush type wisely. 

Control your brush!  Don't let it control you!  Clean your brush well - no one like a sloppy brush.


Folk Art - Art made by people who have had little or no formal schooling in art.  Folk artists usually make works of art with traditional techniques and content, in styles handed down through many generations, and often of a particular region.

Depth- the third dimension - 3D!  The apparent distance from front to back or near to far in an artwork.  In a landscape painting an artist will show depth by distinguishing foreground, middle ground and background.

Mold - a hollow form used for casting a fluid or plastic medium such as plaster, clay or metal.
 

Symmetrical Balance - is mirror balance.   Identical forms placed on either side of a center line or axis are symmetically balanced.  

Texture - An element of art, texture is the surface quality or "feel" of an object.  
An artist can create real texture as in this example where thread, knotting and buttons are used:

or an artist can create implied texture like in this Albrecht Durer print:

Fiber Art - Art that uses fiber, such as weaving, quilts and basketry. Fibers are natural or synthetic filaments that are spun into thread, or yarn.

Self Portrait - A portrait or representation of an artist, made by the artist. Typically, it is drawn or painted from a reflection in a mirror. 

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was famous for her self-portraits.

Contemporary Art  - Art produced at this present point in time.  

In museums, contemporary art usually refers to art created and collected since World War II.  

This year in Studio 101 we will look at some unique and ingenious contemporary art every Friday.  We call it "Freaky Fridays".  We will see artwork created by living artists, often using non-traditional art materials.  Inspired by these new and exciting ideas, students will have a chance to be art critics.  They will hone their skills in Critical and Aesthetic Response, part of the PA Academic Standards for the Arts and Humanities.


Once again, we revisit this word at the start of a new school year...

Studio - The workroom of an artist such as a painter, sculptor, dancer or musician or a room or place for instruction or experimentation in one of the arts.