LIBRARY

Art Words

An art glossary built around terms that appear in artwork descriptions on this site, growing little by little.

Index

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. 163 terms
Highlight
The brightest passages of an image; key formal markers of light source and object relationship.
Hatching
A drawing technique that builds shadow and volume from densities of parallel lines; cross-hatching adds a second crossing layer.
Hard-edge
A painting approach with sharply defined contours; common to 1960s geometric abstraction.
Half-tone
A printing technique that simulates continuous tone through dot patterns; the basis of mass-print media such as newspapers and photo books.
Hierarchy
The order of importance within a composition; in medieval religious painting, sacred figures are scaled by their stature.
Hieroglyph
Ancient Egyptian sacred script; recurrently invoked when image and writing are discussed together.