Humanities › Visual Arts Words to Describe Art Print valentinrussanov/Getty Images Visual Arts Art & Artists Art History Architecture By Marion Boddy-Evans Marion Boddy-Evans B.J., Journalism and Translation, Rhodes University Marion Boddy-Evans is an artist living on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. She has written for art magazines blogs, edited how-to art titles, and co-authored travel books. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on May 07, 2019 To talk about paintings, and art in general, you need the vocabulary to describe, analyze, and interpret what you're seeing. 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 if you consult the word bank regularly, you'll start to remember more and more terms. The list is organized by topic. First, find the aspect of a painting you wish to talk about (the colors, for instance), and then see which words match or fit with what you're thinking. Start by putting your thoughts into a simple sentence such as this: The [aspect] is [quality]. For example, 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, and you'll eventually be able to produce more complicated sentences. Color Chris Rose/Photodisc/Getty Images Think 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, and how the artist has mixed them (or not). Are there any specific colors or color palettes you can identify? Natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, 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 Tone Mondadori via Getty Images / Getty Images Don't forget to consider the tone or values of the colors, too, plus the way tone is used in the painting as a whole. Dark, light, mid (middle) Flat, uniform, unvarying, smooth, plain Varied, broken Constant, changing Graduated, contrasting Monochromatic Composition Print Collector / Getty Images Look at how the elements in the painting are arranged, the underlying structure (shapes) and relationships between the different parts, and 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, off-center Overlapping, cluttered, chaotic Separate, spacious, empty Free, flowing, fragmented Formal, rigid, upright, confined Negative space, positive space Texture Wendy Thorley-Ryder / EyeEm / Getty Images It'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, smoothRaised, rough, coarseCut, incised, pitted, scratched, unevenHairy, stickySoft, hardShiny, glossy, reflectiveSemigloss, satin, silk, frosted, matte Mark Making Frederic Cirou / Getty Images You may not be able to see any details of the brushwork or mark making if it's a small painting. Remember that in some styles of painting, all brush marks are carefully eliminated by the artist. In others, the marks are clearly visible. Visible, impasto, blended, smooth Thick, thin Bold, timid Heavy, light Edgy, smooth Exhibiting glazes, washes, scumbling, dry brushing, stippling, hatching, splatters Layered, flat Precise, refined, regular, straight, systematic Quick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous Regular, patterned Exhibiting marks made with a knife, brush Mood or Atmosphere De Agostini Picture Library / Getty Images What is the mood or atmosphere of the painting? What emotions do you experience looking at it? Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, tranquilCheerful, happy, joyful, romanticDepressed, gloomy, miserable, sad, somber, tearful, unhappyAggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violentEnergetic, exciting, stimulating, thought-provokingBoring, dull, lifeless, insipid Form and Shape Zetpe0202/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain Think about the overall shapes in the artwork and the way forms (things) are depicted. What sense of depth and volume is there? 2-D, flat, abstracted, simplified, stylized3-D, realistic, natural sense of depth and spaceSharp, detailedBlurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinctDistorted, exaggerated, geometricLinear, long, narrowHard-edged, soft-edged Lighting Heritage Images/Getty Images Look 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, its intensity, the mood it creates, whether it is natural (from the sun) or artificial (from a light, fire, or candle). Make sure to describe the shadows and the highlights as well. Backlit, front lit, side lit, top litHaving indirect light, reflected light, no directional light sourceNaturalArtificialCool, blue, grayWarm, yellow, redDim, faint, gentle, gloomy, low, minimal, muted, softClear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp Viewpoint and Pose DEA PICTURE LIBRARY / Getty Images Consider the angle or position from which we're seeing the subject of the artwork. How has the artist decided to present it? What is the perspective? Front, side, three-quarters, profile, rear (from behind)Close up, far away, life-size, bird's eye viewUpward, downward, sidewaysStanding, sitting, lying down, bendingGesturing, moving, resting, static Subject Matter Claude Monet / Getty Images This aspect of a painting is one where it can really seem like you're stating the obvious. But if you think of how you'd describe an artwork to someone who has not seen 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 Pam Ingalls / Getty Images Before you begin describing the individual objects in a still life painting, whether they're themed, related, or dissimilar, look at them overall and describe this aspect. Antique, battered, damaged, dusty, old, wornNew, clean, shinyFunctional, decorative, fancyDomestic, humbleCommercial, industrial Style DEA / G. NIMATALLAH/Getty Images Does the painting seem to fit a particular style or be reminiscent of a particular artist's work? There are many terms for different styles in the history of art, and these descriptors can create instant impressions. Realism, photorealismCubism, surrealismImpressionismModernism, expressionismChinese, Japanese, or Indian stylePlein air Media Dimitri Otis/Getty Images If you know the medium in which a work was created or on what it was painted, that information can be useful to include in your description. Oil, temperaAcrylicsPastel, chalk, charcoalMixed media, collageWatercolor, gouacheInkFrescoSpray paintWood panels, canvas, glass Size Hill Street Studios/Getty Images Size may be relevant to your description if a work is particularly large or small. You can use exact dimensions, of course, as well as descriptive words. Mural MiniatureTriptych Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Boddy-Evans, Marion. "Words to Describe Art." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/art-words-list-2577414. Boddy-Evans, Marion. (2021, December 6). Words to Describe Art. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/art-words-list-2577414 Boddy-Evans, Marion. "Words to Describe Art." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/art-words-list-2577414 (accessed March 19, 2024). copy citation