WORDS TO DESCRIBE ART

Interior Monologue

door Lucy Amolo

Igneous rocks

door victor murgas

Food Colours

door Pei Xin Wong

"A Raisin in the Sun" emotional timeline exemplar

door Adam Frick

TONE

Monochromatic

Graduated, contrasting

Constant, changing

Varied, broken

Flat, uniform, unvarying, smooth, plain

Dark, light, mid (middle)

MEDIA

Wood panels, canvas, glass

Spray paint

Fresco

Ink

Watercolor, gouache

Mixed media, collage

Pastel, chalk, charcoal

Acrylics

Oil, tempera

STILL LIFE

Commercial, industrial

Domestic, humble

Functional, decorative, fancy

New, clean, shiny

Antique, battered, damaged, dusty, old, worn

VIEWPOINT

Gesturing, moving, resting, static

Standing, sitting, lying down, bending

Upward, downward, sideways

Close up, far away, life-size, bird's eye view

Front, side, three-quarters, profile, rear (from behind)

FORM AND SHAPE

Hard-edged, soft-edged

Linear, long, narrow

Distorted, exaggerated, geometric

Blurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinct

Sharp, detailed

3-D, realistic, natural sense of depth and space

2-D, flat, abstracted, simplified, stylized

MARK MAKING

Exhibiting marks made with a knife, brush

Regular, patterned

Quick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous

Precise, refined, regular, straight, systematic

Layered, flat

Exhibiting glazes, washes, scumbling, dry brushing, stippling, hatching, splatters

Edgy, smooth

Heavy, light

Bold, timid

Thick, thin

Visible, impasto, blended, smooth

COMPOSITION

Negative space, positive space

Formal, rigid, upright, confined

Free, flowing, fragmented

Separate, spacious, empty

Overlapping, cluttered, chaotic

Centered, asymmetrical, symmetrical, balanced, unbalanced, lopsided, off-center

Foreground, background, middle ground

Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, angled

Landscape format, portrait format, square format, circular, triangular

Arrangement, layout, structure, position

SIZE

Triptych

Miniature

Mural

STYLE

Plein air

Chinese, Japanese, or Indian style

Modernism, expressionism

Impressionism

Cubism, surrealism

Realism, photorealism

SUBJECT MATTER

Still life

Landscape, seascape

Interiors, domestic

Figurative (figures), portraits

Fantasy, imaginary, invented, mythological

Cityscape, buildings, man-made, urban, industrial

Abstract

LIGHTING

Clear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp

Dim, faint, gentle, gloomy, low, minimal, muted, soft

Warm, yellow, red

Cool, blue, gray

Natural, artificial

Having indirect light, reflected light, no directional light source

Backlit, front lit, side lit, top lit

MOOD OR ATMOSPHERE

Boring, dull, lifeless, insipid

Energetic, exciting, stimulating, thought-provoking

Aggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violent

Depressed, gloomy, miserable, sad, somber, tearful, unhappy

Cheerful, happy, joyful, romantic

Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, tranquil

TEXTURE

Semigloss, satin, silk, frosted, matte

Shiny, glossy, reflective

Soft, hard

Hairy, sticky

Cut, incised, pitted, scratched, uneven

Raised, rough, coarse

Flat, polished, smooth

COLOUR

Complementary, contrasting, harmonious

Blended, broken, mixed, muddled, muddied, pure

Cool, cold, warm, hot, light, dark

Dull, flat, insipid, pale, mellow, muted, subdued, quiet, weak

Bright, brilliant, deep, earthy, harmonious, intense, rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid

Artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, jarring, unfriendly, violent

Natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, lively, stimulating, subtle, sympathetic