Andalusia PAU Artistic Drawing II key terms

Initial light sketch in which the overall shape, position and relative size of the subject are established before any detail or modelling is added.

Ratio of roughly 1:1.618 in which a segment is divided so the whole relates to the larger part as the larger part relates to the smaller; used to structure compositions and formats.

Geometric construction that divides a segment into mean and extreme ratio, producing the golden number phi and allowing repeated proportional subdivisions of a rectangle.

Compositional guide that divides the picture plane into a three-by-three grid and places key elements or horizons near the intersecting lines.

System that projects three-dimensional space onto a plane using a horizon line and one or more vanishing points, so parallel lines converge and objects diminish with distance.

Point on the horizon line where receding parallel lines of a given direction appear to meet in linear perspective.

Horizontal line in a perspective drawing marking the viewer's eye level; its height determines whether objects are seen from above, at eye level or below.

Position of the observer's eye relative to the subject, which fixes the horizon height, the apparent convergence and the foreshortening of forms.

Foreshortening: apparent compression of a form that recedes sharply toward the viewer, so its depth axis shortens and overlaps other parts.

Imaginary transparent plane between viewer and subject onto which the projected image is traced; it defines the picture surface in perspective construction.

Choice of framing: the portion of the visual field included inside the format, and where its edges cut the subject.

Shape and proportions of the support (rectangular, square, circular), which conditions the composition and the direction of reading.

Arrangement of shapes, values and directions within the format so that the parts relate to each other and to the whole in a controlled order.

Apparent attraction an element exerts within the picture, depending on size, contrast, isolation, position and colour intensity.

Modelling of volume through the contrast between light and dark areas, using a graded scale of values rather than outline alone.

Ordered series of greys from white to black, used to plan and check the tonal range of a drawing before and during work.

Relative lightness or darkness of a tone independent of its hue; it carries form, depth and atmosphere in a drawing.

Zone of a form that receives direct light from the main source and therefore shows the highest values before any highlight.

Darkened area on the form itself where the surface turns away from the light source.

Shadow cast by an object onto another surface or onto the ground, whose shape depends on the light direction and the receiving surface.

Weak secondary light bounced from nearby surfaces into shadow areas, keeping them transparent instead of flat black.

Circular arrangement of hues showing primaries, secondaries and their order, used to locate complementary and analogous relationships.

Hue situated opposite another on the colour wheel; mixed with it, the pair neutralises toward grey or brown.

Purity or intensity of a colour, that is, how far it is from a neutral grey of the same value.

Mixing of pigments in which each added colour absorbs more wavelengths, so primaries are cyan, magenta and yellow and mixtures darken.

Thin transparent layer of colour or medium laid over a dry area so the underlying tone shows through and is modified.

Opaque, thick application of pigment that covers the support or earlier layers and catches the surface texture.

Drawing medium of graphite in graded hardness from 9H to 9B; harder grades give fine light lines, softer grades dark dense marks.

Charred willow or vine stick producing soft, dense blacks that smudge easily and are fixed with spray or worked with kneaded eraser.

Cylindrical paper or leather stump used to blend and soften graphite, charcoal or pastel marks into smooth gradations.

Ink diluted with water to produce transparent washes of graded value, often built in layers from light to dark.

Metal nib in a holder that delivers ink by capillary action; pressure and angle control line width and taper.

Surface receiving the drawing, such as paper, board or toned card; its grain, weight and tone affect how the medium behaves.

Surface quality of a material or represented object, perceived through small variations of value, mark and grain.

Rapid drawing made directly from the motif to capture essential structure, movement and light before conditions change.

Line that traces the outer or inner edge of a form; its pressure, taper and continuity convey weight and volume.

Expressive character of a stroke, arising from pressure, speed, direction and tool, which communicates tension, rhythm and material.

Regular or varied recurrence of marks, shapes or intervals that guides the eye through the composition and creates movement.

State in which the visual weights of a composition counterbalance each other, whether symmetrically or asymmetrically.

Conventional system of body proportions, such as the eight-head figure, used as a reference for constructing the human form.

Central line about which paired parts of a form are organised; in the figure it runs through the sternum and the body's weight-bearing axis.

Single sweeping line describing the main direction and gesture of a pose, along which the body's masses are organised.

Expressive movement of the whole figure captured with rapid marks, conveying attitude and intention rather than anatomical detail.

Drawing of a person's head and expression in which likeness depends on proportion, structure and characteristic features rather than on copying details.

Preliminary, quickly executed drawing that tests an idea, composition or solution before the finished work is undertaken.

Bound notebook of notes, sketches and observations kept systematically as raw material for later drawings and projects.

Description and interpretation of an artwork through its elements: format, composition, line, value, colour, technique and handling.