1. BASIC VOCABULARY Medium: The actual material or stuff that an artist uses to paint or sculpt or otherwise make art. Examples: paint, pencil, pastel, stone, clay, photography, mixed media. Technique: The way an artist uses the material to express an idea or feeling in the artwork. Examples: Impasto (thick application of paint), glazing (thin, transparent application of paint), or Impressionistic (providing an visual impression of the object as opposed to a photo-realistic image) or Expressionistic (nearly or fully non- representational, vivid and energetic) Subject matter: The recognizable objects or event in an artwork. Expressive content: The idea, feeling, or statement made in the artwork. A fusion of the subject matter, medium, and technique (and other artistic input!)

2. 2-Dimensional: Art works created on a flat surface. Two formats or orientations are often referred to as “portrait” or “landscape”. Includes height and width. Picture Plane: The actual 2D surface area on which the artwork is contained. Composition: The manner in which the objects are organized in relation to each other and the picture plane in a 2D artwork (in relation to the environment or viewer in a 3D artwork). Takes into consideration the elements and principles. 3-Dimensional: Art works that extend into the third dimension: depth. Sculpture, architecture, much craftwork (pottery, jewelry, metalwork, etc) are three dimensional art forms. Relief: Art work that has three dimensions but is meant to be viewed only from the front and often extends from or is attached to a background. Sculpture in the Round: Art work that is intended to be viewed from all directions and is often self-supporting or detached from a background.

3. ELEMENTS: The Ingredients The elements are the actual marks and masses formed out of materials by an artist. Example: A line drawn with a piece of charcoal, or a lump of clay formed into a cylinder. LINE: Most basic element. Length is longer than width. Can be straight, jagged, curvy, and can be oriented in any direction. SHAPE: A closed line (connected ends). Only 2 dimensions: width and height. Can be geometric or organic/freeform) FORM: 3-dimensional: width, height, and depth. Can be represented on a flat surface using linear perspective. SPACE: The area occupied by a shape or form is positive space. The space around or between objects in the negative space. TEXTURE: The visual or tactile quality of a surface: smooth, rough, wrinkled, slick, scratched, pebbly…. On a 3D surface the texture is real and can be felt. On a 2D surface the texture is a visual representation. (Note: Detail reads as texture)

4. ELEMENTS: The Ingredients COLOR: Color is what we see when light reflects off objects and is recognized by our eyes. Through cultural and evolutionary training, our brains categorize colors in specific ways. HUE:The actual pure color: red, blue, yellow, and purple, orange, and green VALUE: The lightness or darkness of a color INTENSITY: How bright or dull a color is (adding anything to a color reduces its intensity – but adding the compliment dulls it the most) PURE HUE or HIGH INTENSITY red TINT= red+ white SHADE= Red+ black LOW INTENSITY = red +green

5. COLOR WHEEL: showing primary, secondary, and intermediate (tertiary) colors

6. PRINCIPLES: Combining the Ingredients BALANCE: How the elements are distributed: Symmetrical is in balance, while asymmetrical is unbalanced. EMPHASIS: How the artist initially captures the eye of the audience or viewer. MOVEMENT: How the artist directs the viewers eye around the composition (or off the picture plane entirely!) PATTERN: A repeated object or symbol over the entire artwork or within one area. REPETITION: A repeated element that is not necessarily a pattern but creates movement or unity. RHYTHM: Repeated elements used to create organized movement. PROPORTION: Relative size or visual weight of objects or elements. VARIETY: Use of multiple objects or elements to create interest or emphasis. UNITY: Feeling of harmony and completeness – all parts belong together and work correctly. (Artists will sometimes opt to not unify a composition)

7. Waiting for Her, Chidi Okoye, date unknown, mixed media on masonite panel Point out or list various elements found in the painting.

8. Several Circles, Wassily Kandinsky, 1926, oil on canvas Point out or list various principles found in the painting.

9. Mona Lisa Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503-06, oil on wood panel Medium: Techniques: Subject matter: Expressive content: Important Elements: Important Principles:

10. The Scream (Skrik), Edvard Munch, 1893, oil, tempera, pastel, on cardboard Medium: Techniques: Subject matter: Expressive content: Important Elements: Important Principles:

11. Replica of Marcus Aurelius Original,175 CE, gilded Bronze Medium: Techniques: Subject matter: Expressive content: Important Elements: Important Principles:

12. Horse and Rider Marino Marini, 1947, Bronze Medium: Techniques: Subject matter: Expressive content: Important Elements: Important Principles:

13. Artistic Convention A standard, often stylized, way a culture deals with a specific image in art. In these statues from Tel Asmar (Mesopotamia) the human figure and face is dealt with identically in all cases, these similarities are conventions: Hands folded in front (holding flowers or other offering that is now missing) Facing straight forward Feet on a small base Clothing is stylized the same for each The faces of the figures also have conventions: Large, staring eyes Men’s beards are stylized the same way Puffy simple lips Eyebrows meet in the center Many of these conventions continue into other later Mesopotamia, Aegean, and Mediterranean cultures

14. Artistic Convention A standard, often stylized, way a culture deals with a specific image in art. Each of these Cycladic idols (religious statues from the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea) have specific conventions. You should be able to see the conventions just by comparing them! These three Christian Churches (floor plans are shown to the right) were built centuries apart. Yet their floor plans have conventions. You should also be able to recognize them at a glance: All are in a cruciform or cross shape All have round chapels at the top All have four pillars at the corners of the transept (where the arms intersect with the center aisle)

15. Artistic Convention A standard, often stylized, way a culture deals with a specific image in art. Rulers are often the faces on the coins, and in most nations, they face to the right. As shown below, most American coins face left and show the portraits of Presidents. Coins often exhibit conventions: Facing right (if you are the good guy) is a convention that started in Mesopotamian relief sculpture.

16. Hierarchical Order Conventional ways of showing who the most important character is in a work of art In the Tel Asmar statues were commissioned by a person to place in a temple. The largest statues were commissioned by the wealthiest clients and were usually the most powerful and important people in a town. This is one of the earliest and most basic examples of Hierarchical order. In the Egyptian relief sculpture to the right, the most important figure faces right, is the largest, is central in the artwork, and has the biggest hat! A crown or headdress are good indications of importance. Also, wearing clothing as opposed to being naked is a key sign. Figures facing left in ancient art, or those at the bottom of a picture are usually the least important or they are the defeated enemy.

17. Hierarchical Order Conventional ways of showing who the most important character is in a work of art In this painting by Masaccio, God, the father, is the most important as he is central and placed the highest in the composition. The Holy Spirit (a dove over Christ’s head) is next, then Christ, Mary, mother of Jesus, to the left of the cross, St. John to the right and the donor and his wife kneeling. Color is not an important indicator here – but location is. In this painting by Titian, the most important figures are not central, but they are the highest up and they are in the brightest light. Christ is the only nude figure, which brings attention to him (and is a reversal of ancient hierarchical order!)

18. Hierarchical Order Conventional ways of showing who the most important character is in a work of art In this painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, the most important figure is standing, placed the highest in the picture, wearing the most complex outfit and is framed by the sunny area of sky.

19. Registers Levels of narrative images placed in an artwork – so the story can be “read” in the correct order – like a comic book The levels of pictures in this vase read from bottom to top. The least important objects are on the bottom with the most important figures in the top level. This is also a good example of Hierarchical order as the top figures face right, are clothed, and are highest in the artwork). This painting, an altarpiece, has two registers. The upper register is an old testament story and the lower register is a new testament story. Registers in artwork are like the frames of a comic book – they contain the parts to a story and define the order in which it is read.

20. Registers Levels of narrative images placed in an artwork – so the story can be “read” in the correct order like a comic book In Michelangelo’s “Judgment” in the Sistine chapel, there are three registers, or levels of people. Each level is a different step in the judgment process. These registers are not as defined as in some artwork by they still define the narrative. This painting, an altarpiece, has two registers. The upper register is an old testament story and the lower register is a new testament story. Registers in artwork are like the frames of a comic book – they contain the parts to a story and define the order in which it is read.

21. Registers Levels of narrative images placed in an artwork – so the story can be “read” in the correct order – like a comic book. Not all registers read from left to right and top to bottom (that is a Western convention). Some registers will be vertical and in some cultures they read from right to left. Some artwork, like this section of the 300-foot Bayeux tapestry, will have a text register, images that go with the text, and extra information, like footnotes, below the main story.