Primary Schools

Glossary

aerial perspectivethe device of using fading colour and tone to create an illusion of space in a painting
aesthetic awarenessthe ability to look with understanding at art works and make a personal response to them
appliquéa picture or pattern created by stitching pieces of fabric to a fabric background
artistused in the guidelines to include those working in the fine arts and in crafts
batika colour design or composition created by waxing sections of a piece of cloth before dyeing, so that the waxed sections remain uncoloured
coil and pellet designsmall coiled and rolled or carved clay motifs that have been attached to a clay surface in a decorative design
coil pota pot made by laying rolls of clay on top of one other and building them up to create a hollow form
collagean image or design created by sticking materials such as paper, card, fabric, printed material and string to a base
complementary colourscolours that intensify each other and are opposite each other on the colour wheel, for example red and green
cool coloursthe blues, blue-greys and blue-greens, which appear to recede in a painting
crayon transferachieved by covering a sheet of paper in wax crayon of various colours and drawing on a second sheet placed on top so that some of the crayon prints out as a coloured drawing on the underside of the upper sheet
found objectseveryday objects that can be used, for example in a collage or to create stamps for print-making
harmonious colourscolours that blend well together and are close to each other on the colour wheel
harpa tool for cutting slabs of clay
huethe basic characteristics of a pure colour, for example red, green
imagerythe marks, lines, shapes, figures and objects that make up a composition
linear perspectivethe illusion that parallel lines meet at a point on the horizon, for example railway lines, used in drawings and paintings to give the illusion of depth
lithographya method of printing that depends on the mutually repellent actions of grease and water
low reliefa type of sculpture in which the forms are not freestanding but are attached to a background (as on a coin)
mask-outa technique in printing for protecting an area of the design from colour when inking up
mediamaterials and tools used by artists
monoprinta once-off print taken when, for example, a clean page is pressed down on a surface that has been covered with printing ink or paint and then drawn on
mosaica design or tonal effect created by arranging very small pieces of coloured marble, stone or glass on a background; in school, pieces of coloured fabric or paper may be used
non-representational artart that makes no reference to actual things seen
outline drawingan image created in line only, without solid areas of tone or colour
overlappingplacing one shape in front of another to give a threedimensional effect in a composition
patterncreated by the repetition of discernible shapes, colours and/or textures in a composition
photograma type of print achieved when objects that have been arranged on light-sensitive paper are exposed to light in a dark room
pinch-pota pot made by hollowing out a kneaded ball of clay with the fingers and building it up by pinching out the sides
primary coloursthe three basic colours (red, yellow and blue) that cannot be mixed from other colours but can be used to mix all the other hues
relief printingprinting from a block whose design or image stands out in relief
rhythmthe flow, with variation, of lines, shapes, colours and/or textures in a composition
schemathe marks, lines and shapes (i.e. set of symbols) that are the child's interpretation of familiar figures and objects, for example using a circle for a body with stick-like limbs or a circle and two parallel lines for a tree
screen-printinga technique for printing a flat image through a fine mesh that has been stretched over a frame
silhouettean image presented as flat shape in a drawing or painting
slab buildingworking with slabs of clay that have been rolled out or cut from a large lump with cutting wire
soft sculpturethree-dimensional forms made from flexible materials such as fabric
stabilea sculptural construction in space that is fixed to a base (in contrast to a mobile, which hangs)
stencila cut-out shape or motif in paper or card that is placed on a surface and sponged, sprayed or brushed with paint to reproduce the shape or motif
symbola simplified drawing that stands for a figure or object (see schema)
texturehow a surface feels to touch, or its representation in a medium such as paint
tonethe lightness or darkness of a colour
vernacular architecturethe building style that is typical of an area or region, and of a particular time
warm coloursthe reds, oranges and yellows, which appear to advance in a composition
wax-resistdrawing with wax crayon or candle on a page so that the drawn areas will resist a subsequent colour wash
whirlera small circular rotating stand





 
NCCA, 24 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Telephone: +353 1 661 7177, Fax: +353 1 661 7180, E-mail: info@ncca.ie