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 someone else's. Thinking of the right words becomes easier the more art terms you know, which is where this list comes in. The idea isn't to sit and memorize it, but to consult the word bank regularly and gradually you'll remember more and more terms.

The list is organized by topic. First find the aspect of a painting you wish to talk about (for instance the colors), then see which words match or fit with what you're thinking. Start by putting it into a simple sentence such as this: "The [aspect] is [word]." For 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 more natural. You'll soon expand into longer sentences!

At times it may feel like you're stating the obvious, something that would be immediately evident to anyone looking at the painting. Think of it as answering the question "How do I know that you know except by your telling me?"

Color Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-EvansThink about your overall impression of the colors used in the painting, how they look and feel, how the colors work together (or not), how they fit with the subject of the painting, how the artist has mixed these (or not). Are there any specific colors you can identify?

— Natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, interesting, lively, stimulating, subtle, sympathetic.— Artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, jarring, unfriendly, violent.— Bright, brilliant, deep, earthy, harmonious, intense, rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid.— Dull, flat, insipid, pale, mellow, muted, subdued, quiet, weak. — Cool, cold. Warm, hot. Light, dark.— Blended, broken, mixed, muddled, muddied, pure.— Complementary, contrasting, harmonious.

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Tone Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-Evans

Don't forget to consider the tone or values of colors too, plus the way tone is use in the painting as a whole.

— Dark, light, mid (middle).— Flat, uniform, unvarying, smooth, plain.— Varied, broken.— Constant. Changes.— Graduated. Contrasting.

Composition Words

Photo © Liane/Lil'bear. Used with Permission.Look at how the elements in the painting are arranged, the underlying structure (shapes) and relationships between the different parts, how your eye moves around the composition.

— Arrangement, layout, structure, position.— Landscape format, portrait format, square format, circular, triangular.— Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, angled.— Foreground, background, middle ground.— Centered, asymmetrical, symmetrical. Balanced, unbalanced, lopsided.— Overlapping, cluttered, chaotic. Separate, spacious, empty.— Free, flowing, fragmented. Formal, rigid, upright, confined.— Negative space, positive space.

Texture Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-EvansIt's often hard or impossible to see texture in a photo of a painting as it doesn't show unless there's light shining in from the side that catches the ridges and casts small shadows. Don't guess; if you don't see any texture, don't try to talk about it in that particular painting.

— Flat, polished, smooth. Raised, rough, coarse. Cut, incised, pitted, scratched, uneven,— Hairy, sticky.— Soft, hard.— Shiny, glossy, reflective. Semi-gloss, satin, silk, frosted, matte.— Marks made with a knife, brush.

Mark Making Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-EvansYou may not be able to see any details of the brushwork or mark making if it's a small painting, but remember that in some styles of painting all brush marks are carefully eliminated by the artist.

— Visible, impasto. blended, smooth.

— Thick, thin. Bold, timid. Heavy, light. Edgy, smooth.— Glazes, washes, scumbling, dry brush, stippling, hatching, splattered.— Layered, flat.— Precise, refined, regular, straight, systematic. Quick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous.— Regularity, patterned

Mood or Atmosphere Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-EvansWhat is the mood or atmosphere of the subject of the painting and the way it's painted? What emotion(s) do you experience looking at it?

— Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, tranquil. — Cheerful, happy, joyful, romantic.— Depressed, gloomy, miserable, sad, sombre, tearful, unhappy.— Aggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violent.— Energetic, exciting, stimulating, thought-provoking. — Boring, dull, lifeless, insipid.

Form and Shape Words

Photo ©2010 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.Think about the overall shapes in the artwork and the way forms (things) are depicted. What sense of depth and volume is there?

— 2D, flat, abstracted, simplified, stylized. — 3D, realistic, natural, sense of depth and space. — Sharp, detailed.— Blurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinct. — Distorted, exaggerated, geometric. — Linear, long, narrow. — Hard-edged, soft-edged.

Lighting Words

Photo © Marion Boddy-EvansLook at the lighting in the painting, not only in terms of the direction it is coming from and how it creates shadows but also its color, how intense it is, the mood it creates, whether it is natural (from the sun) or artificial (from a light, fire, or candle). Don't forget the option the artist has for not including a light source at all, particularly in modern styles.

— Back lit, front lit, side lit, top lit.— Indirect light. Reflected light. No directional light source.— Natural. Artificial.— Cool, blue, grey. Warm, yellow, red.

— Dim, faint, gentle, gloomy, low, minimal, muted, soft.— Clear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp.

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Viewpoint and Pose Words

© Marion Boddy-EvansConsider the angle or position we're seeing the subject of the artwork. How has the artist decided to present it.

— Front, side, three-quarters, profile, rear (from behind).— Close up, far away, life size, bird's eye view.— Upwards, downwards, sideways.— Standing, sitting, lying down, bending.— Gesturing, moving. Resting, static.

Subject Matter Words

Photo ©2011 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.This aspect of a painting is one where it can really feel like you're stating the obvious. But if you think of how you'd describe an artwork to someone who's not seen of it or who isn't looking at a photo of it, you'd probably tell them the subject of the painting quite early on.

— Abstract.— Cityscape, buildings, man-made, urban, industrial.— Fantasy, imaginary, invented, mythological.— Figurative (figures), portraits.— Interiors, domestic.— Landscape, seascape.— Still life.

Still Life Words

"Blue Jug with Plum" © Debbie WalkerBefore you get into what the individual objects in a still life painting are, whether they're themed, related, or dissimilar, look at them overall and describe this.

— Antique, battered, damaged, dusty, old, worn.— New, clean, shiny.— Functional, decorative, fancy.— Domestic, humble. Commercial, industrial.

A to Z Art Glossary

© Ariadna, MorguefileIf you come across an art term you're unfamiliar with, don't forget there's an A to Z Art Glossary on this website you can consult. The easiest way to find a term is to use the search box at the top right of the page. I suggest putting in word you're looking for as well as either "definition" or "glossary" into the search box to narrow the results.