European Baccalaureate Art flashcards

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

A mark (EB)

The school-assessed mark on a 0–10 scale awarded for the visual arts option, based on continuous assessment of practical work, sketchbook research and critical understanding rather than a single final examination piece.

Sketchbook as evidence

A dated working document recording sources, thumbnail studies, material tests and written evaluation; examiners use it to verify that the final work resulted from investigation rather than chance or copying.

Primary source

Material generated directly by the candidate from observation: own photographs, life drawing, site sketches or objects studied first-hand, as opposed to images taken from books or the internet.

Secondary source

Existing imagery or information produced by others, such as reproductions of artworks, museum catalogues, films or art-historical texts, used to inform but not replace first-hand observation.

Composition

The arrangement of visual elements within the picture plane; analysed through focal point, balance, rhythm, cropping, diagonal or triangular structure and use of negative space.

Rule of thirds

A compositional guide dividing the image into a three-by-three grid, placing key elements or horizons near the intersecting lines to produce dynamic rather than static balance.

Negative space

The area around and between the subject; shaping it deliberately (for example in figure drawing) strengthens silhouette, proportion and the readability of the positive form.

Chiaroscuro

Strong contrast between light and dark used to model three-dimensional form and create drama, associated with Caravaggio and later adopted in photography and film lighting.

High key and low key

High key means a tonal range dominated by light values with few darks; low key is dominated by dark values. Each produces a distinct mood and is a deliberate tonal decision.

Hue, value, saturation

The three dimensions of colour: hue is the colour family (red, blue), value is its lightness or darkness, saturation is its purity or greyness. Mixing changes at least one dimension.

Complementary contrast

Placing opposite colours on the colour wheel (red/green, blue/orange, yellow/violet) side by side; each appears more intense, producing vibration and a strong focal accent.

Split-complementary scheme

A colour scheme using one hue plus the two colours adjacent to its complement; it retains contrast while producing a more nuanced, less harsh harmony than direct complementaries.

Warm and cool colour

Warm hues (red, orange, yellow) appear to advance; cool hues (blue, green, violet) appear to recede. The rule lets artists create depth without linear perspective.

Impasto

Paint applied thickly so that it stands in relief from the surface, catching light and revealing brush or palette-knife gesture; associated with Van Gogh and Expressionist handling.

Glazing

Applying thin, transparent layers of paint over a dried underlayer so light passes through and reflects back; produces luminous depth, typical of oil painting from the Renaissance onward.

Frottage

A Surrealist technique of placing paper over a textured surface and rubbing with graphite or wax to capture the texture, pioneered by Max Ernst to bypass conscious control.

Collage

Assembling cut or torn papers, photographs and found printed matter onto a support; introduced into fine art by Picasso, Braque and Schwitters to question illusion and originality.

Readymade

An ordinary manufactured object designated as art by the artist's choice, as in Duchamp's urinal; it shifts the definition of art from craft skill to concept and context.

Linear and atmospheric perspective

Linear perspective uses converging lines and a vanishing point to build depth; atmospheric perspective uses reduced contrast, cooler and paler colour and softer edges for distant forms.

One-point perspective

A construction with a single vanishing point on the horizon line to which parallel receding edges converge; used for frontal views of streets, rooms and box-like forms.

Two-point perspective

A construction with two vanishing points on the horizon, used when a corner of the object faces the viewer; verticals stay vertical and the two visible faces recede separately.

Golden ratio in composition

The proportion approximately 1:1.618, used to place horizons, focal points and figure divisions so that relationships feel harmonious; often approximated by the rule of thirds.

Figure–ground relationship

The perceptual distinction between subject (figure) and surrounding field (ground); artists can stabilise it, as in classical portraiture, or deliberately destabilise it, as in Op Art.

Gesture drawing

A rapid drawing capturing movement, weight and overall pose rather than outline detail, typically done in under a minute to train observation of the whole figure.

Contour drawing

A slow drawing that follows the visible edge of a form with an unbroken line, often executed without looking at the paper to sharpen observation of volume boundaries.

Cross-hatching

Parallel sets of lines crossed at an angle to build tone and shadow; denser or overlapping sets produce darker values without smudging or blending.

Sfumato

A technique of extremely subtle tonal transitions that soften outlines and create misty depth, most famously used by Leonardo da Vinci in the Mona Lisa.

Artistic intention statement

A short written text naming the subject, the intended effect on the viewer, the chosen media and the key decisions taken, used to justify the work to the examiner.

Critical analysis of own work

Structured evaluation answering what was attempted, what worked, what failed and what would change; it must cite specific formal evidence from the work rather than general praise.

Appropriation in art

Deliberately taking and reworking an existing image or style; valid when the borrowing is acknowledged and transformed, as in Picasso's citations of African masks or Warhol's reproductions.

Site-specific work

An artwork conceived for one particular place, responding to its scale, light, history or function, so that relocation would alter or destroy its meaning.

Exhibition presentation

The mounting, labelling, lighting and sequencing of finished works; considered part of the assessment because it shapes how the examiner reads the body of work.