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Arts Word List

In order to be able to talk about your paintings, and art in general, you need the vocabulary to describe,
analyze, and interpret what you're seeing. It's also part of learning how to critique paintings, whether
your own or soeone else's. Thinking of the right words becomes easier the more art terms you
know, which is where this list coes in. !he idea isn't to sit and memorize it, but to consult the
word bank regularly and gradually you'll reeber ore and ore ters.
The list is organized by topic. "irst find the aspect of a painting you wish to talk about #for instance
the colors$, then see which words atch or fit with what you're thinking. %tart by putting it into a
siple sentence such as this& "The [aspect] is [word]." "or instance, "The colors are vivid." or "The
composition is horizontal." It'll probably feel awkward at first, but with practice, you'll find it gets
easier and ore natural. 'ou'll soon e(pand into longer sentences)
At ties it ay feel like you're stating the obvious, soething that would be iediately evident to
anyone looking at the painting. !hink of it as answering the question "How do I know that you know
except by your telling me"
Color Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
!hink about your overall ipression of the colors used in the painting, how they look and feel, how the
colors work together #or not$, how they fit with the sub*ect of the painting, how the artist has i(ed
these #or not$. Are there any specific colors you can identify+
, -atural, clear, copatible, distinctive, interesting, lively, stiulating, subtle, sypathetic.
, Artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, *arring, unfriendly, violent.
, .right, brilliant, deep, earthy, haronious, intense, rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid.
, /ull, flat, insipid, pale, ellow, uted, subdued, quiet, weak.
, 0ool, cold. War, hot. Light, dark.
, .lended, broken, i(ed, uddled, uddied, pure.
, 0opleentary, contrasting, haronious.
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Tone Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
/on't forget to consider the tone or values of colors too, plus the way tone is use in the painting as a
whole.
, /ark, light, id #iddle$.
, "lat, unifor, unvarying, sooth, plain.
, 7aried, broken.
, 0onstant. 0hanges.
, 4raduated. 0ontrasting.
Composition Words
!hoto " 'iane('il)bear. *sed with !ermission.
Look at how the eleents in the painting are arranged, the underlying structure #shapes$ and
relationships between the different parts, how your eye oves around the coposition.
, Arrangeent, layout, structure, position.
, Landscape forat, portrait forat, square forat, circular, triangular.
, >orizontal, vertical, diagonal, angled.
, "oreground, background, iddle ground.
, 0entered, asyetrical, syetrical. .alanced, unbalanced, lopsided.
, ?verlapping, cluttered, chaotic. %eparate, spacious, epty.
, "ree, flowing, fragented. "oral, rigid, upright, confined.
, -egative space, positive space.
Texture Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
It's often hard or ipossible to see te(ture in a photo of a painting as it doesn't show unless there's light
shining in fro the side that catches the ridges and casts sall shadows. /on't guess@ if you don't see
any te(ture, don't try to talk about it in that particular painting.
, "lat, polished, sooth.
Aaised, rough, coarse. 0ut, incised, pitted, scratched, uneven,
, >airy, sticky.
, %oft, hard.
, %hiny, glossy, reflective. %ei=gloss, satin, silk, frosted, atte.
, 5arks ade with a knife, brush.
Mark Making Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
'ou ay not be able to see any details of the brushwork or ark aking if it's a sall painting, but
reeber that in soe styles of painting all brush arks are carefully eliinated by the artist.
, 7isible, ipasto. blended, sooth.
, !hick, thin. .old, tiid. >eavy, light. 6dgy, sooth.
, 4lazes, washes, scubling, dry brush, stippling, hatching, splattered.
, Layered, flat.
, 1recise, refined, regular, straight, systeatic. Buick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous.
, Aegularity, patterned
Mood or Atmosphere Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
What is the ood or atosphere of the sub*ect of the painting and the way it's painted+ What
eotion#s$ do you e(perience looking at it+
, 0al, content, peaceful, rela(ed, tranquil.
, 0heerful, happy, *oyful, roantic.
, /epressed, glooy, iserable, sad, sobre, tearful, unhappy.
, Aggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violent.
, 6nergetic, e(citing, stiulating, thought=provoking.
, .oring, dull, lifeless, insipid.
orm and !hape Words
!hoto "+,-, #arion $oddy%&vans. 'icensed to .bout.com/ Inc.
!hink about the overall shapes in the artwork and the way fors #things$ are depicted. What sense of
depth and volue is there+
, :/, flat, abstracted, siplified, stylized.
, C/, realistic, natural, sense of depth and space.
, %harp, detailed.
, .lurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinct.
, /istorted, e(aggerated, geoetric.
, Linear, long, narrow.
, >ard=edged, soft=edged.
"ighting Words
!hoto " #arion $oddy%&vans
Look at the lighting in the painting, not only in ters of the direction it is coing fro and how it
creates shadows but also its color, how intense it is, the ood it creates, whether it is natural #fro the
sun$ or artificial #fro a light, fire, or candle$. /on't forget the option the artist has for not including a
light source at all, particularly in odern styles.
, .ack lit, front lit, side lit, top lit.
, Indirect light. Aeflected light. -o directional light source.
, -atural. Artificial.
, 0ool, blue, grey. War, yellow, red.
, /i, faint, gentle, glooy, low, inial, uted, soft.
, 0lear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp.
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#iewpoint and $ose Words
" #arion $oddy%&vans
0onsider the angle or position we're seeing the sub*ect of the artwork. >ow has the artist decided to
present it.
, "ront, side, three=quarters, profile, rear #fro behind$.
, 0lose up, far away, life size, bird's eye view.
, 3pwards, downwards, sideways.
, %tanding, sitting, lying down, bending.
, 4esturing, oving. Aesting, static.
!ub%ect Matter Words
!hoto "+,-- #arion $oddy%&vans. 'icensed to .bout.com/ Inc.
!his aspect of a painting is one where it can really feel like you're stating the obvious. .ut if you think
of how you'd describe an artwork to soeone who's not seen of it or who isn't looking at a photo of it,
you'd probably tell the the sub*ect of the painting quite early on.
, Abstract.
, 0ityscape, buildings, an=ade, urban, industrial.
, "antasy, iaginary, invented, ythological.
, "igurative #figures$, portraits.
, Interiors, doestic.
, Landscape, seascape.
, %till life.
!till "ife Words
"$lue 0ug with !lum" " 1ebbie 2alker
.efore you get into what the individual ob*ects in a still life painting are, whether they're theed,
related, or dissiilar, look at the overall and describe this.
, Antique, battered, daaged, dusty, old, worn.
, -ew, clean, shiny.
, "unctional, decorative, fancy.
, /oestic, huble. 0oercial, industrial.
A to & Art 'lossary
" .riadna/ #orgue3ile
If you coe across an art ter you're unfailiar with, don't forget there's an A to G Art 4lossary on this
website you can consult. !he easiest way to find a ter is to use the search bo( at the top right of the
page. I suggest putting in word you're looking for as well as either HdefinitionH or HglossaryH into the
search bo( to narrow the results.

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