What is Écorché Écorché (which means “flayed” in French) refers to anatomical studies of human or animal forms without skin, having the underlying muscles and tissues exposed. The term is not specific to any medium—it could refer to a drawing, painting, sculpture, or digital work. Artists use écorché to gain a better understanding of what…
Representational Art
What is Representational Art? Representational art refers to art which represents something, whether that be a tree in a landscape, apple in a still life, or figure in a portrait. Or in other words, it is art which is clearly identifiable as something which already exists in life. Below are some examples of representational art, starting…
Raking Light
Raking light refers to a light source which is set at an acute or nearly parallel angle to objects in a painting. Objects being hit by raking light will be half in light and half in shadow and will have long cast shadows. Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico used raking light…
Triptych Art
Triptych refers to art that is made up of three panels. The term originates from the Greek word ‘triptykhos’, meaning ‘three-layered’ or ‘three folds’. The panels that form a triptych are often attached to one another with hinges, allowing the two outer panels (or wings) to fold inward and cover the central panel. However, contemporary triptychs…
Dappled Light
Dappled light refers to that spotted light which typically comes through gaps in a tree canopy. Below is a great example by Claude Monet—notice the spots of light orange amongst the dark purple shadows. Claude Monet, Garden Path, 1901 The shapes created by the dappled light vary based on: The position of the sun; The…
Contrapposto
Contrapposto is Italian for “opposite” or “counter.” In art, it refers to the natural standing position of the human body, with weight leaning on one leg and a shift in the body to counter this. Michelangelo’s David is a perfect example of this. Putting the weight on one leg forces David’s hips, spine and shoulders…
Chiaroscuro
What Is Chiaroscuro? Chiaroscuro refers to the use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface. The term translates to “light-dark”; chiaro meaning bright or clear and scuro meaning dark or obscure. The term is also used in a more narrow sense to describe artworks which display an…
Sfumato
What Sfumato Means Sfumato is a painting technique which involves blending the edge between colors so that there is a soft transition. The term “sfumato” is Italian which translates to soft, vague or blurred. The technique was popularized by the old masters of the Renaissance art movement, like Leonardo da Vinci, who used it to…
Color Schemes in Art
What Are Color Schemes in Art? A color scheme is used to describe the overall selection of colors in an artwork. The major color schemes in art are analogous, complementary, split-complementary, triadic, rectangular and monochromatic. These color schemes utilize colors at certain locations on the color wheel. Before I get into it, I should point…
Broken Color and Optical Color Mixing
What is Broken Color? Broken color in art refers to the technique of building up layers of different colors on the canvas in a way which allows lower layers to be exposed. This usually involves painting with small dabs of color until the canvas is filled. The end result can appear like a vibration of…
