Colour

Colour is very important to painters. How colour is used affects the atmosphere and feel of an art work.

Primary

The primary colours are red,blue and yellow. These are the three basic

colours that cannot be created by mixing other colours together.

Secondary

The secondary colours are green, orange and purple. These are colours created by mixing 2 primary colours. For example, RED + YELLOW= ORANGE

Tertiary

Mixture of opposite colours to create various shades of browns andgreys.

Complimentary colours.

These are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. They make a picture look lively or even disturbing.

The main complimentary colours are blue and orange, Red and green, purple and yellow.

Harmonious Colours

These are colours that are close to each other on the colour wheel. They help a picture look calm. For example, purple, blue and red are harmonious colours.

Word bank

Below are some words that will help you describe COLOUR in your expressive critical work.

Darksympatheticvivid

Harmoniouslighthot

Coldcomplicateddull

Brightsubtle dazzling

Sombredramatic raw

Depressingbleakcheerful

Complementarymonochromaticmuted

Fleshysimplevibrant

Warmoppressivecalm

Tone

Tone is created by light shining on an object or subject. It is the visual element that creates depth and solidity in an artwork. Use of tone also affects the atmosphere of an artwork. Tone can apply to black and white or colour and is the range between the darkest and lightest elements.

Tone wordbank.

DarkLightShading

DelicateSoftContrasting

FlatVery little toneHarsh

MoodyDepthGrey

Hand with Globe, M.C Escher

Shape

Below are some words that will help you describe SHAPEin your expressive critical work.

Irregularregularsymmetrical

Geometricorganicpositive

NegativeSquareelongated

Exaggerated distortedThin

LongRoundSharp

SolidSilhouette

Pablo Picasso: Guernica, 1937, oil on canvas, 349 × 776 cm

Pattern

Below are some words that will help you describe PATTERN in your expressive critical work.

NaturalManmaderepeat

Randomsimplenegative

Positivecomplicatedbusy

Decorativelineardynamic

The Kiss – 1907, Gustav Klimt

Mood /Atmosphere

Below are some words that will help you describe the MOOD and ATMOSPHERE of a paintingin your expressive critical work.

HappyDarkCheery

SadDepressingSombre

CalmPeacefulHappy

Playful

Stormy Sea with Blazing Wreck

J. M. W. Turner, 1775-1851

Line

Below are some words that will help you describe LINE in your expressive critical work.

StraightWavyZig Zag

CurvyVerticalHorizontal

ThickCurvyVertical

ThinBrokenContinuous

DelicateElegantFine

StrongBoldBendy

Purple Robe, Henri Matisse

Texture

In art and design we can describe texture in 2 ways:

  1. Tactile

What we can feel through touching e.g. ordinary glass is smooth, hair can be soft, course thick or wiry.

  1. Optical

What we see, a pattern or grain that covers a surface. When you use a pencil the marks you make can be very close together, all go in the same direction, cross over each other or appear scribbly – all these marks create an optical texture.

Below are some words that will help you describe PATTERN in your expressive critical work.

RoughSmoothCoarse

ShinySoftHard

RoundedBumpySpiky

LeatheryVisible brushstrokesCrinkly

SilkyJaggyFurry

HairyVelvetyWoven

Starry Night, 1889, Vincent Van Gogh

Composition

Composition is the way in which the objects/people have been arranged in a painting or drawing.

Below are some words that will help you describe COMPOSITIONin your expressive critical work.

ComplexMinimalSimple

BusyElaborateEmpty

AbstractBoldStriking

HorizontalPortraitLandscape

VerticalSquare

Still life paintings by Jack Morrocco which show carefully considered compositions.

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