BEC JCE Art (Syllabus 33) cheat sheet

Elements of art: line, shape, form, space, texture, value, colour - the basic vocabulary used to describe and analyse any artwork.

Principles of design: balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, unity, proportion - how elements are arranged and organised.

Colour theory: primary colours (red, yellow, blue in traditional pigment theory), secondary colours (mixed from two primaries), tertiary colours (primary plus adjacent secondary).

Complementary colours sit opposite each other on the colour wheel and produce maximum contrast; analogous colours sit adjacent and produce harmony.

Value describes lightness or darkness of a colour; tint = colour plus white, shade = colour plus black, tone = colour plus grey.

Perspective: linear perspective uses vanishing points and a horizon line to create depth; atmospheric (aerial) perspective reduces clarity, contrast and saturation with distance.

Form is three-dimensional (has volume and occupies space); shape is two-dimensional and flat; texture may be actual (tactile) or implied (visual).

Drawing media include graphite, charcoal, pastel, ink and conte; painting media include watercolour, gouache, acrylic, oil and tempera, each with distinct drying and layering properties.

Printmaking processes: relief (linocut, woodcut), intaglio (etching, drypoint), planographic (lithography) and stencil (screen printing) - classified by where ink sits relative to the matrix.

Safety and care: fixative is sprayed on charcoal and pastel work to prevent smudging; brushes are cleaned with the correct solvent and stored bristle-up to dry.

Critical analysis framework: describe what is seen, analyse how elements and principles are used, interpret meaning, then judge or evaluate the work.

Colour mixing: mixing all three primaries in pigment produces a neutral brown or grey (tertiary neutral), not pure black; black is best mixed from complementary pairs.

Warm colours (reds, oranges, yellows) appear to advance; cool colours (blues, greens, violets) appear to recede - a tool for creating spatial depth.

Proportion and scale: the human figure is commonly measured in head units (roughly 7–8 heads for an adult figure); facial proportions follow the rule of thirds vertically.

Pattern and rhythm are created by repetition; variation within repetition prevents monotony and builds visual interest.

Symmetrical (formal) balance mirrors elements across an axis; asymmetrical (informal) balance achieves equilibrium with unequal but visually weighted elements.

Craft and presentation: correct mounting, clean margins, consistent framing and appropriate labelling form part of the assessed artwork in practical examinations.