Abstract Art Test Study Guide

THEORY OF COLOUR Primary Colours

Red

Yellow

Blue

Red Blue Yellow Tip to Remember: Roses are , Violets are , What makes them grow?

Secondary Colours

Red + Yellow = Orange

Blue + Red = Violet

Yellow + Blue = Green

Tertiary Colours

Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green

Blue + Green = Blue-Green

Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange

Red + Orange = Red-Orange

Blue + Violet = Blue-Violet

Red + Violet = Red-Violet

Tip to Remember: Primary colour name is first followed by the secondary colour

Complementary Colour

Red ~ Green

Violet ~ Yellow

Blue ~ Orange

Tip to Remember: Relate the pairs!

o Red ~ Green = Christmas o Violet ~ Yellow = Easter o Blue ~ Orange = Sun and Sky

Tint, Tone and Shade

Tint = Colour + White

Tone = Colour + Gray

Shade = Colour + Black

Monochromatic = Using a tint, tone or shade of a colour o Ex. OOOOOO

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Colour Spectrum

Warm Colours = Reds, Oranges and Yellows

Cool Colours = Blues, Greens and Purples

Tip to Remember: Warm Colours = Fire, Cool Colours =Water

Colour Qualities

Colour = Is defined by having 3 qualities – Hue, Value and Intensity o Hue = Name for a colour you cannot make

Ex. Red, Yellow, Blue, Cyan, Magenta All hues are colours but not all colours are hues

o Value = The darkness or lightness of a colour Ex. OOOOOOOOO Value 1 = Black Value 10 = White

o Intensity = How bright or dull a colour is Ex. OO,OO,OO High Intensity = Brighter Low Intensity = Duller

Colours that Cannot be Made

Magenta

Cyan Blue

White

Red

Yellow

Blue

Mixing Colours

Red + = Crimson Brown

Orange + = Sienna Brown Brown

Red + Yellow + = Brown Ocre Yellow

Red + White = Pink or Magenta + White = Pink

Blue + = Black Brown

Red + Yellow + Blue = Brown

Paintbrushes

Flat Paintbrush Fan Paintbrush Liner Paintbrush Flat-Fan Paintbrush

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Other Supplies

Artistic Knives Paint Thinner Linseed Oil

Palette Canvas

Easel

Drawing Supplies

Soft Eraser Blending Stump Eraser

Sketching Pencil = HB

Shading Pencil = 9B

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Darkest Pencil = 9B

Lightest Pencil = 6H

Elements of Art

1. Line/Direction A path or point moving through space

a. This refers to the direction of an object, line or path that moves throughout the painting.

EX.

2. Shape/Form Shape has depth, length, width and resides in space

a. This means that everything is made up from shapes and with their help we get the correct

proportions.

EX.

3. Colour Hue, value and intensity

a. These are the characteristics of a colour

i. Hue = Name for a colour you cannot make ii. Intensity = How bright or dull a colour is

Colour: Blue-Green

Low Intensity

Colour: Pink

High Intensity

Hue: Cyan Blue

High Intensity

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4. Value Value refers to the relative lightness and darkness of a colour

a. Value = The darkness or lightnessof a colour i. Ex. OOOOOOOOO

ii. Value 1 = Black iii. Value 10 = White

EX.

5. Texture Texture refers to the tactile quality of a surface a. There are both Oil and Acrylic textures

i. Oil Textures 1. Knife Techniques 2. Fan Paintbrush Techniques

ii. Acrylic Textures 1. Mixed Media Techniques

EX. 6. Perspective Representing a 3D object on a 2D surface

a. In order to get 3D objects on a 2D surface we need to use shapes and VP

White is the

abscesnce of colour

Value: 1

Value: 10

Black

Oil Textures

Fan Paintbrush

Techniques Oil Texture

Knife

Techniques

Oil Texture

Knife Techniques

Vanishing Point

Triangles at

different

angles to

represent a

3D mountain

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7. Space The area in which art is organised

a. Positive Space The area closest to you

b. Negative Space The area furthest from you

EX.

Mixed Media

Gesso

o A primer with a low density and high viscosity

Modelling Paste

o A texturing paste with a high density and low viscosity

Media

o Base of all acrylic colours

o Used in many mixed media techniques

o Low density and very high viscosity

o Transparent

Sawdust

o Sawdust + Media

Glitter

o Glitter + Media

Tissue Paper/ News Paper

o Tissue Paper / News Paper + Media

Cheese Cloth

o Cheese Cloth + Media

Sand

o Sand + Media

Aluminium Foil

o Aluminium + Light tint of water colour

Saran Wrap Lift (Watercolour + Acrylic Techniques)

o A watered down acrylic or watercolour with saran wrap placed on top until dry or

semi-dry. Saran Wrap is the removed creating a grouping flat texture.

Photo Image Transfer

o A laser printed image is transferred onto a canvas using media

Stencilling + Stamping

o Stencilling Using an object as a stencil or tracer

Negative Space

Positive Space

Positive Space

Negative Space

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o Stamping Using an object to imprint or transfer the shape of image

Alcohol/Oil with acrylic

o Painting an acrylic base you add some dots of oil or alcohol which creates a

separation in the paint

Art Movements

Realism

o Painting a real and accurate portrayal of an image or scenery in front of you.

EX. Mona Lisa

Surrealism

o Painting a realistic portrayal of an image or scenery with a twist that is unnatural

or not possible in real life.

EX. Melting Clocks

Cubism

o An abstract movement in where everything is painted with the basic shapes

showing through. This may distort the image into seeming more abstract, but the

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image has a defined shape or inspiration.

EX.

Abstract

o The painting will be created with a concept but that concept is not completely

defined leaving it up to interpretation by the viewer.

EX.

Pop- Art

o Painted in a cartoonish way making the painting have a feel of being from a comic

book or having the painting done in several different colours.

Minimalism

o An abstract movement in where the least amount of objects reside on the canvas

meaning that is may just be a white canvas with a red line on it.

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Contemporary

o Modern Art

EX.

Pointillism

o A painting is created using only dots of different colours.

EX.

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Splatter

o No real shape (most of the time) and is much like abstract where the viewer can

interpret what the painting however they like but this is all done with aggressive

flicking of painting

EX.

Impressionism

o Creating a painting that looks like the object to the eye from a certain distance but

up-close has a less detailed look to it.

EX.

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Expressionism

o A semi realistic painting in where a certain emotion or feeling is created by the

expression of the paintings main focus or by the strokes done with the painting.

EX.