Artist's Resources∼Artist's Dictionary V

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V


Value scale   The range from light to dark, including white, grays, and black. Colors can be evaluated on this scale. Values are often numbered on scales of 0 to 10. In one system 0= black and 10= white, another system reverses the designations and has 0 for white and 10 for black. Generally, high values are considered to be light, and the low values dark.
Van Gogh, Vincent William   1853-1890   Dutch postimpressionist who spent much of his adult life in France. His Work is known for its powerful emotional impact of direct painting with vibrant colors. He was an influence on the Fauve/expressionist movements.
Vanishing point(s)   In perspective, a point or points on the horizon at which prarllel lines converge.
Vanitas   See Memento mori.
Vantage point   An advantageous point from which you view something, the position from which you view a scene.
Varnish   A protective liquid or spray coating used as a finish coat on oil paints. See also Retouch varnish.
Vasarely, Victor   An Hungarian who immigrated to Paris in 1930 and devoted himself to advertising. He became an innovator of Op Art/Vibration Art, working with geometric shapes and color combinations for optical effect.
Veduta   A painting attempting to faithfully represent a portion of a town or city.
Veduta ideata   An imaginary view of a place, realistically rendered.
Vehicle   1.   A word often used in place of medium. 2.   The liquid that is ground with dry pigments.
Veil   See Undertint.
Veining tool   A "V" shaped tool used in wood carving to cut a broad channel.
Vellum   Originally a writing and painting surface, made from young animal hides, a fine parchment; name now given to a heavy, smooth paper used as fine stationery and a semi-smooth drawing paper, also called "kid finish".
Velour paper   A heavy paper that looks and feels like velvet, good for pastels, available in different colors.
Velox   A term designating a screened photographic print on a continuous tone photo, or a piece of Art that can be printed in line, without halftone screening.
Venetian School   Initially the Workshops of St. Marls', under the influence of Paolo Veneziano in the 14th century, later; more of an attitude of place than a School. In the 16th century it was dominated by great Venetian Artists including Bellini, Canaletto, Gorgione, Guardi, Tintoretto and Titian.
Verdigris   Pronounced verdee gree   Pigment, a light bluish green made from hydrated copper acetate. See also Patina.
Vermillion   A bright orange red comparable to cadmium red light; considered permanent but if exposed to the sun for a length of time, it turns dark.
Verso   Left hand page. See also Recto.
Vibration Art   An optical sensation, partly manipulated by design and partly by color. See also Op Art.
Victorian Art   19th century style in Britan at the time of Queen Victoria. Tends to be romantic, ornamental and massive.
Vidalon   Trade name of a good quality tracing paper made in medium, havey and super heavy weights.
Viewfinder   A small (about 4"x5") cardboard frame used to isolate or frame a scene in order to locate a desired compostion to be painted or drawn.
Vignette   1.   An irregular shape to a picture without square edges to frame it. 2.   A photograph that is prepared (usually with an airbrush) so the edges fade gradually to white.
Vingt, les   (French, "The twenty") A group of 20 avant-garde painters, active from 1884-1894 in Brussels, who promoted and exhibited new and unconventional Art; a few of their exhibitors were Cezanne, Gauguin, Monet, Pissaro, Renoir, Seruat and Van Gogh.
Vinyl inks   Inks used in silk screen for printing on vinyl, usually commercial; opaque but can be thinned with a special base to become transparent; toxic and flammable.
Violent   Said of strong, hard and/or harsh Art Works.
Viridian   Pigment, a transparent dark green, permanent.
Viscosity   The degree of thickness in paint or ink.
Viscosity painting   The process of printing with two or more viscosities of ink, which may also be different colors; one roll-up will use an oily ink and the second will be drier, thus producing different textures and colors from one plate.
Visual Arts   Graphics, painting, sculpture and architiecture, as opposed to the performing Arts of the theatre, music, dance, opera, etc.
Visualizing paper   A transparent paper used mostly for layouts and design Work.

Visual pad   A pad of paper that has removable sheets of transparent paper.
Visual weight   The ability of a picture element to attract attention and thus assume its part in establishing visual balance.
Vogue   The prevailing style or fashion of the time.
Volute   In design, a spiral form, a scroll-like ornament.
Vorticism   An Art movement in England (1912-1915) an offshoot of cubismand futurism, lead by Wyndham Lewis; simplified forms into angular, machine-like representation, abstract and often nonobjective; prominent in the movement were Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, William Roberts, Edward Wadsworth, and C.R. Nevinson.
Voussoir   In architecture, one of the wedge-shaped stones forming a stone arch.