This glossary will define terms that are often use in the Visual Art program. Visual Art is a CEGEP program where you learn different ways to do art. For example, you learn how to draw, paint and Art History.
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/glossary/
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proportion
abstract
adjective
A term generally used to describe art that is not representational or based on external reality or nature.
Example: They had no abstract ideas.
fr: abstrait
acrylic
noun
Acrylic is a kind of plastic, fabric, fiber, or paint that's made from acrylic acid.
Example: You might knit your mom an acrylic hat if she's allergic to wool.
fr: acrylique
angular
adjective
An object, outline, or shape having sharp corners, or angles.
Example: He had an angular face with prominent cheekbones.
fr: angulaire
canvas
noun
A closely woven, sturdy cloth of hemp, cotton, linen, or a similar fiber, frequently stretched over a frame and used as a surface for painting.
Example: She paints on canvas.
fr: toile
composition
noun
The arrangement of the individual elements within a work of art so as to form a unified whole; also used to refer to a work of art, music, or literature, or its structure or organization.
Example: Chopin's most romantic compositions.
fr: composition
exposure
noun
The action of exposing a photographic film to light or other radiation.
Example: You should always limit your exposure to the sun.
fr: exposition
figurative
adjective
Representing a form or figure in art that retains clear ties to the real world.
Example: Of course, she was using the term "massacre" in the figurative sense.
fr: figuratif
gouache
noun
A water-based matte paint, sometimes called opaque watercolor, composed of ground pigments and plant-based binders, such as gum Arabic or gum tragacanth. The opacity of gouache derives from the addition of white fillers, such as clay or chalk, or a higher ratio of pigment to binder.
Example: llustrator Lynne Avril Cravath used gouache and coloured pencils to create the delightfully vibrant, playful illustrations.
fr: gouache
iconography
noun
Subject matter in visual art, often adhering to particular conventions of artistic representation, and imbued with symbolic meanings.
Example: The iconography of this picture is fascinating.
fr: iconographie
medium
noun
The materials used to create a work of art, and the categorization of art based on the materials used (for example, painting [or more specifically, watercolor], drawing, sculpture).
Example: The medium she is using acrylic paint.
fr: médium
monochrome
adjective
A work of art rendered in only one color.
Example: Kodak still produces monochrome film.
fr: monochrome
mural
noun
A large painting applied to a wall or ceiling, especially in a public space.
Example: The mural over there is beautiful because she is so colorful.
fr: murale
opaque
adjective
Impenetrable to the passage of light.
Example: I find her poetry a little too opaque.
fr: opaque
pattern
noun
A series of events, objects, or compositional elements that repeat in a predictable manner.
Example: It is difficult to discern any pattern in these figures.
fr: motif
portrait
noun
A representation of a particular individual, usually intended to capture their likeness or personality.
Example: The portrait was finished after only three sittings.
fr: portrait
pose
noun
The way a figure is positioned.
Example: Hold that pose. It will make a great photograph.
fr: pose
proportion
noun
Refers to the harmonious relation of parts to each other or to the whole.
Example: His ears were drawn out of proportion with his head.
fr: proportion
shade
noun
In painting, a color plus black.
Example: The tree provided plenty of shade.
fr: ombre
tone
noun
The lightness or darkness of a color. In painting, a color plus gray.
Example: A bright, dark, or light tone of blue.
fr: ton
viewpoint
noun
The position from which something is viewed or observed.
Example: The story is told from the viewpoint of someone who grew up during the Great Depression.
