Visual Arts Principles Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is the function of line in formal analysis?
Line is used to lead your eye from one area in the composition to the other.
What can colour represent in art?
Colour can stand for itself, define space, shapes, lines, and forms by contrasting them or making them look similar.
What are the two types of texture in art?
Actual texture and implied texture (or illusionistic texture).
What is actual texture?
Surface qualities that can be felt.
What is implied texture?
Surface qualities that can be seen.
What is an example of implied texture in painting?
A painting of a sky that looks airy and light but has a rough canvas with brush marks.
What is a shape in art?
A shape appears when lines close in on each other to form a circle, triangle, square, etc.
What are the two types of shapes?
Geometric shapes and organic shapes.
Define geometric shapes.
Shapes with obvious angles or clearly defined lines.
Define organic shapes.
Shapes that are ‘natural’ or irregular.
What are forms in art?
Three-dimensional shapes with width, length, and depth.
Give examples of forms.
Orbs, pyramids, boxes, cylinders.
What is tone in art?
Tone is what we speak of when colour is absent.
What is monotone?
Monotone refers to having only one hue (‘shade’) of colour.
Can black and white images have different tones?
Yes, black and white images can have many different shades of grey.
What is depth in the context of visual art?
Depth refers to when a 2D image appears to be 3D or allows movement/visibility in and around the space of an artwork.
Differentiate between real space and illusionistic space.
Real space is actual physical space, while illusionistic space is the perceived space created in a 2D artwork.
What is perspective in art?
Perspective is a method of presenting the illusion of the 3D world on a 2D surface.
What happens in linear perspective?
In linear perspective, all parallel lines or surface edges converge on one, two, or three vanishing points related to the viewer’s eye level.
How do overlapping and scale change contribute to depth?
Objects rendered smaller appear farther from the viewer, and overlapping objects create a sense of space between them.
What is atmospheric/aerial perspective?
Atmospheric perspective creates the illusion of distance through desaturation of colour, shifting towards neutral tones, and blurring contours.
What is composition in art?
Composition is the way an artist organizes forms in an artwork, whether by placing shapes on a flat surface or arranging forms in space.
What is achieved when the principles of design are in harmony with each other?
Unity
Unity can sometimes be disrupted intentionally to create tension or unease.
How is balance created in design?
When some or all of the elements are combined harmoniously.
