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MakeArt

Glossary

Definitions artists actually use — filter by topic & search.

556 terms

Abstract

Styles & Movements
#

Abstraction

Styles & Movements
#

Accent Colour

Colour
#

Accurate Proportion

Drawing
#

Acrylic

Materials & Tools
#

Acrylic Paint

Materials & Tools
#

Additive Colour Mixing

Colour
#

Aerial View

Composition & Design
#

Agnes Martin

Other
#

Ai Weiwei

Other
#

Albert Namatjira

Other
#

Alberto Giacometti

Other
#

Albrecht Dürer

Other
#

Alexander Calder

Other
#

Alfred Sisley

Styles & Movements
#

Alignment

Composition & Design
#

Alla Prima

Painting
#

Alla Prima

Painting
#

Alla Secco

Painting
#

Allegory

Subjects & Genres
#

Ambient Light

Value & Light
#

Amedeo Modigliani

Other
#

Amy Sherald

Other
#

Analogous Colours

Colour
#

Anatomy (Art)

Drawing
#

Anchor Shape

Composition & Design
#

André Breton

Other
#

Angle (Sighting)

Drawing
#

Anish Kapoor

Other
#

Annie Leibovitz

Other
#

Ansel Adams

Other
#

Anthony van Dyck

Other
#

Armature

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Armature

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Arshile Gorky

Other
#

Artemisia Gentileschi

Other
#

Arthur Boyd

Other
#

Assemblage

Other
#

Asymmetry

Composition & Design
#

Atmospheric Perspective

Composition & Design
#

Auguste Rodin

Other
#

Background

Composition & Design
#

Background Wash

Watercolour
#

Backrun

Watercolour
#

Balance

Composition & Design
#

Banksy

Other
#

Banksy

Styles & Movements
#

Barbara Hepworth

Other
#

Barnett Newman

Other
#

Berthe Morisot

Other
#

Berthe Morisot

Styles & Movements
#

Big Medium Small

Composition & Design
#

Big Medium Small

Composition & Design
#

Big Shapes

Composition & Design
#

Bill Viola

Other
#

Binder

Materials & Tools
#

Binder

Materials & Tools
#

Bisque Firing

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Bisque Firing

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Blend Mode

Digital
#

Blend Mode

Digital
#

Blending

Process
#

Blending

Process
#

Blind Contour

Drawing
#

Blocking In

Process
#

Bloom

Watercolour
#

Botanical Watercolour

Styles & Movements
#

Brett Whiteley

Other
#

Broken Colour

Painting
#

Brushwork

Painting
#

Burnishing

Drawing
#

Camille Pissarro

Styles & Movements
#

Caravaggio

Other
#

Caravaggio

Styles & Movements
#

Casein Paint

Materials & Tools
#

Cast Shadow

Value & Light
#

Chalk Pastel

Drawing
#

Charcoal

Materials & Tools
#

Charging

Watercolour
#

Chiaroscuro

Value & Light
#

Chroma

Colour
#

Cindy Sherman

Other
#

Claude Monet

Other
#

Clipping Mask

Digital
#

Clipping Mask

Digital
#

Clyfford Still

Other
#

CMYK

Digital
#

Cold Press Paper

Watercolour
#

Collage

Other
#

Colour Bias

Colour
#

Colour Bias

Colour
#

Colour Harmony

Colour
#

Colour Shift

Colour
#

Colour Shift

Colour
#

Colour Temperature

Colour
#

Complementary Colours

Colour
#

Composition

Composition & Design
#

Constantin Brâncuși

Other
#

Construction Drawing

Drawing
#

Construction Drawing

Drawing
#

Contour

Drawing
#

Contour Line

Drawing
#

Contrast

Composition & Design
#

Cool Colour

Colour
#

Cool Colours

Colour
#

Core Shadow

Value & Light
#

Core Shadow

Value & Light
#

Counterpoint

Composition & Design
#

Crop

Composition & Design
#

Cropping

Composition & Design
#

Cropping for Impact

Composition & Design
#

Cropping Tangent

Composition & Design
#

Cross Contour

Drawing
#

Cross Contour

Drawing
#

Cross-Hatching

Drawing
#

Cross-Hatching

Drawing
#

Cut Paper Collage

Other
#

Damien Hirst

Other
#

Dark Key

Value & Light
#

Dark Key

Value & Light
#

Decoupage

Other
#

Depth

Composition & Design
#

Design Shapes

Composition & Design
#

Diane Arbus

Other
#

Diego Rivera

Other
#

Diego Velázquez

Other
#

Diego Velázquez

Styles & Movements
#

Diptych

Composition & Design
#

Direct Light

Value & Light
#

Direct Painting

Painting
#

Donald Judd

Other
#

Dorothea Lange

Other
#

Dorothea Tanning

Other
#

DPI

Digital
#

DPI

Digital
#

Dry Brush

Watercolour
#

Dry Brush

Painting
#

Drying Time

Watercolour
#

Drypoint

Printmaking
#

Drypoint

Printmaking
#

Edgar Degas

Other
#

Edge

Painting
#

Edge Control

Painting
#

Edge of Frame

Composition & Design
#

Edition

Printmaking
#

Edition

Printmaking
#

Edvard Munch

Other
#

Edvard Munch

Styles & Movements
#

Edward Weston

Other
#

Egg Tempera

Materials & Tools
#

Egon Schiele

Other
#

Egon Schiele

Other
#

Egon Schiele

Styles & Movements
#

El Anatsui

Other
#

Emily Kame Kngwarreye

Other
#

Emphasis

Composition & Design
#

Encaustic

Painting
#

Envelope Drawing

Drawing
#

Envelope Drawing

Drawing
#

Etching

Printmaking
#

Etching

Printmaking
#

Eugène Delacroix

Other
#

Eugène Delacroix

Styles & Movements
#

Eva Hesse

Other
#

Expressive Mark

Painting
#

Eye-Level View

Composition & Design
#

Faith Ringgold

Other
#

Fat Over Lean

Painting
#

Figure Drawing

Drawing
#

Fixative

Materials & Tools
#

Fixative

Materials & Tools
#

Flat Wash

Watercolour
#

Flow Improver

Materials & Tools
#

Focal Path

Composition & Design
#

Focal Point

Composition & Design
#

Foreground

Composition & Design
#

Foreshortening

Drawing
#

Foreshortening

Drawing
#

Form Shadow

Value & Light
#

Form Shadow

Value & Light
#

Framing

Composition & Design
#

Francisco Goya

Other
#

Francisco Goya

Styles & Movements
#

Franz Kline

Other
#

Fresco

Painting
#

Fresco

Painting
#

Freshness

Process
#

Frida Kahlo

Other
#

Frottage

Other
#

Genre

Subjects & Genres
#

Georges Seurat

Other
#

Georgia O'Keeffe

Other
#

Gesso

Materials & Tools
#

Gesso

Materials & Tools
#

Gesture

Drawing
#

Gesture Line

Drawing
#

Gesture Line

Drawing
#

Giacomo Balla

Other
#

Giorgio de Chirico

Other
#

Giorgio de Chirico

Other
#

Giorgio Morandi

Other
#

Giotto di Bondone

Styles & Movements
#

Glaze

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Glaze

Painting
#

Glaze

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Glazing

Painting
#

Glazing

Painting
#

Global Contrast

Value & Light
#

Gloss Finish

Materials & Tools
#

Golden Ratio

Composition & Design
#

Golden Rectangle

Composition & Design
#

Golden Spiral

Composition & Design
#

Gouache

Watercolour
#

Graded Wash

Watercolour
#

Gradient

Value & Light
#

Granulation

Watercolour
#

Granulation

Watercolour
#

Graphite

Materials & Tools
#

Greenware

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Greenware

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Grey

Colour
#

Grid

Drawing
#

Grisaille

Painting
#

Ground

Materials & Tools
#

Gum Arabic

Materials & Tools
#

Gustav Klimt

Other
#

Gustav Klimt

Other
#

Gustav Klimt

Styles & Movements
#

Gustave Courbet

Other
#

Gustave Courbet

Styles & Movements
#

Halftone

Value & Light
#

Halftone

Value & Light
#

Hannah Höch

Other
#

Hans Holbein the Younger

Other
#

Hard Edge

Painting
#

Hard Edge

Painting
#

Hard Pastel

Drawing
#

Harmony

Composition & Design
#

Hatching

Drawing
#

Hatching

Drawing
#

Helen Frankenthaler

Other
#

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Other
#

Henri Matisse

Other
#

Henri Rousseau

Other
#

Henry Moore

Other
#

Hierarchy

Composition & Design
#

Hieronymus Bosch

Other
#

Highlight

Value & Light
#

Highlights

Value & Light
#

Hilma af Klint

Other
#

Hito Steyerl

Other
#

Horizon Line

Drawing
#

Horizon Line

Drawing
#

Hot Press Paper

Watercolour
#

Hue

Colour
#

Impasto

Painting
#

Impasto

Painting
#

Impasto Medium

Materials & Tools
#

Impasto Medium

Materials & Tools
#

Implied Texture

Painting
#

India Ink

Drawing
#

Ink

Drawing
#

Intaglio

Printmaking
#

Intaglio

Printmaking
#

J. M. W. Turner

Other
#

Jackson Pollock

Other
#

Jacob Lawrence

Other
#

James Turrell

Other
#

Jan van Eyck

Other
#

Jean Arp

Other
#

Jean Dubuffet

Other
#

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Other
#

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

Styles & Movements
#

Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

Styles & Movements
#

Jeff Koons

Other
#

Joan Miró

Other
#

Joan Mitchell

Other
#

Johannes Vermeer

Other
#

Johannes Vermeer

Styles & Movements
#

Joseph Beuys

Other
#

JR

Other
#

Judith Leyster

Other
#

Kader Attia

Other
#

Kara Walker

Other
#

Kazimir Malevich

Other
#

Kazimir Malevich

Styles & Movements
#

Kazuo Shiraga

Other
#

Kehinde Wiley

Other
#

Kiln

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Kiln

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Kneaded Eraser

Materials & Tools
#

Kneaded Eraser

Materials & Tools
#

Kurt Schwitters

Other
#

Landscape

Subjects & Genres
#

Layer

Process
#

Layer Mask

Digital
#

Layer Mask

Digital
#

Leading Lines

Composition & Design
#

Lee Krasner

Other
#

Leonardo da Vinci

Other
#

Leonora Carrington

Other
#

Lifting

Watercolour
#

Light Family

Value & Light
#

Light Key

Value & Light
#

Light Key

Value & Light
#

Light Logic

Value & Light
#

Limited Palette

Colour
#

Limited Palette

Colour
#

Line of Action

Drawing
#

Line of Action

Drawing
#

Line Quality

Drawing
#

Line Weight

Drawing
#

Linear Perspective

Drawing
#

Linocut

Printmaking
#

Linocut

Printmaking
#

Local Colour

Colour
#

Local Colour

Colour
#

Local Contrast

Value & Light
#

Loose Watercolour

Styles & Movements
#

Lost and Found Edges

Painting
#

Lost Edge

Painting
#

Louise Bourgeois

Other
#

Louise Bourgeois

Styles & Movements
#

Man Ray

Other
#

Marcel Duchamp

Other
#

Marina Abramović

Other
#

Mark Making

Drawing
#

Mary Cassatt

Other
#

Mary Cassatt

Styles & Movements
#

Mass

Composition & Design
#

Matte Finish

Materials & Tools
#

Max Ernst

Other
#

Medium

Materials & Tools
#

Medium

Materials & Tools
#

Michelangelo

Other
#

Midground

Composition & Design
#

Midtone

Value & Light
#

Mixed Media

Other
#

Mixing Colour

Colour
#

Mona Hatoum

Other
#

Monoprint

Printmaking
#

Monoprint

Printmaking
#

Motif

Composition & Design
#

Movement

Composition & Design
#

Muddy Colour

Colour
#

Multiply

Digital
#

Multiply

Digital
#

Nam June Paik

Other
#

Narrative

Subjects & Genres
#

Negative Space

Composition & Design
#

Negative Space

Composition & Design
#

Neutral

Colour
#

Neutralisation

Colour
#

Nonrepresentational

Styles & Movements
#

Notan

Value & Light
#

Occlusion Shadow

Value & Light
#

Occlusion Shadow

Value & Light
#

Oil Paint

Materials & Tools
#

Oil Paint

Painting
#

Oil Pastel

Drawing
#

Olafur Eliasson

Other
#

One-Point Perspective

Drawing
#

Opacity

Materials & Tools
#

Opacity

Digital
#

Opaque

Materials & Tools
#

Opaque Paint

Materials & Tools
#

Optical Mixing

Colour
#

Overlap

Composition & Design
#

Overlapping

Composition & Design
#

Overlapping Shapes

Composition & Design
#

Overworking

Process
#

Pablo Picasso

Other
#

Paint Film

Materials & Tools
#

Palette

Colour
#

Palette Knife

Materials & Tools
#

Palette Knife Painting

Painting
#

Paper Tearing

Other
#

Pastel

Materials & Tools
#

Pattern

Composition & Design
#

Paul Cézanne

Other
#

Paul Delvaux

Other
#

Paul Gauguin

Other
#

Paul Klee

Other
#

Paul Klee

Styles & Movements
#

Perspective

Drawing
#

Peter Paul Rubens

Other
#

Peter Paul Rubens

Styles & Movements
#

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Other
#

Piet Mondrian

Other
#

Piet Mondrian

Styles & Movements
#

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Other
#

Pigment

Materials & Tools
#

Pigment

Materials & Tools
#

Plein Air

Process
#

Plumb Line

Drawing
#

Pointillism

Styles & Movements
#

Portrait

Subjects & Genres
#

Positive Space

Composition & Design
#

Primary Colours

Colour
#

Proof

Printmaking
#

Proof

Printmaking
#

Proportion

Drawing
#

Proportion

Drawing
#

Rachel Whiteread

Other
#

Raphael

Other
#

Raster

Digital
#

Raster

Digital
#

Reflected Light

Value & Light
#

Reflected Light

Value & Light
#

Registration

Printmaking
#

Registration

Printmaking
#

Relief Printing

Printmaking
#

Relief Printing

Printmaking
#

Rembrandt

Other
#

Rembrandt van Rijn

Styles & Movements
#

René Magritte

Other
#

Repetition

Composition & Design
#

Resolution

Digital
#

Resolution

Digital
#

Rest Area

Composition & Design
#

Retarder

Materials & Tools
#

RGB

Digital
#

Rhythm

Composition & Design
#

Robert Delaunay

Other
#

Robert Mapplethorpe

Other
#

Robert Motherwell

Other
#

Romare Bearden

Other
#

Rosa Bonheur

Other
#

Rough Paper

Watercolour
#

Rule of Thirds

Composition & Design
#

Rule of Thirds

Composition & Design
#

Salvador Dalí

Other
#

Sandro Botticelli

Other
#

Sandro Botticelli

Styles & Movements
#

Saturation

Colour
#

Scale

Composition & Design
#

Score and Slip

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Score and Slip

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Screen

Digital
#

Screen

Digital
#

Scumble

Painting
#

Scumbling

Painting
#

Scumbling

Painting
#

Sebastião Salgado

Other
#

Secondary Colours

Colour
#

Series

Process
#

Sfumato

Painting
#

Sgraffito

Painting
#

Sgraffito

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Shade

Colour
#

Shadow

Value & Light
#

Shadow Family

Value & Light
#

Shadows

Value & Light
#

Shape

Composition & Design
#

Shepard Fairey

Other
#

Shirin Neshat

Other
#

Sidney Nolan

Other
#

Sighting

Drawing
#

Silhouette

Composition & Design
#

Simplify

Process
#

Sizing

Materials & Tools
#

Slip

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Slip

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Smudging

Drawing
#

Smudging

Drawing
#

Sofonisba Anguissola

Other
#

Soft Edge

Painting
#

Soft Edge

Painting
#

Soft Pastel

Drawing
#

Sol LeWitt

Other
#

Sonia Delaunay

Other
#

Specular Highlight

Value & Light
#

Specular Highlight

Value & Light
#

Split Complementary

Colour
#

Staining

Watercolour
#

Still Life

Subjects & Genres
#

Stippling

Drawing
#

Stippling

Drawing
#

Stretching Paper

Watercolour
#

Stylization

Styles & Movements
#

Subtractive Colour Mixing

Colour
#

Sumi Ink

Drawing
#

Support

Materials & Tools
#

Symbolism

Subjects & Genres
#

Symmetry

Composition & Design
#

Takashi Murakami

Other
#

Tangents

Composition & Design
#

Tangents

Composition & Design
#

Tempera

Materials & Tools
#

Tempera

Painting
#

Temperature

Colour
#

Terminator

Value & Light
#

Terminator Edge

Value & Light
#

Texture Rubbing

Other
#

Theaster Gates

Other
#

Thumbnail Sketch

Process
#

Thumbnail Value Study

Value & Light
#

Tint

Colour
#

Titian

Other
#

Tone

Colour
#

Tooth

Materials & Tools
#

Tracey Emin

Other
#

Transparent

Materials & Tools
#

Transparent Paint

Materials & Tools
#

Triadic Scheme

Colour
#

Triptych

Composition & Design
#

Triptych

Composition & Design
#

Tristan Tzara

Other
#

Trompe l’Oeil

Styles & Movements
#

Two-Point Perspective

Drawing
#

Umberto Boccioni

Other
#

Under-drawing

Process
#

Underglaze

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Underglaze

Sculpture & Ceramics
#

Underpainting

Process
#

Underpainting

Process
#

Unity

Composition & Design
#

Unity

Composition & Design
#

Value

Value & Light
#

Value Compression

Value & Light
#

Value Grouping

Value & Light
#

Value Grouping

Value & Light
#

Value Range

Value & Light
#

Vanishing Point

Drawing
#

Vanishing Point

Drawing
#

Variegated Wash

Watercolour
#

Variety

Composition & Design
#

Variety

Composition & Design
#

Varnish

Materials & Tools
#

Varnish Bloom

Materials & Tools
#

Vector

Digital
#

Vector

Digital
#

Vincent van Gogh

Other
#

Visual Weight

Composition & Design
#

Vivian Maier

Other
#

Warm Colour

Colour
#

Warm Colours

Colour
#

Wash

Watercolour
#

Wassily Kandinsky

Other
#

Wassily Kandinsky

Styles & Movements
#

Water-based Ink

Drawing
#

Watercolour

Watercolour
#

Watercolour Style

Styles & Movements
#

Wet-into-Wet

Watercolour
#

Wet-on-Dry

Painting
#

Wet-on-Wet

Painting
#

Woodcut

Printmaking
#

Woodcut

Printmaking
#

Worm’s-Eye View

Composition & Design
#

Yayoi Kusama

Other
#

Yoko Ono

Other
#

Yoko Ono

Other
#

Yves Tanguy

Other
#

Zanele Muholi

Other
#

Édouard Manet

Other
#

Édouard Manet

Styles & Movements
#

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