Subject Matter and Style - Realism, Naturalism, Romanticism, Impressionism, Fantasy, Abstraction. Assess the Appeal of the subject and Evaluate why those Influences Inspire you. Question 1 - Assess the Potential, has it Unity or Variety. Question 2 - Assess the degree of challenge, is it in Repose or Vitality. Question 3 - Interpret the character, has it Squareness and Flatness or is it Smooth and Curvy. line, Shape, Tone, Colour and Edges are the language of a painting. Mood is the perception of Light and Atmosphere. Select the bits you want to Express and Interpret. Compare your Approach with others to find what is Original about the subject. Vignette - A small unfinished drawing not to be seen by anyone except the maker. Sketch - A rough and unfinished drawing that you intend to exhibit. Drawing - A drawing that is acceptable to exhibit and is intended to be sold. Convexity - Each line on the body has a Fullness or is outwardly rounded, with a point of origin, an apogee or highest point, and an insertion point at the end. Forms are either Continuous which means fluid and seamless, or Discrete which means each is distinct and contained. Packed Form - Hierarchical stacking of smaller forms upon larger forms. Non-Parallelism - Comparing the sides of the same form to make sure they are Asymmetrical. Triangulation - Using two or more points to locate a single new point. Calliper Vision - A process of measuring two points on opposite sides of the form. Gesture - The abstract flow of the form through the composition otherwise known as the inner-curve, it can be active and contracted or passive and stretched out, usually both exist at the same time on the one form. Length and Tilt - These describe the qualities of every line, which combine to create the inclination and dynamism of every shape. Point to Point Drawing is Line Drawing - [A] Alignments and angles used to form lines for positive and negative shapes. [B] Landmarks are used to scale and connect disparate parts of an image to make sense out of what you see. [C] Proportion is used to create perspective e.g. Geometric and Iso-Metric Perspective along with Scale. Gesture Drawing is also Line Drawing - [A] Direction of energy of the lines in the composition called Rhythm. [B] Character is either open or closed or blocking you. [C] Personality is either leaning in or leaning away. Construction Drawing is Mass Drawing - [A] Essence is basically the simplest forms the object can be built with i.e. Square or Cube, Circle or Sphere, triangle or Pyramid, and Tube. [B] Pose and Silhouette formed of the person or object by the shadows either on them or cast by them making one large shape. [C] Blocking - The arrangement of the characters or objects within a scene. Observational Drawing is also Mass Drawing - [A] Clothes are either hanging, draping, stretching or compressing. [B] Volume caused by scale, values and shadows. [C] Role is the relationship of characters to the viewer and between themselves. 1. Scale or Axonometry - The size of the support depends on the scale of the objects to be placed within it. The scale and format of a canvas is the first determinant of the mood you want to create in a painting. The Abstract Pattern is the collection of shapes on the canvas. A Grid can also be used on the canvas to compare the scale of the scene and objects therein to the scale of your artwork and objects there-in. A Life-Size work of art can use either of these methods but has to be the same size as the object to be called Life-Sized. 2. Placement and Setting - Staging: The division of planes on a canvas according to Foreground, Middle ground and Background. Or in Figurative painting the proximity the character has to the viewer. [A] To attain true realism, first you must choose a canvas that is the optimal size for the room in which it is to be displayed in, then understand the optimal viewing distance by doubling or tripling the longest edge. Once you have found the ratio. [B] 2in x 2in square canvas = 4in or 6in vantage point. [C] Use this ratio of the vantage point to measure the scene and find the optimal Viewpoint from which to paint the scene from. [D] With a 2in side times by a 4in vantage point = 8ft from the scene in the real world with a 2in x 2in square canvas. 3. Proportion - Extrusions and Expressions - Diagrams based on volume. Proportion and Geometry - Divisions either by times tables or by diagonals e.g. Thales Theorem or a façade or ground plan. Addition - Adding new volumes to create new volumes. Subtraction - Removing a volume to create a new volume. 4. Perspective and Foreshortening - Format - The shape of the canvas. Picture Plane - The flat plane on the end of your vision of a scene and it encompasses the picture you want to paint. Viewpoint - The Vantage Point from which the viewer has of the scene. Implied Line - A series of points in the image that suggest a path for the eye to follow e.g. a level but obscured eye-line on the horizon. Selective Focus - The object in the centre of your vision is in sharp focus and everything else is fuzzy and out of focus. Focal Point - Every picture should have a primary area of emphasis that is the most interesting to look at, and secondary areas of emphasis that supports the main centre of interest. Positive Space - The area in and of the object that advances. Negative Space - The area around the object that defines the boundaries and recedes. Vanishing Point - The point or points on the horizon line that all the objects slant toward creating Perspective. Linear Perspective - Is one point perspective and defines only the form. Multi-Point Perspective - An oblique view that defines the space the object is in. Isometric Perspective - Based on Multi-Point perspective containing multiple objects e.g. a Diagram or a Relief. Geometric Perspective - A lot like Isometric Perspective but Foreshortened to deceive the eye. Atmospheric Perspective - Smaller, Less Detailed, Cooler, Duller, Darker, Softer, Grayer, Fuzzier, Neutral recedes. Larger, More Detailed, Warmer, Lighter, Sharper, Stronger, Clearer, Brighter advances. Armature - Based on the theory of unified harmonic resonance due to the Eyes or intersections of all the angles drawn to form shapes or travel lines, usually from a half, quarter or three quarter point from the edge of the canvas. Root Rectangle - Is the height VS width correlation of the edges of the canvas when you draw a line from the centre of the bottom line to a corner and then drop it down: This forms from a root 1 rectangle a Root 2 rectangle of 1.41 and a Root 3 rectangle is 1.73 and a Root 4 is 2 and a Root 5 rectangle is 2.23 Etc. Sketch Copy - Very generally matching the colours, tones and forms of the original, which is used as an exercise in skill-for-reference. Exact Copy - Following the exact process and methods of the original. Comparative Measuring - Is what determines the length or width of an object by comparing it with another, e.g. the length of the torso compared to the size of the head. Sight-Size - Measuring method where you stand back and measure an object in the real world according to a fixed point - usually a pencil held at arms length, then scale it up or down according to your needs. Relational Measuring - Co-ordinating critical points of departure to confirm the locations of other points, basically orientating relationships around each other. Envelope\Sub-Envelope - This constitutes the block in phase where you work inside a broad shape then onto smaller shapes for smaller parts of the image, starting broadly at first until you reach a certain degree of refinement. Cut of the Light - The Tonal Progression on the inside of the form, dictating Local Tone: Angle: frontal light, three quarter light, half light and rim light etc. Distance\strength : glossy,satin,matt surface. Open Palette - Using a brush to mix colours as and when they are required. Closed Palette- Pre-mixing the colours ready for use on the palette using a palette knife. Support\Substrate - The technical term for the surface that you choose to paint on e.g. wood, paper, canvas etc. Sizing - A sealing of the surface e.g. Rabbit Skin Glue or PVA. Priming - A white base coat applied on top of the sizing called a Ground. Fat over Lean rule - Lean or short paint is thinned and goes first so it dries quicker, Fat or long paint is more oily and goes later as the painting progresses so there's no future cracking of the surface as the painting dries. Grisaille - Black, White and Gray under-painting to establish Volume, Placement and Values. Under-Painting - An initial block in of colours to develop the Composition. Setting - One paint layer set down to provide the basis for successive layers on top. Staccato - Short and diagonal. Slashing - Long and diagonal. Stippled - wet-on-wet blobs. Scgraffito - Scratching into wet paint. Gestural - Simple bold mark-making done in broad strokes with a large brush. Velatura - A Translucent wash used to tone the canvas first before painting. Imprimatura - A lean, transparent and neutral under painting. Wash - A thin, lean and transparent layer of colour. Glaze - A thick, fat and transparent layer of colour. Scumble - A rough, vigorous and more direct a glaze using thinly applied opaque colour. Impasto - Very thick layer of paint usually with brush marks in it. Broken Colour - Varied brushstrokes of colour laid next to each other. Blending - Lost and Found: Running a brush along the edge perpendicular to the interchange. Hard and Soft: Running a brush directly over the interchange. Feathery: Circular motions along the interchange. Treatment - Open Form Painting: Directly using Colour Notes or shapes instead of a drawing. Closed Form Painting: Painting in a more considered manner using a drawing to guide you. Error of Parallax - Distortions in the image caused by the viewpoint from which it was made e.g. elongation or widening. Sense of Form - The study of shape and structure in space. Sciagraphy - The study of shadows. Chiarascuro - Strong use of light and dark. Penumbra - A lighter halo effect at the edges of shadows. Atmospheric Light - An all encompassing secondary light from the sky. Direct Light - One single concentrated light source. Halation - Light hitting the object and burning out the details before shimmering into the atmosphere or reflecting onto other objects. Refraction - Diffusion of edges and grades of darkness to light and light to darkness around the edges of objects in the real world. Diffraction - Softening of light, form and colour caused by a heavy atmosphere or lighter structure e.g. tree branches and holes. Reflected Light - Light that strikes one object and then reflects onto another. Highlight - Is the brightest portion of the object that usually is facing the light directly. Light Plane - The side of the object facing the light. Middle-Tone - The slightly oblique side neither in light nor shadow, usually showing only the local colour. Shadow Plane - The side of the object facing away from the light. Cast Shadow - A dark shape caused by a lack of light entering that area because an object is blocking it. Flemish Technique - Heavy use of glazes from start to finish. Venetian Technique - Thin washes followed by ever thicker paint layers, resulting in impasto for the highlights. Academic Technique - Straight paint followed by ever oilier glazes. Alla-Prima Technique - Starting and finishing a painting in one session or day. En-Plein Air - Painting in-situ i.e. out-of-doors.