A glossary of common art terms and their definitions from A-Z. This dictionary contains over 625 art-related words that every artist, art connoisseur, and art history buff needs to know. Quick links:
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
Ultramarine Blue
A deep blue to purple-blue pigment initially made from ground lapis lazuli. The name comes from the Latin ultramarinus, which translates “beyond the sea.” During the 14th and 15th centuries, ultramarine was the finest and most expensive blue used by Renaissance painters.
Umber
A natural pigment of brown or reddish-brown color used in painting. In its natural form, it is called raw umber, but when it is heated, the color becomes more intense and is called burnt umber. Umber is not one precise color but a range of different earth colors. The name comes from the Italian terra d’ombra (or “earth of Umbria”), named after a mountainous region in central Italy where the pigment was originally extracted.
Underdrawing
A term denoting a preliminary sketch or drawing executed on a painting surface before the application of paint. It serves as a guide for the artist, helping establish the composition, proportions, and overall structure of the piece.
Underground Art
A term used to describe a subculture of art that operates outside conventional norms in the art world, like graffiti, street art, or visionary art. Any form of art that mainly occurs on public property.
Underpainting
Refers to the initial layer of paint applied to a canvas or surface before adding subsequent layers. It serves as a foundation for the final painting, establishing the overall composition, tonal values, and color scheme.
Undertone
A subdued or muted tone of color, specifically a color seen through and modifying another color.
Unity
The hallmark of a successful design, where all elements work harmoniously to create a satisfying sense of belonging and relationship, ensuring that all aspects complement each other rather than competing for attention.
Uppercase
The uppercase or capital letters in a typeface. In the history of typography, the term ‘uppercase’ typically refers to capital letters, deriving its name from the traditional location where typesetters would store these letters.
Urban Landscape
A premise of urban planning arguing that the best way to organize cities is through the design of the city’s landscape rather than the design of its buildings. Also referred to as landscape urbanism.
This art definitions and terminology is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art idiolect online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
The art definitions and terminology is a work in progress. New terms and definitions are added on a regular basis. If you know of an art term and definition that isn’t already listed in it but you believe it should be, send it to us and we’ll consider adding it. We’ll let you know if we do. Thanks!
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
Value
The degree of lightness or darkness of any given color. Value is defined by the color’s proximity to white. For instance, lighter colors such as yellow will have lighter values than darker colors like navy blue. Adding white or black to a hue changes its value.
A good way to see the difference in color values is to look at the greyscale below. White is the lightest value, while black is the darkest. Middle gray is the value halfway between these two extremes.
Adding white to a color creates a “tint” making its value lighter. When you add black to a color, its value darkens, resulting in a “shade” of that color.
Value Contrast (in art)
Refers to the difference between light and dark. It is based on the relative lightness or darkness of a color, regardless of hue. It plays a crucial role in creating depth, three-dimensionality, and visual interest. Value contrast can be used to make an object appear closer or further away, as well as to convey drama or movement.
Value Relativity
In art, refers to the placement of different values next to each other creating a contrast between them.
Value Scale
In the art world, a value scale is an essential tool for artists. It assists in organizing and comprehending tonal values by representing them on a grayscale. For information on how to create a value scale, click the link.
Vanishing Point
In perspective, the point on the horizon line where all parallel lines appear to recede and converge; the point where visibility ends.
Vanitas
A style of still life painting made popular in the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th centuries. Vanitas is a Latin term meaning “vanity.” Compositions include objects or symbols of mortality to remind people that life is fleeting, and material things and worldly pleasures are temporary. A typical vanitas still life is characterized by and may contain symbolic images like skulls, extinguished candles, rotting fruit, bubbles, smoke, watches, hourglasses, musical instruments, wine, and books.
Variety (in art)
Refers to the use of different elements, techniques, and design to create visual interest and intrigue. It prevents an artwork from becoming monotonous and boring and is essential for maintaining a rich visual experience. The principle of variety in art involves the use of different forms, textures, colors, and other elements to create interest and contrast. By incorporating a variety of shapes, textures, colors, and other elements, art becomes more dynamic and eye-catching, attracting viewers and enhancing the overall quality of the artwork.
Varnish
A transparent hard, protective coating or applied to paintings to seal and protect the surface, creating a barrier against moisture, dust, and pollutants. Varnish also acts to intensify the appearance of the colors on the painting surface making them look more saturated. For more information on this topic see blog article “The Importance of Varnishing Oil Paintings.”
Vector Graphic
A graphic made up of mathematically defined curves and line segments called vectors. Vector graphics are editable through the manipulation of their lines and segments, allowing for the resizing and repositioning of the entire image. They can be scaled up or down without any degradation in resolution, maintaining clarity at any size.
Veduta
(Italian for “view”; pl: vedute) refers to a highly detailed, typically large-scale painting, drawing, or etching that portrays a cityscape, township, or other urban scene. These pieces of art offer accurate depictions of urban landscapes, skillfully capturing streets, buildings, and other details, as well as the overall ambiance of a location.
Vedutisti
Refers to painters who specialize in creating “vedute.” Also see the art term “venduta.”
Vermilion
A scarlet red pigment of variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge. Initially, the vermilion pigment was made from a highly toxic mineral called cinnabar, which contains mercury. However, a synthetic pigment called cadmium red was developed to replace vermilion because of the toxicity of mercury.
Vertical Balance
The distribution of visual weights in a piece, so that top and bottom seem to be in equilibrium.
A genre of art involving moving imagery and audio-visual technology to produce videotapes for viewing on a television screen. This form of art gained rapid popularity in the ’60s and ’70s with the widespread availability of inexpensive videotape recorders.
Viewfinder
A tool used to look through to compose an image. This tool helps select the most interesting composition to be found in a larger image by cropping out unwanted perimeters. In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture (see illustration). For more information, see the article titled Making and Using a Viewfinder to Compose Better Paintings.
Vignette
An image or painting where the borders are undefined and seem to fade away gradually until it blends into the background.
Viking Art
An art form that flourished during the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries CE) and was created by Scandinavian Norsemen. Viking art, which consists primarily of objects, shares design characteristics with Celtic, Germanic, Romanesque, and Eastern European traditions. Current knowledge of Viking art is primarily based on archaeological discoveries such as jewelry, weapons, and runestones. Also known as “Norse art.”
Violet
A secondary color formed by mixing the primary colors red and blue. See “Secondary Colors.” The complement or opposite of the color yellow. The color of violet is named for the violet flower from which the color is derived.
Viridian
A darker blue-green pigment composed of more green than blue falling between teal and green on the color wheel. Viridian takes its name from the Latin Viridis, meaning “green.”
Visionary Art
Art that transcends what lies beyond the boundary of the physical and scientific world to portray a broader vision of awareness, including themes of spiritual, mystical, or inner awareness as seen or experienced in the images of dreams or trances.
Visual Art
A form of artwork, such as painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, ceramics, crafts, or sculpture, created primarily for visual perception and exists in permanent form.
Visual Artist
A practitioner of one or more of the visual arts.
Visual Communication
The communication of ideas through the graphical display of information. Primarily associated with two-dimensional images, it includes alphanumeric, art, signs, and electronic resources. Recent research in the field has focused on web design and graphically oriented usability.
Visual Economy (in art)
The removal of all non-essential or unimportant elements and details that do not contribute to the essence of the overall composition. Its purpose is to allow what is most important to be the main focal point. The concept of simplicity is that a good composition is the most simple or straightforward solution to the design problem. This design principle is also called “simplicity.”
Visual Texture
A good example of visual texture in art, Boat Fenders by Teresa Bernard.
Refers to the perceived smoothness and flatness of surfaces in photographs and paintings. Artists create the illusion of texture by using elements like line, shading, and color to create patterns. These textures are created by repeating lines, dots, or shapes, and can be varied in size, density, and orientation to achieve desired effects. Despite how rough objects may seem to appear in a picture, the image’s surface is always going to be smooth and flat to the touch.
Visual Weight
An important concept in the realm of art and design, visual weight refers to the amount of attention a specific element or area in a composition attracts to itself. Contrast, color, size, and shape all have an effect on visual weight because it affects the balance and harmony of an image making some elements may appear heavier or lighter than others. Thus, visual weight is essential for achieving balance, harmony, and visual hierarchy in artistic works.
Visualization Design
A process that aims to make information more understandable and visually appealing by converting complex ideas into simpler representations. Visualization design bridges the gap between quantitative and qualitative data through visual means, transforming data into compelling visuals like charts and diagrams.
This process involves carefully selecting images, typography, spacing, layout, and color to improve the design’s aesthetic appeal and usefulness. Key aspects of visualization design include charts, graphs, histograms, maps, plots, timelines, tables, word clouds, diagrams, and matrices. Effective data visualization improves communication and decision-making, going beyond aesthetics to optimize user experience and conversion.
Volume
The amount of space that a physical element or object occupies.
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This art terms wordlist is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art thesaurus online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
The art terms wordlist is a work in progress. New terms and definitions are added on a regular basis. If you know of an art term and definition that isn’t already listed in it but you believe it should be, send it to us and we’ll consider adding it. We’ll let you know if we do. Thanks!
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
War Artist
Artistic individuals who document first-hand experiences of war through illustrative or depictive records, often commissioned by governments, publications, or driven by personal motivation. They explore the visual and sensory dimensions of war, often absent in written histories. Their artwork reflects the experiences of those who endured it, collecting and distilling their experiences, and influencing how subsequent generations view military conflicts.
Warm Color
Colors whose relative visual temperature makes them seem warm. Warm colors include red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, and yellow.
The characteristics of warm colors include:
are made with red, orange, or yellow, and combinations of them.
tend to feel warm, reminding us of heat and sunshine.
tend to advance into the foreground, i.e., come toward the viewer.
may feel more energetic, attention-grabbing, and aggressive.
Wash
Used in watercolor painting, brush drawing, and occasionally in oil painting to describe a broad, thin layer of diluted pigment or ink. Also refers to a drawing made using this technique.
Water-soluble Oil Paint
(Also called water-mixable, water-miscible, or solvent-free oils.)
A type of oil paint that can be thinned and cleaned up with water. Unlike traditional oil paints, which require solvents like turpentine, water-soluble oils retain the rich texture and vibrant colors of oils while being more accessible and less toxic. They’re great for artists with allergies, beginners, or those working in home studios. Plus, they dry faster than traditional oils, making them a versatile choice for painters.
Watercolor
A transparent or opaque water-based painting compound suspended in a natural gum arabic binder. Watercolor is a moist paint that comes in a tube, thinned using water, and mixed on a dish or palette. Use them on paper and other absorbent surfaces that have been primed to accept water-based paint. Use soap and water for easy cleanup. Also refers to a painting produced with watercolors.
Watermark (in paper)
A distinctive design, identifying image, or pattern that appears as varying shades of lightness or darkness when viewed against transmitted light (or reflected light on a dark background). It results from thickness or density variations in the paper during manufacturing. They can include a paper mill’s trademark or brand name, subtly embedded in the sheet.
Waterscape
A waterscape is any drawing or painting that depicts water bodies or water. It captures the beauty and essence of rivers, seas, lakes, or other aquatic landscapes.
Wedging
The process of preparing clay for use on the potter’s wheel or other hand-building techniques by kneading and manipulating it to remove air pockets and smooth out the clays texture. Wedging makes the clay more resistant to shrinking and cracking as it cures.
Wet-on-wet
A painting technique that is well-known as being the primary method of painting used by Bob Ross. Since lighter colors will usually mix with darker colors if laid over the top of them while wet, the technique relies on painting from light colors up. This method gives the painting a soft look and allows the colors to be blended to the painter’s desire.
White
The lightest color, achromatic (having no hue), and the opposite of black. It’s the color of snow, chalk, and milk. White objects fully reflect and scatter all visible wavelengths of light.
Artwork that depicts the natural world and the animals that live in it, whether wild or domesticated. This genre is one of the earliest forms of art, dating back to prehistoric cave paintings. Portraits of animals, insects, or fish (whether wildlife or family pets) would fit into this genre. For more on wildlife art, click here.
Wildlife Artist
A skilled artist who creates artwork depicting animals and wildlife in their natural habitats. They aim to capture the essence of wild animals and their interactions with the landscape. Many wildlife painters focus on a specific type of animal or wilderness. They use mediums like oil paints, watercolors, and pastels to create realistic and detailed images of animals, and some specialize in sculptures of animals.
Woodcut
A relief printing technique in printmaking that dates back to 8th-century China. It involves printing an image from the surface of a block of wood. An image is etched into the wood using tools like chisels, gouges, and knives. The raised areas of the image are then inked and printed; while cut away or recessed areas do not receive ink and appear blank on the printed paper.
Word Art
Any art that includes words or phrases as its primary artistic component appearing in various media, including painting and sculpture, lithography and screen-printing, and applied art (T-shirts, mugs, etc.).
Worm’s-eye View
A term that describes the perspective of a scene as if viewed from below, as a worm might see it. It’s the opposite of a bird’s-eye view. This perspective can cause objects to seem towering and dominant, thereby making the observer feel small or powerless.
WYSIWYG
(Pronounced “wizzy-wig.”)
An acronym for “What You See Is What You Get.” It refers to a computing system in which the content shown during editing closely resembles the final output, often a printed document. For example, in word-processing or desktop-publishing software, the on-screen display reflects how the printed document will look, eliminating the need for users to master complex formatting codes.
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This art definitions wordlist is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art word index online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
The art definitions wordlist is a work in progress. New terms and definitions are added on a regular basis. If you know of an art term and definition that isn’t already listed in it, but you believe it should be, send it to us and we’ll consider adding it. We’ll let you know if we do. Thanks!
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
X-Radiography
A medical diagnostic tool used extensively by conservators to determine how artists applied different layers of paint to create an image. The X-rays penetrate through multiple layers of paint to image the atomic weight or density of the various present materials. It can readily identify if repairs have been conducted on tears in the canvas, if there are holes in the panel support, and other similar issues. This information is extremely valuable to conservators, as it helps determine the best procedures to use in preserving the image. It can also assist art historians in the interpretation of the artwork and more specific dating.
Xerography
(Also called photocopying or xerocopy, a lesser-used term.)
A dry photocopying technique, originally called “electrophotography” and renamed xerography. It combines electrostatic printing with photography. The process uses no liquid chemicals and relies on a photoconductive surface that changes electrical resistance when exposed to light. Xerography is widely used in photocopy machines, laser printers, and digital presses.
Xylography
An ancient wood engraving technique, originated in China during the 1st century and is considered the oldest known method of engraving. It encompasses woodblock printing and the reproduction of wood grain patterns, commonly utilized in interior design.
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This art wordfinder is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art wordfinder online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
The art wordfinder is a work in progress. We regularly add new terms and definitions. If you’re aware of an art term and definition not already listed, send it to us, and we’ll consider adding it. We’ll let you know if we do. Thanks!
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
YBA Art
Stands for Young British Artists, also called Brit artists or “Britart.” YBAs were a loosely affiliated group of artists in London who began exhibiting their artwork together in the late 1980s. If they had anything in common, it was probably an anything-goes attitude when it came to the materials used and their creative processes. These artists explored and experimented across different media and art forms, gaining notoriety for their shock tactics, entrepreneurial approach, and exuberant social gatherings.
Yellow
The color between orange and green on the color wheel. Considered to be the most visible color on the spectrum and the most attention-getting. One of the four primary colors used in printing ink (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). One of the three primary colors used in art (red, yellow, and blue). The complement or opposite of the color violet. In painting, yellow is used to create a multitude of colors when mixed with other hues.
Yellow Ocher
A yellow pigment often used by artists that usually contains limonite, a yellowish-brown oxide of iron; a natural earth pigment containing hydrated iron oxide, which ranges in color from yellow to deep orange or brown.
Yellowing
A discoloration that can occur over time in oil paintings due to excessive use of linseed oil medium; applying any of the varnishes that are prone to yellow with age; or most often, an accumulation of dirt embedded into the varnish. Also referred to as “after-yellowing.”
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This art definitions word index is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art words explanation lexicon online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
This art definitions word index is a work in progress. New terms and definitions are added on a regular basis. If you know of an art term and definition that isn’t already listed in it, but you believe it should be, send it to us and we’ll consider adding it. We’ll let you know if we do. Thanks!
Quick links to more art terms and definitions are located at the end of the list.
Z-Pattern Layout
The path the human eyes travel when they read—left to right, top to bottom. First, the eyes scan from the top left to the top right, then down and to the left side, and last, back across to the right again. When the viewers’ eyes move in this pattern, it forms an imaginary “Z” shape.
Zackenstil
A German word from the 13th century that means “jagged style.” Zackenstil is a zig-zag style used in sculpture, painting, stained glass, and manuscript illumination.
Zenga
A style of Japanese calligraphy and painting done in ink. Often, both calligraphy and image will be in the same piece of art.
Zentangle
A self-help, meditative art therapy practice involving the creation of structured doodle designs through drawing various repetitive patterns. This art form is intended to enhance relaxation, inner focus, and build self-confidence.
Zero-point Perspective
A technique that creates the illusion of depth without parallel lines in an image, allowing for a sense of depth without vanishing points. This technique is commonly used in natural settings like mountain ranges or landscapes. Also referred to as “atmospheric perspective” or “aerial perspective.”
Zinc White
A common white pigment. Zinc white is a brilliant white synthetically derived from the metal zinc.
Zincography
A printing process that uses zinc plates instead of stone plates made from fine lithographic limestone.
Zinnober Green
Another name for chrome green.
Zoomorphic
Describes forms of art and ornaments based on the shape, form, or likeness of an animal.
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This art terms lexicon is provided as a valuable resource for art enthusiasts. If you like the information here and find it helpful, please consider purchasing a painting. Your support helps to cover the cost of keeping this art words and their meaning online. Simply click or tap the thumbnail link of any Teresa Bernard oil painting to view additional details.
The art terms lexicon is a work in progress. We regularly add new terms and definitions. If you’re aware of an art term and definition not already listed, send it to us, and we’ll consider adding it. Thank you!
