The meaning or message communicated by a work of art, including its emotional, intellectual, symbolic, thematic, and narrative connotations.

Representational art in which the human form (rather than the natural world) plays a principal role.

Art of people who have had no formal, academic training, but whose works are part of an established tradition of style and craftsmanship.

The total effect of the combined visual qualities within a work, including such components as materials, color, shape, line, and design.

the symbolic meanings of subjects and signs used to convey ideas important to particular cultures or religions

a particular material along with its accompanying technique

art without reference to anything outside itself (also called nonobjective)

art produced by those with no formal training, outside the established channels of art exhibition

art that recognizably represents or depicts a particular subject

In representational art, what the artist chooses to depict.

the visual expression of a of an idea or experience, formed with skill, through the use of a medium.

The philosophy of art focusing on questions regarding what art is, how it is evaluated, the concept of beauty, and the relationship between the idea of beauty and the concept of art.

The art of beautiful writing; broadly, a flowing use of line, often varying from thick to thin.

Used to describe natural landscapes that are attractively poetic, rather than dramatic; original meaning is traced to the paintings of Claude Lorrain and other landscape painters.

Having no color (or hue).

The mixture of colored light.

A type of perspective in which the illusion of depth is created by changing color, value, and detail.

A shape in a work of art that resembles a living organism or an organic shape.

Italian word meaning "light dark;" the gradations of light and dark values in two-dimensional imagery, especially the illusion of rounded, three-dimensional form created through gradations of light and shade rather than line.

A self-contained or explicitly limited form that has a resolved balance of tensions.

Colors whose relative visual temperature makes them seem warm.

A set of colors chosen for a work of art in order to promote a specific mood or effect.

Two hues directly opposite one another on a color wheel, such as red and green, that, when mixed together in proper proportions, produce a neutral gray.

A method for suggesting the third dimension of depth in a two-dimensional work by placing an object above another in the composition.

The space enclosed or filled by a three-dimensional object or figure.

Colors whose relative visual temperatures make them seem cool.

The position from which the viewer looks at an object or visual field

In linear perspective, the presumed height of the artist's eyes; this becomes the presumed height of the viewer standing in front of the finished work.

In linear perspective, the point on the horizon line at which lines or edges that are parallel appear to converge.

Separate shape(s) that seem to lie above a background or ground. Often referred to as positive space.

The relative lightness and darkness of surfaces.

Any shape enclosed by square or straight or perfectly circular lines.

A hue with white added.

The background in a two-dimensional work; the area around and between figure(s). Often referred to as negative space.

In linear perspective, the implied or actual line or edge placed on a two-dimensional surface to represent the place in nature where the sky meets the horizontal land or water plane.

Having the dimensions of height and width only.

Having height, width, and depth.

That property of a color identifying a specific, named wavelength of light such as green, red, blue, and so on.

The tactile qualities of surfaces, or the visual representation of those qualities. Can be both ACTUAL and IMPLIED.

A line in a composition that is not actually drawn; it may be a sight line of a figure in a composition, or a line along which two shapes align with each other.

Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet; each hue is located between the primary and the secondary hue of which it is composed.

The relative purity or saturation of a hue (color), on a scale from bright (pure) to dull.

A two-dimensional or implied two-dimensional area defined by line or changes in color.

Art that incorporates actual movement as part of the design.

Mixture of colored pigments in the forms of paints, inks, pastels, and so on.

A long, narrow mark; usually made by drawing with a tool or a brush, but may be created by placing two forms next to each other.

A hue with black added.

Used to create an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface, it is based on the fact that parallel lines or edges appear to converge and objects appear smaller as the distance between them and the viewer increases.

Orange, green, and violet; the mixture of two primaries produces a secondary hue.

the color of an object as we experience it, without shadows or reflections.

(also referred to as primary colors) red, yellow, and blue; these pigment hues cannot be produced by an intermixing of other hues.

The physical bulk of a solid body of material.

A color scheme limited to variations of one hue.

A figure or foreground shape, as opposed to a negative ground or background shape.

A background or ground shape seen in relation to foreground or figure shapes.

A system for creating an illusion of depth or three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.

Not associated with any single hue; can be made by mixing complementary hues.

An irregular, non-geometric shape.

A perspective system in which all parallel lines converge at a single vanishing point.

A form whose exterior is irregular and which has a sense of growth, change, or unresolved tension.

The various elements of a work are balanced but not symmetrical.

Lack of symmetry.

A design (or composition) with nearly identical form on opposite sides of a dividing line or central axis.

The opposite of unity; diverse elements in the composition of a work of art.

The appearance of similarity, consistency, or oneness.

The near or exact matching of left and right sides of a three-dimensional form or a two-dimensional composition.

An arrangement of parts achieving a state of equilibrium between opposing forces or influences.

Technique by which an artist ranks certain areas of a work as of lesser importance; areas are generally subordinated through placement, color, or size.

The organization of visual elements in an artwork.

The size relation of one thing to another.

The juxtaposition of strongly dissimilar elements; dramatic effects can be produced when dark is set against light, large against small, bright colors against dull.

The regular or ordered repetition of dominant and subordinate elements or units within a design with related variations.

The recurrence of visual elements.

pathways that the artist embeds in a work for the viewer's eye to follow

The size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another.

A method an artist uses to draw attention to an area; may be done with central placement, large size, bright color, or high contrast.

All-over design created by the repetitive ordering of design elements.

The principal area of emphasis in a work of art; the place to which the artist directs the most attention through composition.