MATSEC AM Art key terms

The use of strong contrasts between light and dark to model three-dimensional form and create dramatic depth, especially in painting and drawing. The term comes from Italian for 'light-dark'.

An extreme form of chiaroscuro in which most of the picture is plunged into darkness while a single raking light isolates the main figures. Caravaggio is its best-known exponent.

A technique of blending tones so gradually that outlines dissolve into a soft haze, producing smoky transitions. Leonardo da Vinci described it as working 'without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke'.

Building the illusion of volume on a flat surface by varying tone, colour and edge quality across a form, so that it appears to turn in space rather than sit flat.

A shading method using closely spaced parallel lines. Crossing them is cross-hatching. Density of lines controls the darkness of the tone in drawing and printmaking.

Paint applied so thickly that it stands proud of the surface and holds the marks of brush or palette knife. Van Gogh and Rembrandt used it to catch light and convey energy.

Dragging a thin, semi-opaque layer of light paint over a darker dried layer so the underlayer shows through unevenly, creating a broken, atmospheric veil of colour.

Applying a transparent layer of thinned paint over a dry underlayer. Light passes through the glaze and reflects back, giving deep, luminous colour that opaque paint cannot match.

Painting wet paint into wet paint in a single session, without waiting for layers to dry. It favours direct, spontaneous handling and is central to much modern oil painting.

A visible trace of an earlier design that the artist painted over, revealed as old paint becomes more transparent. It provides evidence of changes made during the working process.

A preliminary sketch, often in charcoal or thin paint, laid on the ground before the final layers. Infrared imaging frequently exposes these hidden preparatory lines.

The prepared layer applied to a support such as canvas or panel before painting, providing a surface with the right absorbency, colour and texture for the paint above.

The physical material that carries a painting or drawing, such as canvas, panel, paper or a wall. Its qualities affect how the medium behaves and how the work ages.

Mural painting on wet lime plaster, in which pigment binds chemically into the wall as it sets. It is durable but must be painted quickly while the plaster is damp.

A full-size preparatory drawing, often on paper, from which the design is transferred to a wall, panel or canvas. In fresco work it guides the painting of each day's section.

The arrangement of visual elements within a frame, including balance, rhythm, focal point and the pathways that guide the viewer's eye through the work.

A geometric system in which parallel lines receding into depth appear to converge at a vanishing point on a horizon line, creating a convincing illusion of space.

The point on the horizon line where receding parallel lines appear to meet in a perspective construction. Multiple vanishing points can be used within one picture.

In perspective drawing, the horizontal line marking the viewer's eye level. It determines where the vanishing points sit and how high or low the viewpoint feels.

Depicting a form at an angle to the picture plane so that it appears compressed along its length, as when an arm points towards the viewer.

Creating depth by making distant forms paler, cooler, less detailed and lower in contrast, mimicking the effect of atmosphere on faraway objects.

A proportional ratio of roughly 1:1.618, often used to place focal points or divide a composition. It is valued for producing harmonious, dynamic balance.

The relative lightness or darkness of a colour or area, independent of its hue. A full range of tone is essential for reading form and depth.

The degree of lightness or darkness of a colour, often used interchangeably with tone. Value structure is what makes an image legible in black and white.

The property of a colour that names it, such as red, blue or yellow, distinguishing it from its lightness or its intensity.

The purity or intensity of a colour, ranging from vivid and full-strength to muted and greyish. Mixing with its complement reduces saturation.

Pairs of colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green. Placed side by side they intensify each other; mixed, they neutralise towards grey.

A circular diagram arranging hues by their relationships, used to plan harmonies, identify complements and understand how pigments mix.

The inherent colour of an object as we expect it to be, before the effects of light, shadow or atmosphere are taken into account.

A pose in which the weight rests on one leg, tilting the hips and shoulders in opposite directions. It gives the figure a natural, dynamic sense of balance.

The relationship of sizes between parts of a figure, object or composition, and between those parts and the whole. It governs harmony and perceived correctness.

Sculpture carved or modelled so that forms project from a background plane. In low relief the projection is shallow; in high relief it may be almost fully rounded.

A surface change on a material, such as the green film on weathered bronze, or the mellow finish of aged wood or stone. It is often valued as evidence of age.

A metal-casting method in which a wax model is coated in a mould, the wax melted out, and molten metal poured into the resulting cavity. It allows fine detail.

An intaglio printmaking technique in which a sharp point scratches directly into a metal plate, raising a soft burr that holds ink and prints as a rich, velvety line.

An intaglio process in which a metal plate is coated with acid-resistant ground, drawn through with a needle, then bitten in acid so the lines hold ink.

A planographic printing process based on the mutual repulsion of grease and water, in which an image drawn on a stone or plate is inked and printed flat.

The total number of impressions printed from one plate, block or stone, usually numbered and signed. Limiting the edition protects the value of each print.

An ordinary manufactured object presented as art with little or no alteration, a strategy associated with Marcel Duchamp that questions what makes something art.

A work made by gluing fragments of paper, fabric or other materials onto a surface. It was pioneered by Picasso and Braque and became central to modern art.

A three-dimensional work constructed from found objects and mixed materials, extending the principle of collage into sculpture.

The study and interpretation of the subjects, symbols and motifs in a work of art, and of the conventions by which they carry meaning.

A representation in which figures and objects stand for abstract ideas, so that the whole work conveys a moral or philosophical meaning beyond its literal subject.

A recurring element, figure or shape within a work or across a body of work, often carrying symbolic significance or creating visual rhythm.

Artists or movements that break with established convention and push ahead of mainstream taste, often challenging institutions and accepted definitions of art.

A broad tendency from roughly the mid-nineteenth century onward towards formal experimentation, self-consciousness about medium, and rejection of academic tradition.

Art that departs from accurate depiction of the visible world, reducing or rearranging forms to emphasise shape, colour, line or expression.

Painting of scenes from everyday life, such as domestic interiors, markets or taverns, rather than religious, historical or mythological subjects.

The story a work tells, and the sequence and means by which it communicates events, whether through a single scene or several combined episodes.

The system by which wealthy individuals, churches or states commissioned and supported artists, shaping subject matter, scale and style in return.

A formal request to an artist to produce a specific work, usually with agreed subject, size, materials, price and deadline.

The documented history of ownership of an artwork, used to establish authenticity and legal title and to trace its movement through collections and markets.

Interpretation of a work through its visual elements, such as line, shape, colour, tone, texture, scale and composition, before considering subject or context.

The material or technique an artist uses, such as oil paint, watercolour, bronze or photography. It also refers to the liquid that carries pigment.