Structural Frame

The Structural frame relates to the physical aspects, or the structure of the the artwork. This includes

• the elements and principles of art (line, shape, tone, texture, etc.),
• the materials and techniques (what it is made from and how it was made)
• and the signs and symbols in the artwork.

Below are some key terms from the Structural Frame. Learn the definitions of the terms using the flashcards and then test your knowledge by changing the study mode down the bottom.

Key Terms

Colour: The pigmentation within an artwork. Can be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary.

Tone: How light or dark an artwork is.

Texture: Refers to how things feel or how they look like they might feel on the surface. Can be real or simulated

Shape: A visually perceived area created either by an enclosing line or by colour and value changes defining the outer edges Size How large or small an artwork or object is.

Line: A long mark on a surface without any width and made from a moving point.

Mass: The three dimensional space an object takes up. This may be real or an illusion created by tone.

Direction: The particular angle that a line or object is facing, eg. horizontal, vertical, diagonal.

Materials: What an artwork is made from, eg. paint, graphite pencil, marble etc.

Techniques: The way an artwork is made, eg. painting, sculpting, drawing.

Sign: Points to the existence of something that is not seen.

Symbol: An object that represents an idea or concept beyond what it is on a literal level.

Composition: Refers to how an artist organises forms in an artwork (placing shapes on a flat surface or arranging in space).