OSAT Art (102) cheat sheet

The elements of art are line, shape, form, value, color, texture, and space; the principles of design are balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity/variety.

Form differs from shape: shape is two-dimensional and encloses area, while form is three-dimensional and has volume, as in a sphere versus a circle.

Value is the relative lightness or darkness of a hue; a value scale typically runs from white through grays to black in discrete steps.

Balance can be symmetrical (mirror image), asymmetrical (visual weight offset by size, color, or placement), or radial (elements radiate from a center point).

Color theory: primary colors (red, yellow, blue in traditional RYB), secondary colors (mixes of two primaries), tertiary colors (a primary mixed with an adjacent secondary).

Complementary colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel and produce maximum contrast; analogous colors sit adjacent and produce harmony.

Linear perspective uses a horizon line and one or more vanishing points; overlapping, relative size, placement, and atmospheric perspective also create depth.

Rhythm in art is created by repetition of visual elements with variation, whereas pattern is repetition without variation.

Prehistoric cave painting (e.g., Lascaux, Altamira) predates writing; pigments were earth ochres and charcoal applied to limestone walls.

Ancient Egyptian art follows the canon of proportion and frontality: figures shown with head in profile, eye frontal, and shoulders frontal.

Greek art moves from Archaic stiffness to Classical contrapposto (weight shift) and Hellenistic dramatic realism.

Byzantine art favors flat, frontal, gold-ground icons and mosaics over naturalistic perspective.

The Renaissance reintroduces linear perspective, anatomical study, and classical proportion; the High Renaissance is associated with Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Baroque art is characterized by dramatic chiaroscuro, diagonal composition, and theatrical movement (e.g., Caravaggio, Bernini).

Modern movements in sequence: Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Expressionism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art.

Fresco (buon fresco) applies pigment to wet lime plaster; the pigment bonds with the plaster as it cures, making it permanent but unforgiving of error.

Watercolor is transparent and relies on paper white for highlights; gouache is opaque watercolor and can be layered light over dark.

Acrylic dries fast and is water-soluble while wet; oil paint dries slowly through oxidation and allows wet-in-wet blending.

Printmaking types: relief (woodcut, linocut), intaglio (etching, engraving, drypoint), planographic (lithography), and stencil (screen printing).

In intaglio, ink sits in incised grooves and is pressed onto damp paper; in relief, ink sits on the raised surface.

Clay bodies must be fired; bisque firing removes water, and glaze firing melts the glaze into a glassy surface.

Sculpture can be subtractive (carving), additive (modeling, assemblage), or cast (pouring liquid into a mold).

Photography exposure is governed by the aperture (f-stop), shutter speed, and ISO; a lower f-stop number means a wider opening and shallower depth of field.

Art criticism frameworks commonly include description (what is there), analysis (how elements and principles are used), interpretation (meaning), and judgment (evaluation).

Aesthetic theories: imitationalism (art as representation), formalism (art as significant form), emotionalism (art as expression of feeling), and instrumentalism (art as serving a purpose).

National Core Arts Standards organize visual arts learning into Creating, Presenting, Responding, and Connecting.

Studio habits of mind include develop craft, engage and persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, stretch and explore, and understand the art world.

Assessment of studio work commonly combines rubric-based criteria, portfolios, and student self-reflection rather than a single objective test.

DBAE (Discipline-Based Art Education) integrates art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics.

A teacher should use authentic, culturally diverse artworks and avoid presenting a single cultural tradition as the norm.

Ventilation is required when working with solvent-based paints, fixatives, and aerosol sprays; spray fixative should be used outdoors or under an exhaust hood.

Never mix bleach with ammonia or acid cleaners; the reaction releases toxic chloramine or chlorine gas.

Glazes and clays may contain lead or other heavy metals; food-safe ware requires a food-safe glaze and proper firing.

X-Acto knives and sharp tools require a cutting mat, a stable blade direction away from the body, and teacher supervision.

Kiln operation requires clearance from combustibles, proper venting, and a trained operator; kiln shelves and posts must be inspected.

Material Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must be accessible for every hazardous material used in the classroom.

Latex allergies and dust sensitivities require alternatives such as nitrile gloves and dust masks; avoid powdered pigments in uncontrolled settings.

Chiaroscuro is the use of strong light-dark contrast to model form; tenebrism pushes the contrast to dramatic extremes with a dark ground.

Impasto is thickly applied paint that stands up from the surface and catches light, as in Van Gogh's work.

Sfumato is a soft, smoky blending of edges (Leonardo), while cross-hatching builds value through intersecting lines.

Cubism breaks objects into facets and shows multiple viewpoints; Analytic Cubism is muted and fragmented, Synthetic Cubism uses flatter collage elements.

Fauvism uses non-naturalistic, saturated color for emotional effect rather than description.

Impressionism emphasizes light and atmosphere through broken brushwork and plein-air observation, often with a high-key palette.

Compositional analysis asks where the eye enters, where the focal point lies, and how the artist directs movement through the picture plane.

Chinese landscape painting (shan shui) emphasizes atmospheric space, ink brushwork, and the relationship between humans and nature rather than fixed perspective.

Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints influenced European Impressionists through flat color areas, bold outlines, and cropped compositions.

African art traditions include carved masks and figures with symbolic rather than naturalistic proportion; masks often serve ritual or performance functions.

Islamic art emphasizes geometric patterns, arabesque, and calligraphy; figural imagery is limited in religious contexts.

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican art includes monumental stone sculpture, hieroglyphic writing, and step pyramids.

Aboriginal Australian art uses dot painting, symbolic maps, and Dreaming narratives tied to land and ancestry.

Indian art traditions include Mughal miniature painting, Buddhist stupa architecture, and Hindu temple sculpture with iconographic hand gestures (mudras).