Glossary

Form

the shape, configuration and structure of an artwork, including elements such as medium and colour

Installation

a type of three-dimensional artwork; it usually consists of many parts and is created for a specific gallery space or outdoor site, to be viewed as an entire whole

Palette

is used when describing the number of different colours that are present in an artwork

Colour value

the lightness or darkness of a colour

Medium

the substance used to make a particular artwork

Oil paint

a slow-drying paint comprising pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed

Tempera

a medium bound with emulsions, combined with dry pigments and water; emulsions might include egg yolk (egg tempera) and milk proteins (casein tempera)

Watercolour

a paint comprising pigment suspended in a water-soluble vehicle; the addition of water adds to the paint’s transparency

Found object

a natural or an artificially made object used in an artwork, but which has not been designed for that purpose

Ceramics

art objects such as figures and tableware made from clay and other raw materials using the process of pottery

Acrylic

a fast-drying synthetic paint