objectivity -- The ability to view something without influence of feelings or emotions.

oil paint -- A medium created in the 1500s. Ground powdered pigment was mixed with linseed oil and compressed into a container (eventually this container became the familiar tube of paint). These paints had a long drying time which meant that the artist could rework the piece over a period of days.

one-point perspective -- A devised drafting technique using straight lines that converge to a single vanishing point on the horizon line. This gave the illusion of three dimensional space on a two dimensional surface.

opacity --A medium that is so dense, neither light nor the background image can be seen through it.

Op Art --Optical Art is a style in which visual illusions, usually of vibrational movement, are created by careful placement of lines and colors.

original -- A unique work considered to be the first of its kind.

originality -- A quality given to ideas expressed as unique, novel or different from any other previously recognized ideas of a similar nature.

organic -- An shape having none of the geometric angularity associated with other shapes such as squares, triangles, rectangles, etc.. Organic shapes are fluid and often are associated with things that occur in nature.

overlap -- An important technique to achieving a sense of depth in a flat, two-dimensional work. The objects appear to lie slightly on top of one another object. This layering makes some objects look like they are behind others or placed further back in the picture.

paint -- A generic name for any medium made up of grounded colored pigment suspended in a liquid-like base. The base can be water, oil, or a synthetic material. These mediums are usually applied with a brush.

palette--A tool used by painters which affords them a surface they can hold from which to apply and mix paints before stroking the canvas or painting surface.

panel--Traditionally used before the invention of stretched canvas, these flat, wooden surfaces of various sizes where sealed and then used for painting.

panorama -- A sweeping , unbroken view of an expansive scene, usually referring to landscapes.

paper -- A medium created original by pressing plant fibers into flat sheets as the Egyptians did when creating papyrus. Today paper is still made from organic materials and comes in a wide range of colors, sizes, textures and is suitable for receiving many different mediums or it can be used as the main means of expression.

parody--A work created when the artist closely imitates the work of another for the purpose to ridicule or poke fun at the work or what the work represents.

parallel -- Lines or edges on the same plane that travel equidistant, in the same direction.

parchment -- An early paper material highly valued during the middle ages. Originally made from goat or sheep skin, parchment today is made from organic fibers and affords artists such as calligraphers a crisp, smooth, high quality surface on which to write.

performance art--Art that employs live theatrical performances as an important element of the work.

perspective--An organized set of drafting rules for representing three-dimensional space on a flat surface.

photography--The art of mechanically capturing images on a light sensitive plate. These images can be reproduced over and over from this plate.

picture plane --The drawing or painting surface of a flat, two dimensional picture.

pigment--Various minerals and matter ground up and mixed with a fluid medium to create paints and colorants. Pigments can come from mined stones, plants or even from clays.

plane -- A flat and level surface that can stretch out in any direction.

pointillism - A painting technique in which pure dots of color are dabbed onto the canvas surface. The viewer's eye, when at a distance, is then expected to see these dots merge as cohesive areas of different colors and color ranges.

point of view -- The angle from which the viewer's eye is looking at, up or down on an object or setting.

Pop Art--An art movement in which artists frequently incorporated the mass media advertising images into their works.

portfolio -- A collection of works done by a single artist. Usually organized in a flat cloth or leather case for protection. These works often display the abilities and range of an artist and are necessary when a student is considering entering an art program in college.

portrait--A rendering of a person in any medium.

positive space -- The area(s) of a work of art that are filled with meaningful intentions. Often, it is the positive space that contains the image the viewer is expected to recognize.

poster -- A work of art produced for commercial reproductions. Often posters are printed on large pieces of paper.

Post-Impressionism -- An art movement that relied on the impact of the paintings to express feelings and ideas.

primary colors--The three colors, blue, red and yellow, from which most other colors can be made. Primary colors can not be mixed from other colors.

Principles of Design -- The rules by which an artist organizes the Elements of Art to create a work of art.

printmaking--The process by which a work of art can be recreated in great quantity from a single image usually prepared from a plate.

profile -- The side view of an object or person.

propaganda -- Psychological images and rhetoric developed to specifically persuade the masses to a particular point of view. Propaganda is usually seen as a form of political and/or religious advertisement.

radial balance -- An organized pattern or design emanating from the center of a circular format. This design usually has some symmetrical properties.

random--Having no plan, seemingly haphazard.

realism --An art style popular in the mid 1800's in which artists painted ordinary objects, people and scenes as they actually were. The artists made no attempt to romanticize the figures or add drama to the settings.

relief sculpture-- A sculptural art form in which the top surface of the art work demonstrates some carving or three dimensional qualities.

repetition -- A series of repeated elements.

rhythm -- A Principle of Design that refers to the visual movement created by repeating specific Elements of Art.

right brain - A theory in which the two different sides, or hemispheres, of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking. The right side of the brain is believed to be the creative side, responsible for producing art and making spatial decisions as well as holistic thinking, while the left side is responsible for analyzing verbal tasks and logical thinking.

rose window - A large stained-glass window usually the focal point in many gothic cathedrals.