Basque PAU Graphic-Plastic Techniques key terms

Mark made by a drawing tool moving across a surface; its thickness, pressure and direction convey contour, volume and movement, and it is the basic structural unit of drawing.

The visible stroke left by a tool such as pencil, charcoal or pen, considered in terms of its character (soft, sharp, broken, nervous) rather than its descriptive function.

Distribution of light and shadow on a form, usually analysed as highlight, mid-tone, core shadow, reflected light and cast shadow, which produces the illusion of three-dimensional volume.

Technique of modelling form and creating dramatic depth through strong contrasts between light and dark areas, characteristic of Renaissance and Baroque drawing and painting.

Graded shading applied across a surface so that a flat shape appears rounded or solid; achieved by varying tone density according to the direction of the light source.

Representation system in which parallel lines recede to one or more vanishing points on a horizon line, producing the illusion of depth on a flat plane.

Axonometric projection in which the three axes are drawn at equal 120-degree angles with no vanishing points, so measurements remain true along each axis; common in technical and product drawing.

Points on the horizon line where receding parallel lines appear to converge in conical perspective; a one-point, two-point or three-point system follows from how many are used.

Horizontal line in a perspective drawing marking the height of the viewer's eye; the position of objects relative to it determines whether they are seen from above or below.

Flat, scale-accurate views of an object from front, side and top, arranged in projection; the basis of technical drawing and of communicating a design for manufacture.

Fixed ratio between a drawn or modelled representation and the real object, such as 1:1 for full size or 1:50 for a reduction; essential for reading plans and elevations.

Circular diagram arranging hues by their relationships, used to locate primary, secondary and complementary colours and to plan harmonious or contrasting colour schemes.

Two hues placed opposite each other on the colour circle; mixed as pigments they neutralise toward grey, placed side by side they intensify each other's apparent saturation.

Additive mixing of coloured light, where red, green and blue primaries combine to produce white; distinct from the subtractive mixing of pigments.

Subtractive mixing of pigments or inks, where cyan, magenta and yellow primaries progressively absorb wavelengths and combined together approach black or dark neutral.

The three dimensions of a colour: hue (its name on the circle), value or lightness, and saturation or purity; changing any one alters the colour's character and weight in a composition.

The limited set of colours chosen for a single work or design, ranging from monochrome and analogous to complementary or triadic schemes, which unifies the image.

Perceptual grouping of hues into warm (red, orange, yellow) that appear to advance, and cool (blue, green, violet) that appear to recede; used to build spatial depth and mood.

Conventional meanings and emotional associations attached to colours within a culture, such as mourning, danger or purity, which a designer can use or deliberately subvert.

Painting medium in which pigment is bound in drying oil, allowing slow blending, glazing and reworking; its layered transparency and rich surface are central to European painting tradition.

Fast-drying synthetic polymer paint that can be thinned with water, used opaquely or as a glaze; its quick drying favours layered, experimental and mixed-media work.

Application of a thin, transparent layer of paint over a dried underlayer so light passes through it; builds deep, luminous colour and is typical of oil and watercolour work.

Water-based painting in which transparent washes of pigment on paper use the white of the support as light; success depends on planning, since corrections are difficult.

Opaque water-based paint with a high pigment-to-binder ratio, allowing flat, matt, light-over-dark coverage; widely used in illustration and design presentation.

Printmaking process in which an inked plate is pressed against dampened paper under high pressure, transferring the image from incised or raised areas of the matrix.

Relief printmaking in which the image is cut into a wood block and the uncut surface takes the ink; produces bold, graphic marks and is one of the oldest print techniques.

Planographic printmaking based on the mutual repulsion of grease and water on a limestone or metal plate; allows fluid, drawn marks without cutting into the surface.

Stencil printmaking in which ink is pushed through a fine mesh, open only where the image is required; suited to flat colour, posters and repeated editions.

A single print pulled from a matrix, checked and annotated to verify registration, tone and pressure before or during an edition; its numbering and signature establish the print's status.

Combining two or more media or materials in one work, such as paint with collage, print with drawing, or digital imagery with hand-worked surface, to exploit their contrast.

Technique of composing an image by gluing cut paper, printed matter or found materials onto a support; foregrounds texture, juxtaposition and the readymade fragment.

Expressive quality of the physical substance of a work - the grain of charcoal, the weave of canvas, the thickness of impasto - perceived as part of its meaning, not just its support.

Arrangement of visual elements within the frame, organised through balance, rhythm, hierarchy and focus so that the viewer's eye is guided and the image's intention is legible.

Proportional division of a line or rectangle so that the whole relates to the larger part as the larger part to the smaller, approximately 1:1.618; used to place key elements harmoniously.

Apparent heaviness of an element in a composition, affected by size, darkness, saturation, isolation and placement; balance is achieved when visual weights are distributed convincingly.

Repetition and variation of elements - shapes, lines, colours - at intervals that create a sense of movement or beat across the composition.

Underlying network of columns, margins and modules used to align elements consistently in layout and design, giving structure while allowing controlled variation.

Selection and arrangement of type, covering typeface choice, size, spacing, alignment and hierarchy, so that text is legible and contributes to the visual tone of a design.

Ordering of elements by importance using size, contrast, colour, position and white space, so the viewer reads the most significant information first.

Systematic interpretation of an image's denotation and connotation, its framing, viewpoint, colour and cultural references, in order to explain how it produces meaning.

Study of the subject matter and symbolic content of images, identifying conventional motifs and attributes so a work can be read within its historical and religious context.

Recognition of major movements, works and artists used as points of comparison when analysing or creating images, such as Cubism's fractured viewpoint or Bauhaus design principles.

Early twentieth-century movements - Cubism, Futurism, Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism - whose formal experiments and manifestos reshaped representation, composition and the role of the artist.

Physical scale model of a product or space, made in card, foam or wood, used to test proportion, structure and ergonomics before committing to full-size production.

Design of mass-produced objects balancing function, ergonomics, materials, manufacturing and appearance; documented through sketches, orthographic views and models.

Planning of visual communication - identity, posters, packaging, interfaces - through type, image, colour and layout to convey a message to a defined audience.

Structured sequence from brief and research through sketching, selection, refinement and final realisation, in which iteration and documentation are as important as the finished outcome.