Art Glossary M-Z

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M

Mannerism European sixteenth-century artistic style featuring highly emotional scenes and elongated figures .

Manufactured shapes/forms Shapes or forms made by people either by hand or by machine. Opposite of organic shapes/forms.

Mat To frame a picture or drawing with a cardboard border.

Matte surface--Surface that reflects a soft, dull light . Paper has a matte surface. Opposite of shiny surface.

Medieval Related to the Middle Ages.

Media See medium.

Medium Material used to make art. Plural is media .

Megaliths Large monuments created from huge stone slabs .

Mexican muralists Early twentieth-century artists whose paintings on walls and ceilings used solid forms and powerful colors to express their feelings about the Mexican Revolution. Also called Mexican Expressionists .

Middle Ages Period of roughly one thousand years from the destruction of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Culture centered around the Catholic Church. The Middle Ages are also called the Dark Ages (because few new ideas developed) and the Age of Faith (because religion was a powerful force) .

Middle ground Area in a picture between the foreground and the background.

Minimalism Twentieth-century artistic style that uses a minimum of art elements .

Mobile Moving sculpture Modeling A sculpting technique in which a soft, pliable material is built up and shaped. Because more material is added to build a form, modeling is referred to as an additive process .

Module A three-dimensional motif .

Monochromatic A color scheme that uses only one hue and the tints and shades of that hue for a unifying effect .

Mortar and pestle Ceramic bowl and tool for grinding something into a powder..

Mosaics Pictures made with small cubes of colored marble, glass, or tile and set into cement.

Mosques Muslim places of worship .

Motif A unit that is repeated in visual rhythm .

Units in a motif may or may not be an exact duplicate of the first unit.

Movement See visual movement.

Multimedia programs Computer software programs that help users design, organize, and combine text, graphics, video, and sound in one presentation .

Mural Painting on a wall or ceiling.

Museum curator Person who oversees the operations of a museum .

N

Negative spaces Empty spaces surrounding shapes and forms . The shape and size of negative spaces affect the interpretation of positive spaces. Negative spaces are also called ground Neoclassicism New classicism. French artistic style developed in the nineteenth century after the Rococo style. An approach to art that borrowed subject matter and formal design qualities from the art of Greece and Rome .

Neolithic period New Stone Age. A prehistoric period stretching roughly from 7000 B.C. to 2000 B.C. .

Neutral colors Black, white, and gray. Black reflects no wavelengths of light, white reflects all wavelengths of light, and gray reflects all wavelengths of light equally but only partially .

Nonobjective art--Art that has no recognizable subject matter.

O

Oil paint Slow-drying paint made by mixing pigments in oil and usually used on canvas .

Opaque Quality of a material that doesn’t let any light pass through. Opposite of transparent.

Op Art Optical art. Twentieth-century artistic style in which artists use scientific knowledge about vision to create optical illusions of movement .

Optical color--Color perceived by the viewer due to the effect of atmosphere or unusual light on the actual color . Opposite of arbitrary color.

Organic shapes/forms Shapes or forms made by the forces of nature. Opposite of manufactured shapes/forms .

Outline A line that shows or creates the outer edges of a shape .

P

Package designer Person who produces the containers that attract the attention of consumers .

Pagoda A tower several stories high with roofs curving slightly upward at the edges .

Paint Pigments mixed with oil or water. Pigment particles in paint stick to the surface of the material on which the paint is applied .

Paint program A computer art application in which images are stored as bitmaps. Paint programs are capable of producing more lifelike pictures than draw programs.

Palette Tray for mixing colors of paint Papier-mâché French for "mashed paper." Modeling material made of paper and liquid paste and molded over a supporting structure called the armature.

Paleolithic period Old Stone Age. Began about two million years ago and ended with the close of the last ice age about 13,000 B.C. .

Parallel lines --Lines that move in the same direction and always stay the same distance apart.

Pastels Pigments held together with gum and molded into sticks.

Paste-up Model of a printed page. It’s photographed for the purpose of making a plate for the printing process.

Pattern The principle of art that refers to a two dimensional decorative visual repetition . A pattern has no movement and may or may not have rhythm.

Perceive To become deeply aware through the senses of the special nature of a visual object

Perspective A graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two-dimensional surface . It was developed during the Renaissance by architect Filippo Brunelleschi. Perspective is created by overlapping, size variations, placement, detail, color, and converging lines.

Pharaohs Egyptian rulers who were worshiped as gods and held complete authority over the kingdom.

Photography The technique of capturing optical images on light-sensitive surfaces .

Photojournalists Visual reporters .

Photo-Realism See Super-Realism.

Picture plane The surface of a painting or drawing.

Pigments Finely ground, colored powders that form paint when mixed with a liquid .

Plaster Mixture of lime, sand, and water that hardens on drying.

Point of view Angle from which the viewer sees an object . The shapes and forms a viewer sees depend on his or her point of view.

Polymer medium Liquid used in acrylic painting as a thinning or finishing material .

Pop art Artistic style used in the early 1960s in the United States that portrayed images of popular culture (mass media, commercial art, comic strips, advertising) .

Portrait Image of a person, especially the face and upper body.

Positive spaces Shapes or forms in two- and three dimensional art . Empty spaces surrounding them are called negative spaces or ground.

Post-and-lintel A method of construction in which one long stone is balanced on top of two posts. Currently referred to as post-and-beam construction .

Post-Impressionism French painting style of the late nineteenth century that stressed a more individual approach to painting, unique to each artist working at the time .

Post-Modernism An approach to art that incorporates traditional elements and techniques while retaining some characteristics of modern art styles or movements .

Pre-Columbian The historical time period before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492 .

Prehistoric Period before history was written down .

Principles of art Rules that govern how artists organize the elements of art. The principles of art are rhythm, movement, pattern, balance, proportion, variety, emphasis, and harmony .

Print Impression created by an artist made on paper or fabric from a printing plate, stone, or block and repeated many times to produce identical images .

Printing plate Surface containing the impression transferred to paper or fabric to make a print .

Printmaking A process in which an artist repeatedly transfers an original image from one prepared surface to another .

Prism Wedge-shaped piece of glass that bends white light and separates it into spectral hues.

Profile Side view of a face.

Progressive rhythm Visual rhythm that changes a motif each time it’s repeated .

Proportion Principle of art concerned with the size relationships of one part to another .

Protractor Semicircular instrument used to measure and draw angles.

Proximity Technique for creating unity by limiting negative spaces between shapes .

R

Radial balance Type of balance in which forces or elements of a design come out (radiate) from a central point .

Random rhythm Visual rhythm in which a motif is repeated in no apparent order, with no regular spaces .

Rasp File with sharp, rough teeth used for cutting into a surface.

Realism Mid-nineteenth-century artistic style in which familiar scenes are presented as they actually appeared .

Realists Artists in the nineteenth century who portrayed political, social, and moral issues .

Recede To move back or become more distant.

Reformation Religious revolution in western Europe in the sixteenth century. It started as a reform movement in the Catholic Church and led to the beginnings of Protestantism .

Regionalists Artists who painted the farmlands and cities of the United States in an optimistic way .

Regular rhythm Visual rhythm achieved through repeating identical motifs using the same intervals of space between them .

Relief printing A printmaking technique in which the artist cuts away the sections of a surface not meant to hold ink. As a result, the image to be printed is raised from the background .

Relief sculpture Type of sculpture in which forms project from a flat background. Opposite of freestanding .

Renaissance The name given to the period at the end of the Middle Ages when artists, writers, and philosophers were "re-awakened" to art forms and ideas from ancient Greece and Rome .

Repetition Technique for creating rhythm and unity in which a motif or single element appears again and again.

Reproduction A copy of a work of art.

Rhythm The principle of art that indicates movement by the repetition of elements or objects . Visual rhythm is perceived through the eyes and is created by repeating positive spaces separated by negative spaces. There are five types of rhythm: random, regular, alternating, flowing, and progressive.

Rococo Eighteenth-century artistic style that began in the luxurious homes of the French aristocracy and spread to the rest of Europe. It stressed free graceful movement, a playful use of line, and delicate colors .

Romanesque Style of architecture and sculpture developed during the Middle Ages in western Europe that featured buildings of massive size; solid, heavy walls; wide use of the rounded Roman arch; and many sculptural decorations .

Romanticism Early nineteenth-century artistic style that was a reaction against Neoclassicism. It found its subjects in the world of the dramatic and in cultures foreign to Europe. It emphasized rich color and high emotion .

Rough texture Irregular surface that reflects light unevenly . Opposite of smooth texture.

Rubbing Technique for transferring textural quality of a surface to paper by placing paper over the surface and rubbing the top of the paper with crayon or pencil .

S

Safety labels--Labels identifying art products that are safe to use or that must be used with caution.

Scale Size as measured against a standard reference. Scale can refer to an entire work of art or to elements within it.

Scanner A device that "reads" a printed image and then translates it into a language the computer can use to make a visual image on the screen.

Score To make neat, sharp creases in paper using a cutting tool.

Screen printing--A printmaking technique in which a stencil and screen are used as the printing plate. The stencil is placed on a fabric screen stretched across a frame and ink is pressed through the screen where it’s not covered by the stencil.

Scroll A long roll of parchment or silk.

Sculpture Three-dimensional work of art created out of wood, stone, metal, or clay by carving, welding, casting, or modeling.

Seascape Painting or drawing in which the sea is the subject.

Shade A dark value of a hue made by adding black to it. Opposite of tint.

Shading The use of light and dark values to give the illusion of form.

Shadows Shaded areas in a drawing or painting. Shadows show the surfaces of the subject that reflect the least light and are used to create the illusion of form.

Opposite of highlights.

Shape A two-dimensional area that is defined in some way. While a form has depth, a shape has only height and width. Shapes are either geometric or free-form.

Shiny surface--Surface that reflects bright light. Window glass has a shiny surface. Opposite of matte surface .

Sighting Technique for determining the proportional relationship of one part of an object to another.

Silhouette Outline drawing of a shape. Originally a silhouette was a profile portrait, filled in with a solid color.

Simplicity Technique for creating unity by limiting the number of variations of an element of art.

Simulated texture A kind of visual texture that imitates real texture by using a two-dimensional pattern to create the illusion of a three-dimensional surface . A plastic tabletop can use a pattern to simulate the texture of wood. Opposite of invented texture.

Sketch Quick, rough drawing without much detail that can be used as a plan or reference for later work.

Slip Creamy mixture of clay and water used to fasten pieces of clay together.

Smooth texture Regular surface that reflects light evenly.

Opposite of rough texture .

Soft edge In two-dimensional art, shapes with fuzzy, blurred outlines. Soft-edge shapes look soft. Opposite of hard-edge.

Soft sculpture--Sculpture made with fabric and stuffed with soft material.

Solvent The liquid that controls the thickness or the thinness of the paint .

Space The element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects.

Shapes and forms are defined by space around and within them .

Spectral colors Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet .

Split-complementary colors One hue and the hues on each side of its complement on the color wheel . Red-orange, blue, and green are split complementary colors. Split-complementary colors can be used as a color scheme.

Stained glass Colored glass cut into pieces, arranged in a design, and joined with strips of lead.

Static Inactive . Vertical and horizontal lines and horizontal shapes and forms are static. Opposite of active.

Still life Painting or drawing of inanimate (nonmoving) objects.

Stippling Technique of shading using dots .

Stitchery Technique for decorating fabric by stitching fibers onto it.

Stone Age Period of history during which stone tools were used .

Storyboards A series of still drawings that show a story's progress .

Stupas Beehive-shaped domed places of worship . Style See individual style.

Subject The image viewers can easily identify in a work of art .

Subordinate element--Element of a work of art noticed after the dominant element .

Super-Realism Twentieth-century artistic style that depicts objects as precisely and accurately as they actually appear .

Surrealism Twentieth-century artistic style in which dreams, fantasy, and the subconscious served as inspiration for artists .

Symbol Something that stands for, or represents, something else .

Symmetry A special type of formal balance in which two halves of a balanced composition are identical, mirror images of each other .

Synthetic Made by chemical processes rather than natural processes.

T

Tactile texture--Texture that can be perceived through touch. Opposite of visual texture .

Tapestry Fabric wall hanging that is woven, painted, or embroidered.

Tempera Paint made by mixing pigments with egg yolk (egg tempera) or another liquid. School poster paint is a type of tempera .

Texture The element of art that refers to how things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched. Texture is perceived by touch and sight. Objects can have rough or smooth textures and matte or shiny surfaces .

Tint A light value of a hue made by mixing the hue with white. Opposite of shade .

Tonality Arrangement of colors in a painting so that one color dominates the work of art .

Totem poles Tall posts carved and painted with a series of animal symbols associated with a particular family or clan .

Transparent Quality of a material that allows light to pass through. Opposite of opaque.

Trompe l'oeil French for "deceive the eye." Style of painting in which painters try to give the viewer the illusion of seeing a three-dimensional object, so that the viewer wonders whether he or she is seeing a picture or something real.

U

Unity The quality of wholeness or oneness that is achieved through the effective use of the elements and principles of art . Unity is created by simplicity, repetition, and proximity.

Unusual Technique for creating a focal point by using the unexpected .

V

Value The element of art that describes the darkness or lightness of an object . Value depends on how much light a surface reflects. Value is also one of the three properties of color.

Vanishing point--Point on the horizon where receding parallel lines seem to meet .

Variety Principle of art concerned with difference or contrast .

Vault Arched roof, ceiling, or covering made of brick, stone, or concrete .

Vehicle Liquid, like water or oil, that pigments are mixed with to make paint or dye (3).

Vertical lines--Lines that are straight up and down . Vertical lines are at right angles to the bottom edge of the paper or canvas and the horizon, and parallel to the side of the paper or canvas.

Viewing frame A piece of paper with an area cut from the middle. By holding the frame at arm's length and looking through it at the subject, the artist can focus on the area of the subject he or she wants to draw or paint.

Visual arts The arts that produce beautiful objects to look at.

Visual movement The principle of art used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer's eyes throughout the work of art .

Visual rhythm--Rhythm you perceive through your eyes rather than through your ears .

Visual texture Illusion of a three-dimensional surface based on the memory of how things feel. There are two types of visual texture: invented and simulated . Opposite of tactile texture.

Visual weight Attraction that elements in a work of art have for the viewer's eyes. Visual weight is affected by size, contour, intensity of colors, warmth and coolness of colors, contrast in value, texture, and position .

W

Warm colors Red, orange, and yellow . Warm colors suggest warmth and seem to move toward the viewer. Warm colors can be used as a color scheme.

Opposite of cool colors.

Warp In weaving, lengthwise threads held in place on the loom and crossed by weft threads.

Watercolor paint Transparent pigments mixed with water .

Weaving Making fabric by interlacing two sets of parallel threads, held at right angles to each other on a loom .

Weft In weaving, crosswise threads that are carried over and under the warp threads.

Woodblock printing Making prints by carving images in blocks of wood .

Y

Yarn Fibers spun into strands for weaving, knitting, or embroidery.

Z

Ziggurats Stepped mountains made of brick-covered earth.

Zigzag lines--Lines formed by short, sharp turns.

Zigzag lines are a combination of diagonal lines. They can change direction suddenly.