BEC JCE Art (Syllabus 33) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Elements of art

The basic visual components used to build and describe artworks: line, shape, form, space, texture, value and colour.

Principles of design

Guidelines for arranging the elements of art, including balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, unity and proportion.

Primary colours

Colours that cannot be created by mixing others; in traditional pigment theory they are red, yellow and blue.

Secondary colours

Colours made by mixing two primary colours: orange from red and yellow, green from yellow and blue, violet from red and blue.

Tertiary colours

Colours produced by mixing a primary colour with an adjacent secondary colour, such as red-orange or blue-green.

Complementary colours

Pairs positioned opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green, which create strong contrast when placed together.

Analogous colours

Colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel and share a common hue, producing harmonious and unified compositions.

Tint, shade, tone

A tint adds white to a colour, a shade adds black, and a tone adds grey, each altering the colour's value.

Value in art

The relative lightness or darkness of a colour or surface, used to create form, contrast and the illusion of depth.

Shape versus form

Shape is flat and two-dimensional with height and width; form is three-dimensional and has volume as well as height and width.

Linear perspective

A drawing system using a horizon line and vanishing points so that parallel lines converge, creating the illusion of depth.

Atmospheric perspective

A depth technique in which distant objects appear paler, less detailed, lower in contrast and cooler in colour than foreground objects.

Actual and implied texture

Actual texture can be felt physically on a surface; implied texture is simulated visually so it appears textured without being so.

Warm and cool colours

Warm colours such as red and orange appear to advance; cool colours such as blue and green appear to recede.

Symmetrical balance

Also called formal balance, it occurs when elements are mirrored or evenly distributed on either side of a central axis.

Asymmetrical balance

Informal balance in which unequal elements are arranged so their visual weight still produces equilibrium in the composition.

Emphasis and focal point

Emphasis draws the viewer's attention to a specific area, the focal point, using contrast, placement, size or colour.

Pattern and rhythm

Pattern is the repetition of a motif; rhythm is the sense of movement created by repeating or varying elements regularly.

Unity and variety

Unity makes a composition feel whole and coherent; variety supplies contrast and interest that prevent it from becoming monotonous.

Proportion in figure drawing

The adult human figure is commonly measured in head units, roughly seven to eight heads tall in standard academic proportion.

Graphite and charcoal

Dry drawing media; graphite gives precise grey tones, while charcoal produces deep blacks and soft blended areas but smudges easily.

Fixative

A spray applied to charcoal, pastel or graphite drawings to bind the medium to the surface and reduce smudging.

Watercolour characteristics

A transparent water-based medium where light passes through washes to the paper; white is usually the paper showing through.

Gouache

An opaque water-based paint with added chalk or white pigment, allowing solid flat colour and overpainting of lighter areas.

Acrylic paint

A fast-drying water-based paint made with synthetic polymer binder that can imitate watercolour washes or opaque oil-like layers.

Relief printing

A printmaking method such as linocut or woodcut where ink sits on the raised surface of the block and recessed areas stay white.

Intaglio printing

A printmaking method such as etching or drypoint where ink is held in incised grooves below the plate surface and pressed onto paper.

Collage

An artwork made by gluing materials such as paper, fabric or found objects onto a supporting surface to build image and texture.

Assemblage

A three-dimensional collage in which found or constructed objects are combined into a sculptural work occupying real space.

Critical analysis sequence

A structured response to an artwork: describe what is visible, analyse the use of elements and principles, interpret meaning, then evaluate.

Sketchbook purpose

A working record of observation, experimentation and idea development that documents the process behind finished artwork.

Presentation and mounting

Preparing finished work for assessment by trimming cleanly, mounting on a firm support and labelling it correctly and consistently.