Kalina's Glossary

23 Visual Arts terms

Hello, my name is Kalina Léveillé and I'm studying in visual arts. It's been almost two years that I'm in this program. So, this glossary has some words that we usually use for each course. Some of these words, I learned it during my program and I think that I would have liked to know them before. That's why this glossary is for students who are in visual arts. Also, It can be really useful in history of art, because when we are doing exercises they ask us to use specific arts words.

abstract art

noun

Art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

fr: art abstrait

academicism

noun

Adherence to rules and traditions in art, literature, etc; conventionalism.

fr: académisme

accumulation

noun

In art, an accumulation is an accumulation, a stacking, a multiplication, on a surface, a defined space (table, box, etc.).

fr: accumulation

allegory

noun

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

fr: allégorie

allover

noun

Allover painting is a painting in which the canvas or the painting surface is covered in paint from border to border and from corner to corner. In this type of painting, each portion of the artwork or painting is given equal importance and attention. This painting style is different from the usual compositions that we see. Allover painting was first seen used in the 19th century, in the paintings of Jackson Pollock.

fr: partout

anamorphosis

noun

An image or drawing distorted in such a way that it becomes recognizable only when viewed in a specified manner or through a special device

fr: anamorphose

animation

noun

Moving images created from drawings, models, etc. That are photographed or created by a computer.

fr: animation

anthropomorphic

adjective

Described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes.

fr: anthropomorphe

applied arts

noun

The applied arts are all the arts that apply design and decoration to every day and essentially practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing.

fr: arts appliqués

binder

noun

Binder refers to substances that hold the particles of pigment together in paint. All paints include a binder of some sort because this is what keeps the pigment in place after the paint dries.

fr: liant

chromatic

adjective

Of or relating to color or color phenomena or sensations.

fr: chromatique

complementary colors

noun

Complementary colors are pairs of colors which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out by producing a grayscale color like white or black.

fr: couleurs complémentaires

composition

noun

The term composition means "putting together". It can be thought of as the organization of the elements of art according to the principles of art.

fr: composition

contrast

noun

As a principle of art, contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements and effects. For example, light and dark colors, smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes. Contrast can be used to create variety, visual interest, and drama in an artwork.

fr: contraste

cool colors

noun

Cool colors tend to have a calming effect. At one end of the spectrum, they are cold, impersonal, antiseptic colors. At the other end, the cool colors are comforting and nurturing. Blue, green and the neutrals white, gray, and silver are examples of cool colors.

fr: couleurs froides

graphics

noun

The products of the graphic arts, especially commercial design or illustration.

fr: graphique

monochrome

noun

Monochrome means one color, so in relation to art, a monochrome artwork is one that includes only one color

fr: monochrome ou camaïeu

observation

noun

Observational drawing is when an artist observes something and responds to it with a visual representation.

fr: observation

pixel

noun

In digital imaging, a pixel, or picture element is a physical point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in an all points addressable display device; so it is the smallest controllable element of a picture represented on the screen.

fr: pixel

secondary colors

noun

Secondary colors include orange, purple, and green, and they’re derived from mixing equal amounts of two primary colors at a time. Red and yellow combine to make orange; blue and yellow yield green; and red and blue create purple. Keep in mind that the ratio of each color you use when mixing them affects the final hue.

fr: couleurs secondaires

sketch

noun

Sketch, traditionally a rough drawing or painting in which an artist notes down his preliminary ideas for a work that will eventually be realized with greater precision and detail.

fr: esquisse

two-dimensional

adjective

Having its elements organized in terms of a flat surface, especially emphasizing the vertical and horizontal character of the picture plane.

fr: bidimensionnel

warm colors

noun

Warm colors consist of orange, red, yellow, and combinations of these and similar colors. As the name indicates, they tend to make you think of warm things, such as sunlight and heat.

fr: couleurs chaudes