abstract -schematic, deriving ideas from reality but not using realistic forms, simplification of detail, translation into pure shapes, colors or patterns, not observable aspects of nature asymmetrical - not symmetrical artist's signature - the way an artist has of writing his/her name through repeated clues in his work, his/her style color - hue, value, intensity composition - organization or arrangement of form in a work of art including pictorial depth, foreground, middle ground, background content - subject matter, the ideas included in a work decorative arts - collective term for such art forms as ceramics, enamels, furniture, glass, ivory, metalwork and textiles, especially when they take forms used as interior decoration drawing - the act of representing an image on a surface by means of adding lines and shades, as with a pencil, crayon, pen, chalk, pastels, etc. to make sketches, studies, cartoons or more complete works expressionistic - expression of subjective feelings, and appeal to the subjective response of the beholders fine art - art created for purely aesthetic expression, communication, or contemplation. Painting and sculpture are the best known of the fine arts. folk art - art of people who have had no formal, academic training, but whose works are part of an established tradition of style and craftsmanship. form - the volume and shape of a three-dimensional work, perhaps including unfilled areas that are integral to the work as a whole. formal elements - purely visual aspects, such as line, shapes, color, texture, spatial qualities and composition. fresco - type of painting that employs water-based, pigment paint on top of freshly applied, wet plaster genre painting - scenes from daily life, treated realistically gold leaf- gold metal that has been hammered to be extremely thin and capable of being attached to many surfaces such as paper, gessoed wood, and smooth metal graphic arts -printmaking; woodcut, engraving, etching, dry point, lithography; graphic design gravity - an understanding that all bodies tend to be drawn towards the center of the earth history painting- painting that includes figures in any kind of historical, mythological or biblical narrative generally conveying a high moral or intellectual idea and often adopting a grand pictorial style iconography- the study of the subject matter of a representation and its meaning, what an image is. iconology- the study of icons, images, representations etc. icon - traditional meaning, panel painting that depicts a miraculous image or picture of a saint; contemporary meaning, can be a realistic or abstract symbol used in an artist’s work idealized -the essence of an object or idea, perfection, values of culture idealism - represents things as they ought to be according to a philosophy image - a representation of a person, thing or idea in an artwork line - a mark that defines shape that is more or less continuous. A mark that follows an edge or a contour. linear –lines are the primary means of definition, work that that is not painterly mark - a visible trace or impression on a surface, as a line, dot, scratch, dent, etc. mass - a broad, cohesive area in a work of art that forms a significant element in the composition medium - material of the art object, technical process, ex. painting, sculpture, drawing are each a different medium. miniature - a representational work of art made on a greatly reduced scale. mixed-media - artwork that combines different mediums, usually with no dominant medium naturalistic -physical appearance is the primary inspiration but it is not as literal as realistic work negative space- the unoccupied or empty space left after the positive shapes have been laid down by the artist; however, because these areas have boundaries, they also function as shapes in the total design.