Art terms
Learn about the materials, techniques, movements, and themes of modern and contemporary art from around the world.
All
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Showing 12 of 340 art terms
-
E
-
Earthwork
Art that is made by shaping the land itself or by making forms in the land using natural materials like rocks or tree branches. Earthworks range from subtle,
-
Edition
A set of identical prints made from the same printing surface. Editions may be limited or unlimited in number. Often a certain number of prints—including
-
Elevation drawing
An elevation or elevation drawing is a two-dimensional representation of one side of a building or space. It can depict one of the building’s facades or
-
Embossing
A method of printing the deeply incised areas of a metal printing plate without ink, which creates a raised impression on the paper. Small or shallow objects
-
Emulsion
A uniform mixture of oily substances and watery substances, which do not ordinarily mix. Artists may add an emulsifier, like egg yolk, to such emulsions
-
Enamel paint
A type of paint made from fine pigments and resin that is formulated to be very fluid and that dries to a hard, glossy finish
-
Engraving
An intaglio printmaking technique that creates a crisp, precise line that swells in the middle and tapers at the end. Lines are incised on a bare metal
-
Ephemera
Written, printed, or commercially produced materials not originally intended to be seen as independent artworks. These are often related to exhibitions,
-
Etching
An intaglio printmaking technique that creates thin, fluid lines whose effects can vary from graceful and serpentine to tight and scratchy. An etching
-
Exposure
To make an exposure, a photographer allows visible light or invisible radiation to land on a light-sensitive surface or digital sensor for a given amount Early photo negatives had weak sensitivity to light, and exposures could last from several seconds to several minutes. For much of the 19th century, this limited photography to depicting motionless subjects, requiring those who posed for photographs to hold still for long periods. Technological advances would shorten exposure times enough that, by the 1880s, Étienne-Jules Marey and Eadweard Muybridge could record crisp images of animals in motion. At the end of the 19th century, photographers began experimenting with lengthened exposures to create expressive photographs featuring softened and blurred images. A photograph can also combine two or more exposures in a single image, which are then laid on top of one another.
-
Expressionism
Encompasses varying stylistic approaches that emphasize intense personal expression. Renouncing the stiff bourgeois social values that prevailed at the
-
Exquisite corpse
A game in which each participant takes turns writing or drawing on a sheet of paper, folding it to conceal his or her contribution, and then passing it
-