Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Skill Subject Fine Art 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 any artwork: line, shape, form, space, texture, value and colour. They are organised by principles such as balance and contrast.

Complementary colours

Colour pairs opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green. Mixed together in pigment they neutralise towards grey; placed side by side they create maximum contrast.

Asymmetrical balance

A composition balanced by unequal visual weights rather than mirroring. A large element near the centre is offset by a smaller, darker or more detailed element placed further from the axis.

Negative space

The area around and between the subjects of a composition, as opposed to the positive space occupied by the subject. Skilful use of negative space defines shape and improves readability.

Rule of thirds

A composition guide dividing the frame into a 3x3 grid. Placing key elements along the lines or at their intersections creates more dynamic balance than centring the subject.

Graphite pencil grades

A scale from 9H (hardest, lightest line) through HB to 9B (softest, darkest). B grades smudge easily for tonal work; H grades hold a sharp point for technical drawing.

Watercolour glazing

Applying transparent washes of colour over dried earlier layers. Light passes through each layer to the white paper, so glazing produces luminous depth, unlike opaque paint.

Buon fresco

Pigment applied to wet lime plaster, so the colour binds chemically into the wall as it sets. Durable and permanent, unlike fresco secco painted on dry plaster.

Atmospheric perspective

A depth cue in which distant forms appear lighter in value, cooler in colour, less detailed and lower in contrast because of intervening atmosphere. It complements linear perspective.

Chiaroscuro

Italian for light-dark; strong contrasting tonal modelling that gives forms volume and drama. Caravaggio's tenebrism is an extreme version with deep shadow.

Bhimbetka rock paintings

Prehistoric paintings in Madhya Pradesh rock shelters, executed in red, white and green mineral pigments. They depict hunting, dancing, animals and daily life, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ajanta caves

Buddhist cave complex in Maharashtra famous for murals and sculpture. The wall paintings, in earth pigments, depict Jataka narratives and are among India's greatest ancient art treasures.

Lion Capital of Sarnath

Mauryan polished sandstone capital with four lions facing outward, from Sarnath. Its abacus carries wheels and animals; the lion capital is adopted as India's state emblem.

Kishangarh painting

A Rajasthani miniature school known for lyrical Krishna themes and the celebrated Bani Thani portrait. It features elongated figures, large lotus eyes and cool, luminous colours.

Bengal School

An early 20th-century Indian art movement led by Abanindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose. It revived Indian miniature and wash techniques in reaction to Western academic realism.

Raja Ravi Varma

19th-century Indian painter who blended European oil realism and perspective with Hindu mythological subjects. His affordable prints popularised deities across India.

Contrapposto

A classical Greek stance in which the weight rests on one leg, tilting the hips and shoulders in opposite directions. It gives the figure natural balance and movement.

Sfumato

Leonardo da Vinci's technique of soft, smoky tonal transitions with no hard outlines. It creates atmospheric depth and subtle facial expression, as in the Mona Lisa.

Cubism

A modern movement pioneered by Picasso and Braque that fractures form into geometric planes showing multiple viewpoints at once. It rejects single-point perspective and unified illusion.

Impressionism

A French movement painting transient light and atmosphere with broken brushwork and bright colour. Monet and Renoir worked outdoors, abandoning smooth academic finish.

Muga silk

Assam's naturally golden silk, produced in the Sualkuchi weaving belt. It is prized for durability and lustre, and muga products carry a GI tag.

Gamosa

A white Assamese cotton cloth with a red woven border, used in rituals and offered as a mark of respect. Its motifs and weaving belong to Assam's textile heritage.

Samaguri Satra masks

Majuli's mask-making tradition producing Bhaona performance masks from bamboo, cloth and clay. The satra's craft is a GI-tagged Assamese heritage practice.

Sarthebari bell metal

An Assamese craft centre in Barpeta district known for kanh (bell metal) and brass utensils. Artisans hammer and cast traditional vessels with distinctive shapes.

Hastividyarnava

An Assamese illustrated manuscript on elephant science, compiled in the Ahom period. Its paintings on sanchi bark and handmade paper are key examples of Assamese manuscript art.

Naga shawl weaving

Nagaland's tribal textile tradition, with shawls carrying clan and status motifs. Patterns, colours and weaving techniques vary among Naga communities and are worn at festivals.

RGB versus CMYK

RGB is additive light used for screens; CMYK is subtractive pigment used for print. Designs must be converted to CMYK before printing or colours may shift.

Kerning and tracking

Kerning adjusts spacing between individual letter pairs; tracking adjusts uniform spacing across a whole word or block. Both control legibility and typographic texture.

Vector versus raster

Vector graphics (AI, SVG, EPS) use mathematical paths and scale without loss. Raster images (JPG, PNG, PSD) are pixel grids that blur when enlarged beyond resolution.

Print bleed

Extra artwork extending beyond the trim edge, usually about 3 mm, so slight cutting misalignment leaves no white border. Trim marks and safety margins accompany it.

Fat over lean

A painting rule for oil media: later layers should contain more oil or medium than earlier ones. This lets upper layers dry flexibly and prevents cracking.

Portfolio viva preparation

Be ready to explain each work's concept, medium, technique, problems solved and influences. Use art vocabulary and link choices to studied Indian and world movements.