Balearic Islands PAU Artistic Drawing II key terms

Initial light drawing that fixes the overall proportion, position and relative size of the shapes on the support before any detail is added. It is judged on accuracy of proportion and placement rather than finish.

The measurable relationship between the parts of a form and between each part and the whole. In exam work it is checked by comparing widths, heights and angles against a fixed reference such as the head or the longest axis.

Method of judging size by holding a pencil at arm's length and comparing one dimension against another, then transferring that ratio to the paper. It replaces guesswork with a repeatable proportional check.

Light auxiliary line, often an axis or a box, used to locate a form in space and check symmetry or tilt before committing to a contour. It is normally kept faint or erased in the final drawing.

The simplified underlying volumes, such as spheres, cylinders, boxes and cones, into which a complex observed form is reduced for analysis. Drawing the structure first makes later modelling and perspective corrections easier.

Reduction of a subject to its essential shapes and relationships, discarding incidental detail. It is the basis of both quick analytical studies and stylised or expressive interpretations of a motif.

Deliberate departure from literal appearance towards simplified, rearranged or non-figurative form. In an academic drawing exam it must still show coherent compositional decisions, not merely loss of control.

Personal reading of a subject in which line, distortion, scale or handling are chosen to convey a mood or idea rather than to record appearance neutrally. It presupposes solid observation before stylisation.

Intentional alteration of proportion, axis or contour to intensify meaning or emotion. Distortion reads as expressive only when the underlying structure remains convincing, otherwise it looks like an error.

System that represents depth by projecting parallel lines to one, two or three vanishing points on a horizon line. It fixes the apparent size of objects according to their distance from the viewer.

Point on the horizon line where receding parallel edges of a set converge in a perspective drawing. A scene may use one, two or three such points depending on the orientation of the object to the picture plane.

Horizontal line marking the eye level of the observer, on which vanishing points are placed. Its height relative to the subject determines whether we look down on, straight at or up at the forms.

The chosen position of the observer relative to the subject, defined by height, distance and angle. Changing it alters the horizon, the vanishing points and the whole compositional reading of the drawing.

Imaginary transparent plane between the eye and the subject onto which the visible scene is projected. Perspective constructions are measured on this plane, which also corresponds to the drawing surface.

Foreshortening: the apparent compression of a form that extends towards or away from the viewer. It requires drawing the receding axis shorter and the cross-sections as ellipses rather than true circles.

The oval projection of a circle seen at an angle. Its minor axis aligns with the direction of recession and its openness depends on the viewing angle, becoming a straight line when seen edge-on.

Parallel projection in which the object is drawn with axes at fixed angles and no vanishing points, so measurements stay proportional along each axis. Common in isometric and dimetric drawings of design objects.

Orthographic projection of an object onto perpendicular planes, giving front, side and top views without perspective convergence. Used in exam papers to test understanding of a volume before it is drawn illusionistically.

Arrangement of shapes, values and intervals within the picture format so that the eye is led and the whole holds together. It involves decisions about balance, focal point, rhythm and negative space.

The chosen limits of the image, deciding what is included, cropped or left outside the frame. It strongly affects scale, tension and the reading of the subject before any mark is made.

The area around and between depicted forms, treated as an active shape rather than leftover blank paper. Judging it accurately is a reliable way to correct the contours of the positive forms.

The apparent attraction a shape exerts on the eye because of size, contrast, colour saturation, isolation or placement. Balancing these weights, not merely centring objects, produces a stable composition.

Modelling of volume through the transition from light to shadow, including mid-tones, core shadow, reflected light and highlight. It describes three-dimensional form on a flat surface without relying on colour.

The relative lightness or darkness of a tone, independent of hue. A well-ordered scale of values is what makes a drawing read as solid and spatially clear.

A graded sequence of tones from white to black, used to plan and check the range of a drawing. Limiting the number of steps often produces clearer form than an uncontrolled continuous smear.

The degree of difference between adjacent tones, colours or shapes. High contrast advances and dramatises; low contrast recedes and unifies, so contrast control organises depth and emphasis.

The shaded side of an object turned away from the light source. Its shape follows the form's structure, and its edge softness depends on the light and on how rounded the surface is.

Shadow cast by an object onto another surface, determined by the direction of the light and the form of the object. Drawing it correctly anchors objects to the ground and clarifies spatial relationships.

Weak light bounced from nearby surfaces into the shadow side of a form. It keeps shadows transparent and prevents them from becoming flat black holes.

The angle from which the main light reaches the subject, deciding where highlights, core shadows and cast shadows fall. A single consistent direction is essential for a coherent modelling study.

Depth cue produced by atmosphere and distance: far forms lose contrast, become lighter and shift towards cooler, less saturated tones. It complements linear perspective in landscape and interior drawings.

Circular arrangement of hues showing primaries, secondaries and their intermediate steps. It is used to locate complementary and analogous relationships when planning a colour scheme.

Colour lying opposite another on the colour wheel, such as red and green. Placed side by side they intensify each other; mixed, they neutralise towards grey or brown.

The purity or intensity of a colour, from vivid to muted. Reducing saturation is one of the main tools for suggesting distance, shadow or atmospheric recession.

Coherent relationship among the colours of a work, achieved through shared hue families, limited palettes or balanced temperature. Harmony supports the composition rather than merely pleasing the eye.

A patch of tone or colour laid down as a shape rather than as an outline. Working by masses lets the student judge value and proportion before defining edges.

Pencil medium graded from hard (H) to soft (B) according to clay-to-graphite ratio. Hard grades hold a fine line and smudge little; soft grades give dense darks and respond well to blending.

Charcoal made from charred wood, offering deep blacks, rapid coverage and easy erasure or lifting. It suits large tonal studies but needs fixing because it smudges readily.

Blending or softening of marks with a finger, stump or cloth to create smooth gradations. Overuse flattens the drawing, so it is usually combined with re-established accents.

Thick, opaque application of paint that retains the mark of the brush or knife and catches light physically. It contrasts with thin glazes and is used for texture and expressive weight.

Thin, translucent layer of colour applied over a dried underlayer so the lower tone shows through. Successive glazes build depth and luminosity that opaque mixtures cannot easily match.

Technique of diluting ink, watercolour or gouache with water to produce transparent washes of varying tone. Tonal steps are built from light to dark, since a wash cannot easily be lightened once dry.

Combination of two or more media in one work, such as graphite with wash, collage with acrylic, or charcoal with pastel. The choice must be justified by the expressive aim, not used for effect alone.

The surface or material on which the drawing or painting is made, such as paper, card, board or canvas. Its tooth, weight and absorbency determine which techniques will work on it.

Weight of paper expressed in grams per square metre. Heavier papers resist buckling and repeated wetting, which matters when washes or mixed techniques are planned.

Composition built by cutting and pasting found or prepared papers and images onto a support. It is used to test composition and colour relationships quickly and to introduce texture and discontinuity.

Small, rapid preliminary drawing that explores composition, proportion or alternatives before the final work. Several variants are normally expected as evidence of a searching process.

Loose, economical handling of line and tone used to capture a subject quickly. It prioritises gesture and overall structure over detail and is assessed on liveliness and accuracy of observation.

Working notebook of sketches, notes and visual observations kept alongside the project. It documents the development of ideas and is often part of the evidence submitted for assessment.

The sequence from initial stimulus and research through sketches and trials to a resolved final piece. Examiners look for visible decision-making, including rejected options, not only the finished result.

Short written account explaining the intention, references, materials and steps of a practical project. It should connect each formal decision to the stated aim rather than merely describe the result.

An image, artwork or observed source used to inform a project's form, palette or concept. It must be analysed and transformed, not copied, to count as genuine research.

Examination of a work through its compositional structure, line, value, colour, texture and handling, before interpretation. It separates what is objectively visible from what the viewer infers.

Study of the subjects, symbols and conventions used in an image and their cultural meanings. It complements formal analysis by explaining what the depicted elements were understood to signify.

Early twentieth-century movements that broke with academic representation and proposed new formal languages, from cubism to surrealism. Their strategies of fragmentation, distortion and collage remain standard references.

Representation that retains recognisable references to the visible world, even when stylised or distorted. It is contrasted with abstraction rather than with realism, which is only one mode of figuration.