term paper meaning in art

Art terms: The ultimate artist's glossary

Get your head around common art terms with this practical guide.

Art terms are a fundamental part of creating art because they summarise complicated concepts succinctly. And given that art terms are used by course instructors and educational books across the board, it’s a good idea to get yourself familiar with them if you want to further your skills.

To help you learn the lingo, we’ve compiled this handy art terms glossary which makes important concepts easy to understand. These expressions are designed to be of practical assistance to creators, so if you feel like you’ve plateaued or you need to brush up on the basics of drawing and painting, there’s a good chance they can help you out of a creative rut. For more guidance, see our how to draw tutorials.

For mind boggling art with a name that you might need to look up, check out our guide to the best trompe l'oeil from around the globe. And if you want to put your newly learned knowledge to the test, see our best art books .

For now though, here's our A-Z guide to the most important art terms.

A process whereby paint is removed to reveal layers beneath the surface. Usually done via friction or scratches. Can be accidental or deliberate.

Accelerated perspective

A deliberate exaggeration of perspective. It is often used to make a shallow surface appear deeper than it actually is.

Acrylic paint

A type of paint where the pigment is suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylics are a popular medium with artists thanks to their fast drying time, bold colours and flexibility when mixed with water. Get the most out of them with our acrylic painting tips .

Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter

Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.

Ambient light

Light that is already present in a scene. This can include either natural or artificial light.

A straight line, either implied of visible, that runs through an object in its dominant direction. An axis helps to give structure to an object or composition.

An area of a painting that appears to be furthest from the viewer. Objects in the middle ground and foreground appear closer, as if they are placed on top.

The arrangement of elements in a piece of art that creates a sense of visual equilibrium.

A paint substance which holds together the pigment and ensures that it sticks to surfaces. A binder also gives the paint a uniform consistency.

Blending is a painting technique where the transition between colours and shades appears smooth or gradual.

Blocking in

Painting process where the artist roughly establishes the composition and structure of the subject. It’s a popular technique with portrait artists.

Body colour

An opaque paint that can completely obliterate an underlying colour.

The way in which an artist applies paint to a support with a brush. Used to refer to the characteristics of the artist in question.

A closely woven cloth that acts as a support for paintings. Get started with them with our beginner's guide to canvas painting .

Chiaroscuro

From the Italian for ‘light-dark’. Used to refer to a strong contrast between light and dark in drawings and paintings. Often used to create a sense of volume. See our guide to using chiaroscuro effectively.

An image where urban scenery and buildings are the main focus.

Closed composition

A piece of art where everything sits comfortably inside the borders of the image. 

From the French verb coller, meaning ‘to glue’. Used to refer to the technique and resulting piece of art where materials are fixed to a supporting surface with glue or another substance. Here’s what to consider when creating a collage .

The perceived hue of an object or substance. Also used to refer to a dye, pigment, or paint that imparts a hue. Become a master of colours work with our guide to colour theory .

Colour wheel

A circular diagram of the spectrum of colours. Useful for artists because it shows how the relationships between primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

A painting that works various objects into the surface material.

Complementary colours

A pair of colours which cancel each other out when mixed together. They are situated opposite one another on the colour wheel.

Composition

The arrangement of visual elements as distinct from the subject in a piece of art. It means ‘putting together’ and can be used in visual arts as well as music, writing and photography.

From the French for ‘outline’, this refers to the technique where an artist draws a line that defines a form or edge. As its word origin suggests, it creates an outline of the subject.

Convergence

Refers to linear perspective in a drawing or painting. It’s the phenomena whereby all parallel lines converge together as they run along to a point at a person’s eye level.

Cross-hatching

A mark-making process where lines that run in different directions are layered on top of each other to provide the illusion of shade.

The apparent distance from the foreground to background, or near to far, in a work of art.

A piece of art, usually a painting, made on two panels that are traditionally attached by a hinge.

A loose, fun drawing that often has little regard for accuracy. Usually completed while the artist’s attention is elsewhere. Check out some of our favourite examples of doodle art .

A drawing of the front, side and rear of a structure. Usually used in architecture and scale drawings.

Figure drawing

The depiction of the human body in art. Master how to draw the human body with this guide to figure drawing .

Focal point

The area of a piece of art that is designed to draw the viewer’s attention.

Visual elements in a drawing or painting that are positioned nearest to the viewer in terms of depth. These elements appear on top of the middle ground and background.

Foreshortening

A technique used in perspective drawing to create the illusion that an object, usually parts of the human body, recede strongly into the distance or background.

A technique where textures are obtained by rubbing pencils, chalk or charcoal over a granular or relieflike surface.

A piece of art made out of geometric shapes.

A quick drawing that captures the most basic elements of the subject.

A water-soluble paint that appears opaque on the support. Dries quickly and can be reactivated when mixed with water. This guide teaches you how to paint with gouache .

A uniform and stable surface for painting. It doesn’t have a grain which makes it easier to prime.

A painting technique where the transitions between colours are abrupt. The opposite of blending.

Horizon line

A horizontal line that runs across a page or canvas that represents the viewer’s eye-level, or to represent where the sky meets the ground.

The actual colour of something. Often referred to as a colour, but hue is more technically correct.

When a piece of art tricks the eye into perceiving a particular effect. For some amazing examples, check out our collection of the best trompe l’oeil art .

A painting technique where paints are laid down on the support in very thick layers. Often, brush marks or palette strokes are still visible.

A piece of art that focuses on natural scenery such as mountains, forests and coasts.

Line drawing

A fundamental type of mark making made up of a stroke of a pencil, pen or a brush. Consists of straight or curved lines. Used to represent shape and form.

Linear perspective

A technique where the illusion of depth is created on a flat surface.

The materials that are used to create a piece of art.

Middle ground

The central elements of a painting in terms of depth. Sandwiched between the foreground and background.

Mixed media

A piece of art made up of multiple mediums.

A painting created using only one colour or hue.

Negative space

The empty space between objects and structures in a piece of art. Can be used by artists to more accurately define the form of the subject. See how these brilliant examples of negative space make an impact.

A paint where the pigment is held in a drying oil binder. Oil paint is usually slow to dry. See our oil painting techniques .

Coloured substance which is spread over a support with tools including a brush and palette. Made up of pigment and binder. Get the most out of paints by choosing the right brush .

A surface on which an artist mixes colours.

Palette knife

A blunt plastic or metal blade which is used to mix colours and spread them on a support. 

Solid art medium in the shape of a stick. Made up of pure powdered pigments and binder. Supplied in soft, pan and hard varieties. Artists can choose from oil and water-soluble pastels. This guide shows you how to get started with pastel art .

Perspective

A technique for creating the illusion of three dimensions on a two dimensional surface. A crucial method to master for drawing realistic pictures. Start learning perspective basics with this guide to one point perspective .

Pigment 

The colouring component of art mediums such as paint and pastels, as opposed to the binding agent.

A flat surface within a painting, picture or sculpture. Also used to refer to the flat surface on which a picture is created.

A piece of art where the facial features of the subject are the focus. Also used to refer to a vertical orientation, as opposed to a landscape picture. These simple steps show you how to draw a face .

The position of the subject in a piece of art. Often in reference to the stance of a human model.

A side view of a subject, usually the human head.

The harmonious relationship of parts to each other or to the whole.

Representation

The visual interpretation of a subject.

The ratio between the size of the subject and its artistic representation.

From the Italian for ‘smoke’. A painting technique that softens the transition between two colours and tones in such a way that they appear to melt into one another.

In colour theory, shade is a pure colour with black added (and not white or grey).

A rough or unfinished drawing or painting of a subject. Usually completed to aid the creation of a more thorough study. Make your mark with these sketching tips .

When the boundaries of a subject in a painting appear to fade into the background. The opposite of a hard edge.

An artistic study, either a drawing or painting, of either natural or man-made objects, or both. This guide shows you how to paint expressive still life images .

The representation of a subject that conforms to the rules of a certain style, as opposed to a natural depiction.

The primary focus of a piece of art, such as a building, human or object.

A paint in which the pigment is held in a water-soluble binder. Also used to refer to a painting completed in this medium.

When white is introduced to a colour to make it appear brighter. The opposite of shade.

The intensity and strength of colours in a piece of art.

A painting completed on three separate panels, or three paintings on different supports that are thematically linked.

The relative lightness or darkness of colour. The highest value will be white, and the lowest value will be black.

Vantage point

The position of the viewer in relation to the subject they are representing.

Vanishing point

A point of disappearance in perspective drawings. At this point, receding parallel lines appear to converge.

The representation of mass in a piece of art.

Watercolour

Art medium where the pigment is held in a water-soluble solution. Also used to refer to pictures completed with these substances. See our piece on watercolour techniques .

• The best art easels
• The best Baby Yoda memes, ranked
• How to clean paintbrushes: The ultimate guide

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.

Related articles

• 2 EA's going all in on AI for video game design
• 3 6 key skills typographers need to develop in the age of AI – we asked the experts
• 4 PayPal’s new logo is a bold redesign of a famous font
• 5 Monotype’s new AI-powered feature takes the stress out of font pairing

• Oil Painting
• Watercolour Painting
• Acrylic Painting
• Pastel Painting
• Printmaking
• Studio and General
• Glossary of Art Terms
• Submit Your Idea
• Artist Interviews
• Features & Editorials
• Shop Materials
• Jackson’s Art Prize
• Online Gallery

Glossary of Art Paper Terms

This definitive A-Z glossary of art paper terms has been designed to use as a companion when reading articles from our Paper Guide or any other art paper related articles online.

A – E F – J K – O P – T U – Z

Abrasion Resistance

The level at which a paper can withstand continuous scratching or rubbing.

Acid Migration

When acid passes from an acidic material to a less acidic paper, such as exposure of atmospheric pollution or the acid found in mechanical pulp paper to acid free, archival paper. Acid can also migrate from acidic adhesives, boards, protective tissues, and cheap art supplies. Acid will cause lignins in the paper to break down, which can lead to the paper yellowing. In order to avoid this happening it is advised to only use acid free or pH neutral art materials, or apply a pH neutral isolation coat (such as acrylic matt medium) to materials known to be acidic prior to combining them with acid free papers.

Acid-free Paper

Paper that has a neutral pH (i.e. its value is 7 or higher). Paper can be naturally acid-free or neutralised in the manufacturing process. Cotton and linen papers are naturally acid-free, while wood-based papers will contain acidic lignins. These are neutralised with a buffer, most likely calcium carbonate, which protects the paper against acid migration.

Alkyl Ketene Dimer (or AKD)

A synthetic sizing agent commonly used in the manufacture of artist papers. It was introduced as a pH-neutral size in the 1960s. It is not derived from any animal products.

Alpha Cellulose

Alpha cellulose is the longest and strongest fibres used in plant based paper pulp. It is made up of multiple sugar molecules bonded together to form a chain. During the paper manufacturing process this chain is broken down, refined to remove undesirable elements (such as lignin, which is acidic) and then reformed to give strength to the finished sheet of paper. To optimise the strength of certain papers, alpha cellulose fibres from various sources are sometimes combined, for example wood and cotton. Chemical wood pulps have a high percentage of alpha cellulose but not as high as cotton, which is usually around 99%.

There is no universal standard of what ‘archival’ means in practice. But, generally, it refers to the fact that in addition to the paper being acid-free, the paper should be free from groundwood, unbleached pulp and not contain optical brightening agents. Alkaline buffers are often added to wood cellulose in order to counter any trace of acids remaining, in order to make it more archival.

Back to top

Pads of paper that have been glued on all four sides. Sheets can be worked on without them wrinkling as they become more saturated with watercolour, and once dry, sheets can be sliced off the pad with a craft knife.

Bone Folder

A dull edged smooth tool for creating folds and creases in paper crafts and book binding, made from animal bone or synthetic alternatives.

Bristol Board

A completely smooth or vellum texture surface paper that comprises at least two layers of paper (and often more) that have been glued together under pressure to form a robust drawing surface. It is especially suited to ink or dry media. So-called because in early European papermaking the ply sheets would be sent to Bristol, UK to be glued together. It is made of acid-free wood pulp.

A term used to describe the uneven rippling of a paper caused when it has been over-saturated with liquid and then left to dry without influence from stretching or pressing under weighted boards.

Bursting Strength

A description of how much pressure a sheet of paper can withstand.

Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is often added to paper pulp in papermaking and acts as a buffer, neutralising the pH of the paper and protecting it from the harmful effects of acid. Calcium carbonate will help paper to maintain its archival properties. It also increases whiteness, however there is a limit to how much can be added to paper without it reducing the tear strength, burst strength and tensile strength of the paper.

The thickness of a sheet of paper, measured in points, where one point equals a thousandth of an inch.

Cartridge Paper

The paper most commonly associated with drawing. It is so-called because it was used in the making of paper cartridges in the 16th century, holding the ammunition of gunpowder and bullets together for loading into hand-held firearms. Cartridge paper is most commonly made of woodfree cellulose and is primarily made for dry drawing media such as graphite and charcoal, however heavier cartridge papers (200 gsm+) will take some watercolour and ink with minimal buckling. It is available in a variety of weights and shades of white. Quality cartridge paper will have a slight texture to it – this is known as grain or tooth, and provides the resistance needed to hold marks in place. It also increases the depth of tonal range achievable in graphite or charcoal, as well as colour depth in pigmented dry media.

The key constituent of paper. It is a basic structural component found in many plants and is formed of long chains of glucose molecules. When cellulose fibres are beaten in water (during the preparation of paper pulp) some of the glucose molecules dissolve in the water. Hydrogen is added to rebond the fibres together, forming resilient sheets of paper when the pulp is dried.

Chain Lines

The lines on laid paper parallel with the grain of the paper.

Chemical Pulp

Pulp (wood/plant-based, with the exception of naturally acid-free cotton/linen) that has been treated to made it acid-free. Chemical pulping removes lignin from lignocellulose, leaving cellulose fibres suited to papermaking.

Chine Collé

A printing process in which a thin sheet of paper, usually washi, is printed on and at the same time mounted on a sturdier sheet as it goes through the printing press.

Cold Pressed, or NOT

Paper is made by pressing the sheet through cold metal rollers, and it has a slight texture to it. It is the most popular watercolour paper surface to work on because it is well adapted to many painting approaches. The paint will sink a little into the dimples on the surface of the paper, but it will also be sympathetic to some detailed work. Cold pressed paper tends to be more absorbent than hot pressed paper.

Cotton Rag Paper

Made from textile scraps, old fabric, and other post and pre-consumer waste like rope and nets.

The equipment that helps remove excess water from the moving web of paper prior to the wet press section of a paper machine in paper manufacture.

Cross Direction

The opposite of the grain direction. Whereas the grain direction follows the direction the paper passes through the papermaking cylinders, the cross direction is ninety degrees to this; often the short edge of a full sheet of paper.

Cross Grain Fold

A fold that goes 90 degrees across the grain of a sheet of paper.

Cylinder Mould-Made

Cylinder mould-made paper can be seen as the ‘halfway’ point between handmade and Fourdrinier machine-made paper. The process makes more consistent paper than handmade paper, but is more sensitive to the characteristics of the material than industrial machines. Cylinder mould machines consist of a vat and a cylinder mould. The pulp mixture fills the vat and attaches itself to the moving cylinder, forming a very fine fibrous web over it. The web is then drained, and then pressed to varying degrees of pressure, either between sheets of felt to create a rough texture, or hot metal plates to achieve a very smooth surface. The randomly aligned ‘fibrous web’ gives excellent surface stability, an asset to all painting and printmaking processes.

A stack of pre-soaked paper wrapped and weighted down to create evenly dampened sheets ready for printing.

In Fourdrinier paper manufacturing, the dandy roll is a light, open-structured unit covered with wire cloth and placed on the wire between suction boxes, resting lightly upon the wire and the surface of the sheet. Its function is to flatten the top surface of the sheet and improve the finish. The wires on the dandy roll impress on the paper to create the ‘laid’ lines in chain and laid paper, such as found in Ingres papers.

The frame of the mould used to collect the wet pulp in order to form sheets in papermaking.

Deckle Edge

A deckle edge is a rough edge found on many handmade and cylinder mould-made papers. It is formed when some of the wet pulp goes beyond the frame of the mould (the deckle), forming an irregular thin edge. Handmade papers have four true deckle edges because the sheets are individually formed. Cylinder mouldmade papers have two true deckle edges – the edges that are cut from the roll are often torn to mimic a true deckle edge.

An ink colorant that is soluble in vehicle or solvent. It is less colourfast than pigment but is sometimes added to paper pulp in papermaking in order to tint the paper.

When the paper moulds itself around the relief elements of the plate and retains the shape after drying.

EU Timber Regulation

Prohibits operators in Europe from placing illegally harvested timber and products derived from illegal timber on the EU market. ‘Legal’ timber is defined as timber produced in compliance with the laws of the country where it is harvested. The regulation applies to timber and a wide range of timber products, including pulp and paper.

European (ISO) ‘A’ Sizes

The dimensions of ‘A’ sizes of paper are determined by the ISO 216 paper system, which is used internationally (with some exceptions, including America and Canada). ‘A’ size papers have an aspect ratio of 1:1.414, the square root of 2. This means that if any sheet of ‘A’ sized paper is cut in two, the aspect ratio of the two halves will remain 1:1.414. The most common size is A4 (210 x 297mm), the dimensions of a standard letterhead. ‘B’ and ‘C’ sizes are also determined by the ISO 216 paper system and correspond to intermediate sizes for the ‘A’ series and envelope sizes respectively. See page 120 for a chart of A size dimensions.

External Size

Another term to describe surface sizing of paper, when size is applied to the formed sheets of paper to reduce the paper’s absorbency. Also sometimes referred to as Top or Tub Sizing. Gelatine and wheat starch are more common external sizing options, egg whites can also be used.

The upper side of the sheet, also known as the Top Side. It is more random in texture than the underside, known as the Mould Side (the side that is formed on the wire mesh side of the mould), which has a slightly more regular texture. It is called the Felt Side because it’s in contact with woollen carrier felts during production. If the paper has a watermark, when you hold it up to the light, the side on which the watermark is the right way round is the felt side. The Felt Side is often favoured as its surface texture is thought to be more aesthetically pleasing, however it is down to personal preference which side you paint on.

A fixative is a liquid, similar to varnish, which is usually sprayed over a finished or in-progess dry media artwork to prevent smudging, or in the case of workable fixative, to give some tooth back to an artwork that has become slippery with built up graphite or coloured pencil. Fixatives are usually (although not always) alcohol based, hydrocarbon propelled and need to be used carefully in a well-ventilated area. Some fixatives contain UV fIltering agents to protect the work from fading.

Fourdrinier

Papermaking machines like Fourdrinier machines make the cheapest and most consistent paper. They are used to produce industrial quantities of paper for print media and stationary. Pulp is spread over a mesh conveyor belt which removes the water from the fibres with a vacuum. It is then pressed through large heated rollers to squeeze out even more moisture. Further series of rollers are also used to smooth the paper surface, add texture if necessary, and also to ensure uniform thickness throughout the sheet. The paper emerges from the machine in giant reels. The Fourdrinier machine was invented by Nicolas Louis Robert in 1799 and patented by the Fourdrinier brothers in 1806.

Forest Stewardship Council. An independent, international, environmentally and socially oriented forest certification organization. It trains, accredits and monitors third-party certifiers around the world and works to establish international forest management standards.

Full Imperial

The name of the traditional dimensions of a paper mould: 22 x 30”, and consequently the dimensions of a full standard sheet of watercolour paper. Paper sheets are often available cut into half or quarter sheets in addition to full imperial size sheets.

Gelatine is derived from collagen extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissue of animals (it is a by-product of the meat and leather industries). Gelatine has many uses in food and cosmetics, as well as used as a surface sizing agent in some artist papers, adding strength.

The process of extracting the cotton fibres, known as linters, from the cotton seeds, in order to use them in cotton rag papermaking.

The building up of layers of contrasting colours on top of one another, in order to modify tone and colour appearance.

Grain Direction

The grain of a paper lines up with the direction the paper is travelling along the paper machine. With Fourdrinier-made papers, over 50% of the fibres align themselves with their lengths parallel to the mesh. It is easier to roll, fold or tear paper in its grain direction. Mould-made papers have more randomly distributed fibres, and as a result tend to be stronger and harder to tear.

Granulation

An aesthetic effect that adds texture and depth to a painting. It is the appearance of pigment settling in the valleys of the paper, which accentuates its texture. Rougher papers usually give more dramatic granulation as do watercolour paints that are made with coarser pigments.You may wish to work with a paper that encourages granulation, or if not it can be avoided by working with non-granulating paints on smooth paper.

Wood that has been mechanically ground to produce pulp. Fibres are shorter and possess a greater amount of lignins than chemically ground pulp. Its presence in artist papers is kept to a minimum in order to minimise acid-content and improve the longevity of the paper. ‘Wood-free paper’ actually means groundwood-free, yet despite this term wood-free papers can contain up to 10% mechanical pulp and 1% lignins.

The abbreviation for grams per square metre, gsm is the metric unit of weight for paper. In real terms it is the weight of a single piece of paper measuring one square metre. Also sometimes written as g/m².

Paper that has a high amount of internal and/or external sizing. Hard sized paper tends to withstand more vigorous painting techniques, such as scrubbing and erasing.

Hot Pressed

The least textured surface; during production it is pressed between hot metal rollers. The absence of texture makes it suitable for fine detail. Hot pressed paper tends to be the least absorbent of all of the textures, and watery washes can sit on the surface for a long time. Beyond watercolour painting, hot pressed watercolour paper makes an excellent support for pen and ink drawing.

Hydrophobic Paper

Paper that repels water.

Hygroscopic Paper

Paper that absorbs water.

Illustration Board

A watercolour paper surface glued with pressure on to a cardboard backing. Illustration board is rigid, usually full or half imperial and can be cut to size. Suited to both fine art and illustration.

Ingres Paper

A laid finish paper of light to medium weight used for drawing.

Ink Holdout

When ink sits on the paper surface without being absorbed by it.

Print process where ink is embedded into engraved lines on a plate made of copper, aluminium or perspex, and transferred to paper by pressure. The opposite of relief printing, where ink is transferred to paper from the raised edges of a plate, most commonly lino or wood.

Laid Finish

The imprint of the screen pattern of an historical papermaker’s mould of widely spaced chain lines and closely spaced laid lines.This imprint is now replicated by a roller with wires on it that embosses the ribs into the fresh pulp of the sheet. Doing this at the pulp stage means there are thick and thin areas of paper, because some pulp is pushed off, which is a different effect to simply compressing the paper by embossing when it has dried. The laid effect creates a toothy grain of close lines on one side and a mottled surface on the reverse.

The imprint of the wires of the dandy roll that impress the paper during manufacture to produce a watermark. The wires which produce the laid effect are situated parallel on the dandy roll and are not interwoven with the chain wires which appear along the grain of the paper.

Layout Pads

Primarily for marker and felt pen work. The paper is very thin, lightweight, semi-opaque, completely smooth and bright white. They are sized to resist marker pen bleed. The degree of transparency allows for elements of a drawing to be traced on to a new sheet as ideas are developed, however it is not sufficiently transparent to work as a comparable alternative to tracing paper.

The process of removing paint that has been applied to paper, usually with a clean brush or sponge dipped in water. The amount of sizing in the paper is a significant determining factor of how easy it is to lift colour from a surface. The less sized and more absorbent the paper, the harder the paint will be to lift from it.

Lightfastness

Lightfastness refers to how resistant a material is to fading when exposed to light. No paper is wholly lightfast. In order to minimise the risk of fading paper should be stored in complete darkness, in a temperature and humidity controlled environment that is free of atmospheric pollution, which, unfortunately is not realistic in most circumstances. The most lightfast papers are made with a high quality pulp, without Optical Brightening Agents, and if they are coloured, contain pigments rather than dyes. The Blue Wool Scale (from 1= very poor to 8 = excellent) and ASTM ratings (V = very poor to I= excellent) are two measures of lightfastness. However both are limited in their accuracy, as they require subjective observation of when a shade has changed. Also the accelerated aging methods require extrapolation of results over a relatively huge timescale. This can often result in widely varying results for exactly the same paper. Generally, red and blue papers tend to be the least lightfast, while naturally off-white papers tend to be the best at keeping their colour.

A acidic organic polymer which is naturally occurring in vascular plants and some algae, and is present in wood and wood bark, lending rigidity to plant structures and preventing premature rotting. When making artist paper with lignin cellulose from wood or vascular plants, lignin is removed because it can cause the paper to become brittle and yellow.

Linen Rag Paper

Made from the fibres of the flax plant. The length of these fibres is longer than wood cellulose or cotton fibre and as a result linen papers tend to be more robust and harder to tear.

Fine, silky fibres which stick to the seeds of the cotton plant after ginning – the process of separating the cotton fibres from the cotton seeds. Cotton paper can be made using cotton linters.

Lithography

A print process that relies on the repellant nature of oil and water. An image is created using oil based material on to a stone or sheet of metal, lightly coated with water and then inked with a roller before an impression is taken on to paper.

This paper is sized in order to resist marker pen bleed. It is bright white and completely smooth. Also well suited to graphite, coloured pencil, wax crayons and other ink based media.

Matt Medium

A clear acrylic based fluid medium that can be used to coat paper to prepare it as a surface for oil and acrylic painting.

The underside of the sheet in production, the mould side is the side of the paper that is formed on the wire mesh side of the mould. It has a slightly more regular texture than the other side, known as the felt side. The felt side is usually the preferred side on which to paint, although it is a question of individual preference.

Thin, light grey paper that is internally and surface sized, but designed for printing gravure on reels. Its acid content causes it to yellow easily, especially if kept in natural daylight. Because of its low cost, newsprint is often favoured for quick disposable sketches and initial proofs in printmaking.

Another term for cold pressed paper. It is made by pressing the sheet through cold metal rollers, and it has a slight texture to it. It is the most popular watercolour paper surface to work on because it is well adapted to many painting approaches. The paint will sink a little into the dimples on the surface of the paper, but it will also be sympathetic to some detailed work. Cold pressed paper tends to be more ab-sorbent than hot pressed paper.

Optical Brighteners (OBAs)

Optical Brightening Agents (or OBAs) are additives that manufacturers may use to make their paper look whiter. Optical brightening agents will fade over time with exposure to UV light, so many manufacturers of archival quality artist papers do not use them.

  Back to top

Paper Fingers

Little folded pieces of paper with which you pick up clean sheets of paper to avoid inky fingermarks. Used mainly when printmaking.

A material similar to thick paper that was used in Egypt at least as far back as the First Dynasty. Made from the pith of the papyrus plant, it was used to make items such as reed boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets. Often thought to be a precursor to modern paper.

A value indicates a materials alkalinity or acidity. Archival paper will be neutral – alkaline; on the pH scale it will measure between 7.5 – 9.5.

The ability of tacky ink to pull up fibres from the surface of the paper.

A plant-based dry matter, comprising carbohydrate polymers and lignin. It is prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, cotton, linen, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemical or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw material used in papermaking as well as other industrial grade paper products.

Another term for Cotton Rag paper.

500 sheets of paper, or 516 when referring to a printer’s ream.

Relief Print

Print process where ink is transferred to paper from the raised edges of a plate, most commonly a carved piece of wood or lino.

Another term to describe the felt side of a sheet of paper, although which side you paint on is a matter of personal preference.

The roughest texture paper available. It is pressed between sheets of textured felt during the drying process. The heavier texture means that granulating (irregular settling of pigment particles) effects are enhanced. This paper surface is not recommended for detailed work and is more suited to bolder, more expressive painting techniques.

The vessel that contains the sizing ingredient when surface sizing paper.

Sizing is used during the manufacture of paper to control its absorbency (internal sizing) and add strength (surface sizing). Papers can be sized internally, with size added to the paper pulp during production. Most hand papermakers use a synthetic chemical called alkyl ketene dimer, which protects and coats each fibre. Sizing can also be applied externally (also called surface or tub sizing), after the paper has been formed, pressed, and dried. Gelatine and wheat starch are more common external sizing options, although egg whites can also be used. The method and amount of sizing depends on what the paper is intended to be used for.

Derived from wheat, rice, and other plants. It is one of the oldest materials for sizing paper, and has been recorded in use by Chinese papermakers as early as A.D. 768. Starch is still used today as a sizing agent for some papers.

A stick of compressed paper with a pencil like point at both ends, ideal for blending coloured pencil or pastel marks or applying dry powdered media with.

A chemical method of producing paper pulp from wood using high heat and sulfur dioxide. The sulfite process was first patented in 1867, but not in wide use until improvements were made in the 1870s-1880s. To produce pulp, wood chips are cooked in a solution of sulfur dioxide dissolved in an alkaline solution (typically a calcium base). The cooking or steaming process produces bisulfite and then monosulfite, which dissolve lignin and hemicellulose. This method produces a bleachable pulp with a high yield, low cost, and high brightness.

A heavy metal straight edge used for tearing down sheets of paper.

A method of correcting an oil painting that has become overloaded with wet paint or oil. Newsprint or kitchen towel is laid over an area of wet oil paint and rubbed down. When lifted it removes excess paint and oil. The benefit to this method contrasted with scraping or wiping the paint away is that you do not lose the composition, a thinner version of it remains. It was named after Henry Tonks, an English painter influenced by the French Impressionists, who taught the technique at the Slade School of Art from 1893 to 1930.

A word used to describe the texure of paper. Paper with a heavy tooth will be heavily textured, and have a greater ability to hold drawn marks in place. Tooth increases the degree of friction between surface and drawing or painting material, causing more colour to the applied to the surface. Consequently heavy toothed papers tend to have the ability to show a wider tonal range as well as deeper colour saturation. Papers with less tooth are suited to finer detail and crisp drawn lines.

The creation of an edge by tearing the paper as opposed to cutting. A torn edge can compliment a true deckle, often found on two edges of a sheet of handmade paper.

A tortillion is a hollow tube of tightly-rolled paper which can be used to blend charcoal, pastel or pencil drawings. It is used in much the same way as a paper stump, but is slightly sharper at the tip and is therefore less suitable for blending large areas.

True Deckle

The actual deckle formed as the paper slurry slips between mould and deckle, this is as opposed to a torn edge that can mimic a deckle.

The paper sheet is passed through a vat of size after the sheet has formed, in printmaking usually a soft surface size to assist ink holdout, or in watercolour to prevent paint from sinking into the paper too readily.

UV Resistance

The exposure of paper to ultraviolet light can cause lignins to break down to form acid, which can either bleach or darken the appearance of the paper. No paper is entirely lightfast and so in order to protect paper from the harmful effects of UV light it is advisable to keep it behind UV resistant glass, or away from sunlight, in a portfolio for example.

Vellum Surface and Vellum Finish

Distinguished from vellum paper which is an historic translucent paper made of calfskin or its modern vegetable vellum replacement, a vellum finish is a texture on the surface of paper to give it a moderate tooth and a subtle, even surface of peaks and valleys similar to the fine texture of an eggshell. The term ‘vellum surface’ is sometimes used by pastel paper makers to describe a more deeply dimpled surface.

Virgin Fibre

Fibre derived from a source not previously used for papermaking; not recycled.

A paper without any sizing, usually for use with oil based printing inks.

A watermark is an image that identifies the manufacturer of the paper. It is created by changes in the thickness of the paper, light being able to pass through thinner areas, so that when a paper with a watermark is held to light, the image can be seen. Watermarks are made during the sheet formation process.

Wet Strength

The description of how much strength a paper retains when completely soaked with water.

Wood-free Paper

Paper made from a wood-based chemical pulp rather than mechanical pulp, which is not as susceptible to yellowing as paper containing mechanical pulp. Confusingly wood-free is an abbreviation of ‘groundwood-free’, and is a term only used for wood pulp paper.

Wove Finish

A completely smooth paper surface.

Yupo is a bright white synthetic paper, free from animal products, plant fibres, and 100% recyclable. It is made from heated poly-propylene pellets, extruded to form the layers of paper and then stretched using a cross direction technique called biaxial orientation. This process means that Yupo paper is exceptionally strong, tear-resistant and has an incredibly smooth surface. There is no need to stretch, soak or prepare synthetic paper in any way before working as it is naturally buckle-free and remains perfectly flat. The smooth non-porous surface can be used with a combination of media, including watercolour, gouache, alcohol ink, acrylic paint, monotype, offset printing, debossing, oil pastel, graphite and silkscreen and crayon.

Shop Paper at jacksonsart.com

Lisa Takahashi

Lisa Takahashi has been a contributor to the blog since 2013 and a Jackson's team member since 2006. Her love of art materials spans oils, watercolours, acrylics and relief print techniques. Alongside her writing she regularly exhibits her artwork, and teaches linocut and painting in Bristol and Somerset.

You Might Like

In Conversation with Pete Cole of Gamblin

Pete Cole, president and owner of Gamblin, visited the Jackson’s studio to ...

On September 18th 2024 by Clare McNamara

The Mental Health Benefits of Creating Art

The mental health benefits of creating art vary for each artist. These ...

On September 9th 2024 by Lisa Takahashi

How We Collaborate With Artists

At Jackson’s, we love to collaborate with artists. In this article, we ...

On August 8th 2024 by Emily Harman

Jackson’s Facebook Groups

We created Jackson’s Facebook Groups to create an art community group for ...

On June 25th 2024 by Emily Harman

Latest Posts

Inside the Sketchbook of Bridget Meyne

Igor Bitman: Elaborate Figures

Understanding Safety Data Sheets for Art Materials

Georgia Green: Slightly Surreal Scenes

Popular tags, jacksons_art.

Newsletter Sign Up

© JACKSON'S ART SUPPLIES 2009-2024 | COOKIES POLICY | JACKSON'S ART SUPPLIES, 1 FARLEIGH PLACE, LONDON N16 7SX 020 7254 0077

• Art Technique
• New & Offers
• Shop Online

© 2009-2019 Jackson's Art Supplies

How To Write a Term Paper: A Guide That Works

30 June, 2020

16 minutes read

Author:  Mathieu Johnson

Once you’ve started your university career, you are going to be asked to present a term paper. What’s the difference between a term paper and a research paper? How can you write a good term? What’s the best way to structure it? Where can you find some tips to make the writing process faster? In this article, we’ll discuss a few tips to help you prepare a term paper quickly and professionally.

What Is a Term Paper… And What Is The First Step?

A term paper is a critical and analytical report on the topic or subject that you covered within the course of studies. It usually consists of two separate but equally important aspects: your own thoughts about the topic and a demonstration of your understanding of the existing literature. The main goal of this assignment is to summarize the material you learned and showcase your understanding of the topic. This aspect makes the term paper a universal instrument for assessing a student’s proficiency. It also explains why term papers cost so many points of your course grade.

We usually associate a term paper with a research paper , but although the concepts are quite similar, a research paper requires a more academic approach and a deeper investigation into the literature of your field of study.

To write an outstanding college term paper, you must understand that your professor has requested it in order to test your analytical thinking skills. You must collect relevant data, analyze it, and then make a summary or solve a particular problem. Such skills are highly relevant to the business world, so this type of the task is as practical as it is educational.

So, let’s start the preparation!

Before you begin writing

Unfortunately, there is no magical recipe that allows you to get everything done fast. You will need to choose the best way forward in whatever situation you find yourself, but here are some tips to help you prepare for the assignment.

To begin with, take the research stage seriously . Sometimes, when students are really interested in a topic, they only want to present their personal ideas about the problem. Unfortunately, if you’re not completely familiar with all the data from the various sources, you will need to reinvent the bicycle.

Term paper writing was never an easy ride. Well, not for our expert writers. Place an order with our term paper writing service and secure yourself an “A!”

In the initial stages of your research, investigate everything you can find on the topic . This may sound like a tall order, but you’ll find that it doesn’t actually entail that much reading. At this point you are only compiling the research, so you will be skimming through numerous prospects rather than reading them completely. Bear in mind that your aim is to get acquainted with the various aspects of your problem. The term paper summarizes the knowledge you gained within a course and requires to familiarize yourself with the research that other people have already made on your topic.

Thinking that your opinions are completely original and unique is quite egocentric, and it can get you into trouble. So, “your” thoughts about the problem are usually just somebody else’s statements that you have rephrased (or even a well-established academic concept!). Remember that your professor will be familiar with all the literature surrounding the issue: if you merely rewrite someone else’s thoughts and present them as your own (even if you don’t realize doing it), be prepared for criticism!

Applying a Structure To Your Term Paper

Once you have read all the leading authors and their approaches to your problem, it’s time to create a structure for your work. This is not yet an outline; you just need to decide what to write about. Sketch out the topic for the theoretical portion of your work and think about practical aspects and how you can approach the research in the best possible way.

At this point, you really need to call or email your supervisor . Your professor will have seen hundreds of term papers like yours (i.e., they have not yet been written, but a definite idea exists!) and will be prepared to give you feedback and advice. He or she will tell you what literature you have omitted, offer suggestions about what you should read, and give you feedback about your paper. It may well be that your approach has already occurred to somebody else, in which case there is no need to repeat it.

Choosing a Topic: Easy as Riding a Bike?

When you choose your topic, make sure you choose something that you are interested in . That’s our advice if you want a painless term paper. If you prefer to investigate a field that you’ve never really explored before, you can challenge yourself to do that, too. That might be sophisticated, but why not?

If you decide to investigate a topic or a problem that you are pretty familiar with, your writing will be more fluid. You will focus your attention on a specific aspect of the chosen field and expand your knowledge within that scope. On the contrary, choosing an unfamiliar subject matter can wash out your expertise.

Be prepared to change the topic if you find out that your research isn’t going anywhere. It might occur that you presuppose that your topic has a potential but somewhere at the stage of initial research, you find that it just won’t work. It’s always a good idea to consider two or three topics when you kick off the term paper writing – even if they are just different ways of examining the same problem. By doing this, you will be able to choose the best version, which may not be the one you started with at all!

Related Post: 100 Persuasive essay topics

Formulating a Thesis statement

Writing a proper thesis statement can also be challenging. To begin with, write down a couple of prominent ideas or concepts, then try to make rough drafts of them to see how they’ll work in the structural framework. You will probably find that one idea fits your style, interests, and knowledge base: you can choose that one as your thesis statement.

Remember that the thesis statement is the skeleton, the central concept of your paper. It is the elemental attribute of almost any academic paper – from master’s thesis to a simple five paragraph essay. If you do a thorough job on it, you will find that writing (and defending!) your argument is much easier.

Be aware that all of these stages are parts of a procedure – one leads to another. When writing a term paper, you should collect the material and wrap it up at the same time.

Planning – The Key To Success

Some people claim that they can write a term paper without any planning. In our opinion, this is impossible. If you don’t have a postgraduate degree and you aren’t a certified genius, you need to prepare an outline for your project. It may come as a surprise, but even people who claim otherwise actually prepare outlines – in their heads. But if you don’t have that much experience, use a pencil and your notebook to ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Don’t procrastinate on your College or University papers anymore. Get professional help with our essay writer !

That’s when we get to preparing your first draft . There’s only one thing to add here: do as many drafts as you need in order to achieve your goal. Understand that your aim is to create an excellent term paper and keep working at it until you are satisfied.

Term Paper Outline: Write Everything In The Proper Section!

In the Introduction , state the topic that you are going to investigate and the context of your work. This is the critical ‘selling’ moment of your work. In a nutshell, your introduction combined with a conclusion should give a sneak peek into what the whole paper is about. If your introduction is well-prepared, it will be quite complacent about the body of your project. The introduction must include an abstract that presents your thesis statement . You should explain your motivation (why should the reader be concerned about this problem?) , your methods (what scientific tools did you use?) , and the results (what you achieved) .

The Literature Review totally corresponds to its name – it is here to review the literature you compiled. Your professor will double check it to make sure that you understand the context of your argument. One more thing to add is: collect all the information you can! Ideally, you should read or at least glance through every book and author that you can find on the topic. Think of your task as a fascinating journey: if you approach it like that, reading hundreds of pages won’t seem like that much of a challenge.

In the Discussion , you must present the interpretations of the problem. Be honest, explain what you pieces of data you don’t agree with and what ideas and concepts you support. This section connects the dots between theory and practice when writing a term paper. Wherever possible, provide several interpretations of the subject matter, then choose the one(s) that are most relevant to the case you are presenting.

In the Body , focus on those arguments that prove your thesis statement. This section must be absolutely logical. If you have chosen a more complicated topic, use heading and sub-headings to improve the appearance of this section. While writing the body, keep your target audience (your professors) in mind. In other words, don’t just record the obvious causes/effects/solutions but also showcase your own findings – what you have discovered and how that proves your thesis statement. Demonstrate that you are familiar with the details and you will stun your readers with the prolific mastery of the topic.

Now, the Conclusion   is her to summarize both the content and the purpose of the paper. The most challenging part is not to make it too dry. Reiterate your thesis statement and briefly show how your results justified your proposition. At the very end, you can suggest a call to action or pose a rhetorical question or statement that leaves your reader wanting more.

What to do next?

When you have finished, reread your work a couple of times. You will almost certainly find a few faults, whether they are contextual, factual, syntactical, grammatical, or even simple spelling mistakes. A very useful tip is to wait for two or three days after writing your final draft to proofread it afterward. Your brain will have time to process the information, and you’ll be able to look at it with a fresh view.

When proofreading, take care to polish the structural problems. The skeleton (the logic and the thesis statement) should make sense. If they don’t, try to approach the problem from another perspective. The changes may take some time, but bear in mind that your objective is to produce professional work. Be patient!

After that, print the term paper. The human eye processes information differently on the paper than on a computer screen; that’s why you need to print it and take one final look for any possible mistakes. Even if you don’t see any serious defects, pay attention to formatting, punctuation, and synonyms. It’s an academic text, so make it shine!

Term Paper Sample

Be sure to check the sample of a term paper, completed by our writers. Use it as an example to perfect your own writing. Link:  Term Paper Sample: Consumer Buying Behavior .

The Do’s and Don’ts of Term Paper Writing

There you have the most important tips to help you succeed in writing a term paper. Now it’s up to you to stop reading and start writing!

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Tate's online glossary is designed to explain and illuminate some of the art terminology you will find on our website

Featured Art Terms

Performance art.

Artworks that are created through actions performed by the artist or other participants, which may be live or recorded, spontaneous or scripted

Pre-Raphaelite

The Pre-Raphaelites were a secret society of young artists (and one writer), founded in London in 1848. They were opposed to the Royal Academy’s promotion of the ideal as exemplified in the work of Raphael

Impressionism

Impressionism developed in France in the nineteenth century and is based on the practice of painting out of doors and spontaneously ‘on the spot’ rather than in a studio from sketches. Main impressionist subjects were landscapes and scenes of everyday life

Land art or earth art is art that is made directly in the landscape, sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in the landscape using natural materials such as rocks or twigs

Browse 461 Art Terms

a Abbaye de Créteil

Established in 1906, the Abbaye de Créteil was a group of French writers, artists and composers who were inspired by …

Baroque was the dominant style in art and architecture of the seventeenth century, characterized by self-confidence, dynamism and a realistic …

c Cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse)

Cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse) is a collaborative drawing approach first used by surrealist artists to create bizarre and intuitive drawings

Dada was an art movement formed during the First World War in Zurich in negative reaction to the horrors and …

An edition is a copy or replica of a work of art made from a master. It commonly refers to …

f Fairy painting

Fairy painting is particularly associated with the Victorian period, art that depicts fairies and other subjects from the supernatural

g Generative art

Generative art is art made using a predetermined system that often includes an element of chance – is usually applied …

h Hackney Flashers

Hackney Flashers was a women’s arts collective active between 1974 and 1980. Most of the group were photographers and defined …

i Iconography

The iconography of an artwork is the imagery within it

j Japonisme

Japonisme is a French term coined in the late nineteenth century to describe the craze for Japanese art and design …

k Khartoum School

The Khartoum School was a modernist art movement formed in Sudan in 1960 that sought to develop a new visual …

l Laboratoire Agit’Art

Founded in Dakar in 1974, Laboratoire Agit’Art was a revolutionary and subversive art collective that sought to combine traditional African …

m Magic realism

The term magic realism was invented by German photographer, art historian and art critic Franz Roh in 1925 to describe …

Les Nabis were a group of post-impressionist French painters active from 1888–1900 whose work is characterised by flat patches of …

o Objective abstraction

The term objective abstraction refers to a non-geometric style of abstract art developed by a group of British artists in …

p Painterly

Painterly refers to the application of paint in a 'loose' or less than controlled manner, resulting in the appearance of …

r Rayograph

Photographic prints made by laying objects onto photographic paper and exposing it to light

Originally the name of the official art exhibitions organised by the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (Académie Royale …

Tableau is used to describe a painting or photograph in which characters are arranged for picturesque or dramatic effect and …

u Underground art

First used in relation to the cultural phenomenon of the 1960s and early 1970s where groups of artists, writers and …

v Vanishing point

The point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge

w War artists

War artists are artists who are commissioned through an official scheme to record the events of war

y Young British Artists (YBAs)

The label Young British Artists (YBAs) is applied to a loose group of British artists who began to exhibit together …

Group of artists who practised a form of kinetic art using light and motion

0-9 43 Group

43 Group was a modern art movement formed in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1943 by a group of …

Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning

(58 reviews)

Pamela Sachant, University of North Georgia

Peggy Blood, Savannah State University

Jeffery A LeMieux, Brunswick, GA

Copyright Year: 2016

Publisher: University of North Georgia Press

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Eddy Mora, Faculty, Johnson County Community College on 5/8/22

Very comprehensive touching on subjects required not only to understand art but design as well. Topics were related to visual communication, visual literacy, and meaning. I love that the author does not stop at aesthetics but follows with cultural... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Very comprehensive touching on subjects required not only to understand art but design as well. Topics were related to visual communication, visual literacy, and meaning. I love that the author does not stop at aesthetics but follows with cultural and societal values.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Having studied art for the last 30 years I can recognize the subject in reference and it appears to be accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Very relevant. I loved the introduction to the text because it makes it relevant to current and future generations of students, linking image use to cultural context and meaning.

Clarity rating: 5

Very clear and easy to follow and understand.

Consistency rating: 5

I like the sequential consistency of the text.

Modularity rating: 5

Very easy to pick up were left off.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book is very relevant in the progression of topics. I love how is organized. The organization logic could help teachers focused on specific topics.

Interface rating: 5

Beautiful interface put together and easy to follow. Very well documented with images and captions.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors that I found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is very inclusive culturally. I liked how it helps the reader travel through continents with different styles, modes, histories, and artists.

I would recommend this book not only for its relevance to art history or fine art students but also to use with graphic design students. The many topics touched such as art structure, materials relevancy, communication, art analysis, and design formalities are more needed in design now more than ever, especially in face of the open cultural globalization our youth is experiencing.

Reviewed by Monika Meler, Assistant Professor of Art and Foundations Coordinator, University of Saint Francis on 12/30/21

This book is a good and comprehensive text outlining themes and ideas. I see the audience for this text being complete beginners. It focuses less on formal principles and elements and tackles larger, more comprehensive themes like defining art,... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book is a good and comprehensive text outlining themes and ideas. I see the audience for this text being complete beginners. It focuses less on formal principles and elements and tackles larger, more comprehensive themes like defining art, audience, and really large and complex ideas like identity, and power. Because it is a large survey textbook, these topics are not discussed in depth but do offer a brief introduction. The text does have a lot of questions at the end of chapters that would spark great conversation about these topics from beginning students. I don't mean to suggest that the book doesn't discuss elements and principles, but not nearly in as much depth as the textbook we use for foundations courses currently. I would use portions of this book for a 2D, 3D, or beginning drawing class, but it would not be an accurate replacement text for an intro/foundations course. For instance, the chapter on "describing art" would be very applicable to introduce students to critique. There are great examples of formal analysis that would be excellent to start the process of critique with.

The content of the book is very accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

This is tricky to evaluate because this book is extremely relevant to beginning students. I could see this book being used in an art appreciation class or a class for non-majors not looking to go very deep. In our program, we teach a series of 1 credit beginning seminars for art majors that introduce them to different areas of study in studio art, audience, content, materials, and meaning. If I have the opportunity to teach one of these classes, I will definitely be pulling parts of this book. As you know, I am a fan of the "Describing Art" chapter and foresee using the "Connecting Art to Our Lives" chapter in the class as well as "Meaning on Art" in the courses.

My vote of "3" here is because of the lack of cultural diversity in the art that is represented and the fact that there are very few examples of more contemporary art. The examples are very European and this is why I would not use this as the sole text for any class. I would need to supplement with more contemporary/culturally diverse perspectives. Contemporary artists are mentioned, but few visual examples are used.

I think the book is very clear and consistent and believe that it communicates well to a beginning audience.

The book is very consistent. I like that each chapter begins with a section on "learning outcomes" and concludes with a review of key concepts. If your course includes tests or quizzes, this consistent structure would make it easier to construct the texts/quizzes and would serve as a nice study guide for students.

I addressed some of this in the "consistency" review above but this is one of the books biggest strengths. It is very easy to pull just one part of the book and teach from sections. The sections do no depend on the student having knowledge of previous chapters/sections.

As I have mentioned in previous points, this is a strength of the book.

There are no interface/navigation problems. I am impressed with the quality of images used.

I do not see any grammar issues.

Cultural Relevance rating: 1

This is one of the major issues I see with the book and I mentioned that in the points above. Other reviewers have also mentioned the lack of focus on cultural inclusion/diversity. If this book is to be used as a sole text for any course, it would have to be much more inclusive.

Reviewed by Christine Shearer, Adjunct Professor, Cleveland State University on 7/11/21

The book is a good resource for a basic art appreciation course that plans to focus more on topics and themes and less on formal qualities. Most of the examples are of a Western focus and provide a very Eurocentric viewpoint. There is a lack of... read more

The book is a good resource for a basic art appreciation course that plans to focus more on topics and themes and less on formal qualities. Most of the examples are of a Western focus and provide a very Eurocentric viewpoint. There is a lack of female representation, both as maker and patron, providing a male-centric focus—a common occurrence in art historical textbooks.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The images are great examples; however, they do not include any information that most professors would include in their lectures and PowerPoints—artist, title, date, medium, location.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

For a survey it has relevance, but it is not relevant for an upper division art history course. The book does not include much material post-1960, lacks representation beyond Europe and Western civilization, and is light on female contributions.

The template of the book is clear, nicely designed, and consistent. The writers have expressed their ideas in easy-to-understand language and have provided images and/or links to images to expand the learning experience visually. At the beginning of each chapter there is a list of learning objectives, and at the end of each chapter there is a review of key concepts, a test yourself section, and key terms.

The book is arranged thematically throughout, and the format is the same for each chapter.

Each chapter is broken down into subsections that are easy to pull out and assign in a different order than they are presented or as part of another course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The organization of the book is by theme. It is structured to cover what is art and how to make art in the beginning chapters and then progresses through different forms before landing on specific themes. It can be used as presented or re-arranged to fit another format.

There are hyperlinks that are a little long. These could perhaps by converted to bitly links to make it less distracting when you come across them in the text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

There are a few grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

As stated above, the book is heavily Eurocentric and focused on Western art. Very little material on women and post-1960 is included within that focus as well. It does not include non-Western art and culture which is often lacking from many art historical texts. Sections could be used for supplementing material in other courses, but overall, it is a good source for an introductory art appreciation course.

Reviewed by David Chatfield, Adjunct Instructor, Community College of Aurora on 5/24/21

This text is not especially comprehensive. The first, and the most egregious example is the lack of historical and cultural contexts, normally found in the form of sections on art history. The authors attempt to embed art history into... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 2 see less

This text is not especially comprehensive.

The first, and the most egregious example is the lack of historical and cultural contexts, normally found in the form of sections on art history. The authors attempt to embed art history into sections on material, Formal Elements, and Themes in Art, but it lacks a lot of context.  This is especially the case when it comes to representation in non-western cultures. While I understand it is difficult to represent all cultures in dedicated chapters in this kind of text, and while I like the idea of embedding art history into other sections, they do not provide enough historical context and non-western cultures. One can choose a select group of representative cultures that demonstrate the relevant ideas that can give the students the structure and critical thinking skills needed to analyze the omitted cultures.  Exposure to other cultures and other contexts is essential to developing empathy, essential in developing critical thinking skills when considering new and unfamiliar contexts.

Finally, while it is fairly comprehensive in describing other ideas, like materials, Formal vocabulary, and themes it's not very comprehensive on the application of those ideas. 

Content Accuracy rating: 3

While the content seems accurate, it is not unbiased. As stated above this text is pretty typical in so far as the overrepresentation of Western cultures (and cultures generally accepted by the Western Canon like Egypt or China) in textbooks. This shows a bias toward an outdated Eurocentric viewpoint.

The content is not up-to-date. As an example, in the chapter on Protest and Shock, the most recent example is from 2001. There is a plethora of protest art from recent years, for example, BLM to the continued LGBTQ+ rights movements.

Though the text does include some contemporary artists, like Mel Chin, the examples are outdated.

The text also has at least 2 outdated links to image examples. Relying on links to other sources does not ensure longevity as the web is ever-changing. One could PDF the source and include that, or just include the images directly.

Clarity rating: 2

This text is pretty academic/inaccessible in its prose and doesn't provide much context for the terminology. For example, in the description of the often confusing Complimentary Colors, the authors state: "There is a slight delay between the depletion and restoration of this chemical supply within the neuron. In the interim, an afterimage occurs. Look at the green, orange, and black flag for 10 seconds, then look at a blank wall or empty white space. (Figure 2.52) For a few moments, you will see the complement, or opposite, of green (red), the complement of orange (blue), and the complement of black (white)..."

This idea is deceptively hard to teach, and even experienced art students are confused by Complimentary Colors. Describing chemical reactions and neurons might require one to explain what neurons are as well as what color wavelengths are on top of the cultural specificity of color and so-on and so-on only to additionally complicate a complicated idea, when what the student's need to know is how Complimentary Colors behave visually in contrast to Harmonious Colors, and why that is important to an artist. Compliments clash, while Harmonies don't.

Consistency rating: 4

The text is fairly consistent in its terminology and seems to be organized by an overall framework, starting with the vocabulary, then materials, then finally themes of Art. I would like to see more ties between the different sections using the vocabulary. For example, in the earlier section on the Formal Elements and the later section on visual analysis, the vocabulary used in the early section isn't brought forward in a clear and consistent way. 

Modularity rating: 4

The text is modular, with sections delineated out into broader ideas that are then explored specifically, that can be viewed independently if needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

As stated above the text is well organized. Looking at the table of contents one can easily find specific ideas and jump to them using the page number feature. That being said, it would be far more intuitive and accessible if the sections in the table of contents linked directly to their corresponding sections.

Interface rating: 2

Though this text has some accessibility problems.

As to the interface, I have been able to copy and paste text easily, making me think the text accessible to an eReader. I'd like to see how this text works with an eReader for visually impaired or neuro-divergent students. As of now, I do not see an option for the text to be read within this interface requiring a third-party eReader.

The images are small and cannot be enlarged or opened in another tab. Being able to zoom in helps students interact with the work in a more intimate way. This is also a huge problem for visually impaired students.

There are several broken links, and I've found that the PDF takes a lot of time to load, even on a stable internet connection. This could be problematic if a user's computer or internet connection is slow. Could the sections be broken into smaller, linkable sectons?

Beyond a few links, the user experience is limited.

As best as I can tell there are or no grammatical or spelling errors. Though I'm no editor.

I did a keyword search and found a striking lack of non-Western Art. Renaissance is mentioned 30 times, while Africa/African: 8, Mesoamerica: 0, Aztec: 3, Mayan: 1. Aboriginal: 2, Pacific Island: 1, and so on. A cursory glance at the imagery is equally unrepresentative. I mostly see artwork from movements typically seen in Eurocentric Textbooks that dominate Academia (or cultures like Egypt or China, generally accepted into the Western Canon). The purpose of seeking out an OER is to move away from these types of texts. This lack of representation is highly problematic.

As to Higher Order Learning skills, specifically analysis/evaluation, I don't see enough in the text on how to analyze a work of art. They simply include a brief section with only two images and all too brief corresponding paragraphs of academic visual analysis. I don't see many connections to previous sections on the vocabulary used in visual analysis. The authors academically explain an idea, or a theme, but give the students much opportunity to apply those ideas.

A good book should lay the groundwork first on the necessary ideas, concepts, and vocabulary. When a student gets to the analysis in this book I don't think they would be prepared to understand the analysis the authors provide.

Then they need to have an immediate opportunity to apply those ideas. I realize this is part of my job, however, a good text does add exercises the authors find relevant to their text. My assignments may not be enough. At any rate, it's nice for the students to have additional options for the application of ideas.

This text also does not contain enough modalities in presenting the information. There are no supplemental videos, hands-on projects, or audio components. Just providing text and pictures is not enough. This particular text would require me to heavily supplement information, in which case I might as well toss the text and curate content that comes from multiple modalities myself.

Finally, quizzes at the end of each section may provide decent quantitative assessments, there is little here to help me provide qualitative assessments. Again, I understand that is my job to provide those opportunities, but I've found good text does as well.

Reviewed by Ines Corujo-Martin, Adjunct Assistant Professor, New York City College of Technology on 5/4/21

This textbook seeks to offer a deep and comprehensive insight into the world of art, including a broad variety of perspectives, such as art and meaning; art and power; art and ethics, among many other subjects. It contains over 400 high-quality... read more

This textbook seeks to offer a deep and comprehensive insight into the world of art, including a broad variety of perspectives, such as art and meaning; art and power; art and ethics, among many other subjects. It contains over 400 high-quality images that illustrate the various forms of art, its technical applications, and its many uses. The table of contents seems detailed at first, but a closer look reveals the lack of logical and coherent progression. While Chapters 1 and 2 analyze the meaning of visual art, what is an artist, and the structure of art, Chapter 3 jumps into the study of materials, introducing jargon and technical terms that belong to an art history or more specialized course. Chapters 4 and 5, which respectively explore “Describing Art” and “Meaning in Art,” should have been placed right after Chapter 1, as they cover basic topics and terms. On the other hand, Chapter 7 delves into art in architecture, while other forms of art like painting, sculpture, or photography are neglected and find no space of deep analysis in the textbook. Overall, the content is imbalanced and needs more work, as well as the inclusion of updated materials and examples. Relevant chapters that could introduce thought-provoking and add new perspectives into the classroom (e.g., Chapter 8: Art and Identity; Chapter 9: Art and Power) are brief in comparison to other sections and offer a superficial and simplistic overview on very complex topics. For example, the authors do not illustrate the relationship between art and the construction of intersectional identities of race, gender, nationality, and ethnicity, mainly centering on religious and spiritual values (Chapter 6 and Chapter 10). Although each chapter ends with a section of "Key Terms," there is no glossary or list of illustrations at the end of the textbook. It includes footnotes citing the references employed, but there is no final bibliography, which is detrimental for an introductory college textbook that should provide a condensed view of documentation in the field. This textbook is inaccurately described online as “digital in nature,” when it takes on a conventional approach to teaching and learning. The only digital component is the inclusion of links embedded throughout the text, most of which are not contextualized. Some of these links do not work, and others send students to artworks with poor image quality. The textbook as a whole fails to provide digital activities and/or projects to expand students’ educational experiences beyond the textbook, helping them master concepts (i.e., quizlets, flashcards, videos, interactive images, etc.). It does not contain learning features like annotate and bookmark, which increase engagement with course content. Besides, there is no way to monitor students’ progress. It would have been useful to incorporate review, summary, and expansion activities at the end of the chapters, in addition to self-quizzes, to enhance student performance and facilitate the grasp of content.

The images do not include information on the artist, title, size, medium, date, and museum/collection of the works of art, and the emphasis is solely placed on the open source. Names of artists are sometimes misspelled and show no consistency like Vassily Kandinsky instead of Wassily Kandinsky (p.106).

As previously noted, this textbook takes on a traditional approach both in content and format, failing to add innovative insights to the art field. It mostly focuses on the pre-1960s period, and there is a notable absence of contemporary art, non-Western cultures, and art produced by female artists and people of color. There is barely no discussion of subculture art, urban art, or popular art, and the importance given to museums for the dissemination of art is minimal. There are stances in which the authors delve into topics that seem irrelevant to an introductory art course. For instance, the emphasis on the cultural value of materials (Chapter 3) seems very off-topic and, as already mentioned, should belong to an art history or material culture course. In contrast, relevant ongoing topics like digital art and the relationship between art and technology, often students’ favorite section, should be organized as a separate chapter instead of inserting disconnected and vague references throughout the text. The textbook does not provide enough opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking. This aspect could have been polished by designing exercises to analyze the works of art presented or by adding case studies on current and relevant artistic activities to interpret practical scenarios. To give an example, the eleventh chapter--"Art and Ethics"--could be greatly improved by introducing recent articles and real-world examples to explore ethical dilemmas related to the concepts of intellectual property, collecting, and censorship.

Clarity rating: 4

Overall, the language is clear and accessible, except for instances in which the authors use jargon and obscure terminology not appropriate for an introductory art course. Some of these technical words are not even included in the "Key Terms" sections at the end of each chapter, forcing the readers to figure it out by themselves and confusing students who might have little or no background in art.

The template used is consistent through the chapters. There is consistency regarding structure, framework, and terminology.

Each of the eleven chapters that comprise the textbook are organized into topics followed by subsections that are meant to connect back to the main theme. All chapters start off with a section of "Learning Outcomes," summarizing the learning objectives that should be attained at the end. After this, an introductory part provides background and presents the main themes and ideas that will be covered. The constant inclusion of rhetorical questions throughout the text allows students to reflect on their own learning process and to recognize the impact of art in their daily lives. Moreover, each chapter ends with two conclusive sections: "Before You Move On" and "Key Terms." The first one gives a list of discussion prompts to test the knowledge gained so far and to connect the content to students’ personal experiences. These self-reflection questions are particularly useful to engage students in their knowledge-building process and can be easily assigned to discuss in small groups during class or adapted for online forums to extend the exchange of views beyond the classroom.

There is no introduction/preface in which the authors explain the structure they follow, their educational goals or the relevance and application of the content in this textbook. Having a preface at the beginning of the textbook is useful to specify and give more information on the intended audience, as well as the educational level for which it is recommended (although we assume it is addressed to introductory college/university courses on visual art, art history, and art appreciation). There are no suggestions for planning the course and using the textbook in the classroom. This lack of pedagogical guidance could be greatly improved in the future.

Interface rating: 4

This is an aspect that needs improvement, as many of the links do not work or the linked images and pages are missing. In other cases, when referring to previously discussed images, the labeling tends to be incorrect. It is frustrating that the links within the body of the text are so long and that they are not enclosed with a period, which distracts the reader. Other than that, navigation through the text is straightforward and the text is clearly displayed.

The text does not include grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

The approach of this textbook is clearly Eurocentric and Westernized, leaving out examples of art from Africa, Latin America, indigenous tribes, or any other non-Western culture. The only part in which the authors make some explicit references to other cultures (in this case Asian) takes place is Chapter 10 on "Art and Ritual Life"; however, this discussion occurs within the framework of Western themes. The vast majority of artworks in the textbook display white men and, as mentioned elsewhere in this review, there is no representation of female artists or people of color. This omission of diversity is problematic and one of its main downfalls. Art is one of the most powerful mediums to educate others on issues of inclusivity, social justice, and cultural sensitivity, which is key to forming well-rounded, global citizens. This textbook perpetuates a white-male-dominant perspective, following the typical works of art found within the canon of Western Art History. It is highly recommended that the authors revise the selection of pictures, citations, and examples to represent diverse cultures, races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. In this respect, it is noteworthy to mention that the eighth chapter on the subject "Art and Identity" is one of the shortest and most superficial ones (in comparison, for example, to the previous chapter devoted to architecture that occupies more than 30 pages). The chapter "Art and Identity" provides over simplified conceptions of what cultural identity means (and constantly from a Westernized perspective) and misses out the fertile intersection of art with gendered and racialized identities over the course of history.

This textbook is not recommended as the main reference material or as a tool for organizing the course structure due to all the weaknesses in regard to content, structure, and cultural relevance detailed in this review. However, some of its sections can be incorporated into already prepared lessons, in particular Chapter 1, 4, 5, and 11, which from my perspective are the strongest. The textbook is not overly self-referential and some parts can be easily used as a supplemental material in combination with other educational resources.

Reviewed by Meidor Hu, Professor, Hawaii Community College on 4/23/21

This text is a comprehensive survey of ideas and subjects— theoretically and historically, similar to other text for an introduction to visual arts course. A wide variety of artistic media styles, time periods, and regions are covered, mostly with... read more

This text is a comprehensive survey of ideas and subjects— theoretically and historically, similar to other text for an introduction to visual arts course. A wide variety of artistic media styles, time periods, and regions are covered, mostly with examples from Western art. Love the "Test Yourself" and "Key Terms" section at the end. It is lacking an index and glossary at the end of the text. I can see how this text can be easily incorporated with my previously prepared lessons. 

The text reads unbiased and highly accurate. Although the image examples left out info on size, media, date and location of the art work.

The text is current but could give more focus on art since the 1960s and inclusion of more women artists.

The writing is clear and easy to read. The "Test Yourself" section at the end of each chapter is a great addition to check for understanding.

There is consistency in the logical structure and presentation.

The chapters and subheadings are logical. Each chapter opens with Learning Outcomes and ends Key Concepts, Test Yourself, and Key Terms sections to check for understanding. The subheadings are in easily digestible sections.

The text's organization is clear in format and structure.

The basic design is clear and non-distracting. The image quality were also good.

No issues with grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

Although the text incorporated examples from different cultural and geological region, the majority of the discussions are Eurocentric in perspective. More attention to Asian, African, Pacific and the Americas would give the content more diversity.

Reviewed by Daniel Vedamuthu, Instructor of Art and Design, Rochester Community & Technical College on 4/1/21, updated 6/1/21

Books for Introduction to Art / Art Appreciation courses usually cover some standard topics: the definition of art, materials used to make, the elements of art and the principles of design, reasons for creating art, and methods of formal analysis... read more

Books for Introduction to Art / Art Appreciation courses usually cover some standard topics: the definition of art, materials used to make, the elements of art and the principles of design, reasons for creating art, and methods of formal analysis of art. Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning covers these topics in the appropriate amount of depth. Texts usually then present a thematic, chronological, or cultural history of art. Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning focuses on a thematic approach. Figures often appear without dates. Courses that focus on a chronological approach will find this text lacking. The text lacks a “whole book” glossary of key terms. The Key Terms are found at the end of each chapter. The text includes a Table of Contents but does not have a formal index. This would have a negative impact on a printed version of the text. In the PDF version, searching the text is only a click away.

The text is accurate. One of the most important aspects of accuracy in a text in this subject is ensuring that the Artist, Artwork Name, and Date of Creation are correct. Doing a few random spot checks, when this information is present, the information is correct. Figures are labelled with the source author, source location, and the license. One area the text could improve is the lack of pronunciation guides in the text and in the Key Terms areas.

Being a text covering the thematic history of visual art, the content itself will not go out of date. The lack of contemporary imagery is the biggest drawback to the text, due to licensing of the figures. To include contemporary artwork in the text, links to outside images are provided in the text. Outdated links or redirects could cause the text to become obsolete. I believe it would be helpful to have a section after the copyright page or at the end of the text describing when links have last been updated or revised. However, the text is organizing in such a way that adding new images requires revising the thematic examples throughout the text instead of having to add and reorganize chapters. This is a benefit for adding new contemporary or cultural examples through the text.

The text is very clear. Art terms are clearly explained. Written examples are used to explain difficult terms. Even more importantly, Figures are used to demonstrate the meaning of art terms. When there are contrasting ideas, the text provides multiple Figures to demonstrate those competing ideas and provide instant opportunities for students to discussion about compare-and-contrast between the two figures.

The text is consistent on how it approaches topics. Art terms are using consistently throughout the text.

The text is built to be modular. Each chapter could be assigned in any order, though it’s obvious that the editor has an intended order for reading at the beginning of the text in order to logically introduce readers to the topics. Toward the end of the text, the topics become more thematic, and these chapters could be easily reorganized and adapted. Each Chapter’s main Chapter Content has clear headings and well-defined sub-headings. Each level of heading seem to be good breaking points to create smaller readings or to remix and rearrange the text.

Chapters in the text follow a logical and consistent structure. Each chapter establishes Learning Outcomes (which are meaningfully written), and Introduction, Chapter Content with well-defined subheadings, a conclusion named “Before You Move On” that includes Key Concepts and Chapter Questions, and finally, a list of Key Terms from the Chapter. Chapters build in a logical progression a the beginning of the text.

The real point of concern with any art appreciation text is the quality of the images. The resolution of most images appears to be sufficient for screen and print. Images are no distorted. Navigating the text is easy through PDF Bookmarks.

I observed no grammatical errors in the text.

This book features many examples that vary from the traditional art appreciation “textbook examples.” Images still tend to represent a “western art” perspective. There are examples from a range of different cultures but compared to some of the best commercial textbooks for cultural relevance, this text does compare to those standards. Are there any other comments you would like to make about this book? I am not fond of the typographic and typesetting choices made for the text. Multiple columns of text would reduce some of the very long line lengths found in the text. With a long line length and narrow leading, the lines seem to blend together. Figures do not seem to follow a strict layout grid that enhances the layout of the information. The drop-shadows on Figures are unnecessary. Fake small cap on Chapter names in the Table of Contents isn’t high quality.

Reviewed by Andrea Lepage, Professor of Art History, Washington & Lee University on 12/13/20

The text integrates all of the key areas traditionally covered in an art appreciation course with an emphasis on cultivating an art specific vocabulary and understanding the materials of art. The authors incorporate a wide variety of artistic... read more

The text integrates all of the key areas traditionally covered in an art appreciation course with an emphasis on cultivating an art specific vocabulary and understanding the materials of art. The authors incorporate a wide variety of artistic media, traditions, styles, time periods, and regions into their discussions. The majority of the examples provided are drawn from Western art historical traditions, but the authors also include examples from regions beyond the West—especially China, Japan, and India. The text features some examples from Nigeria, Ghana, and North American indigenous traditions, but greater attention to African, Latin American, Central and South Asian, Oceanic, and indigenous traditions would be welcome. The work of male artists, mostly drawn from the Western art historical canon, dominate the discussions; greater coverage of women artists would also be welcome. The Table of Contents is hyperlinked and clearly organized, and each chapter concludes with an excellent glossary of terms. Including an index would assist students in navigating the book.

The content is mainly accurate throughout the text, with some typographical, spelling, and technical errors (broken links), especially in the second half of the book. As noted below, the text includes some inaccuracies or inconsistencies pertaining to indigenous cultures and artists. On occasion, the authors present controversial viewpoints in a straightforward manner. The 2003 toppling of the Saddam Hussein monument in Baghdad (p. 249) is one example. In a section dedicated to propaganda, the authors make no reference to the controversial nature of this incident, which may have been initiated or manipulated by U.S. military forces for propagandistic purposes.

The text is arranged in such a way that extended discussions and additional examples would be relatively easy to introduce. Updates might include extended discussions about artwork produced by women, indigenous, black, and other artists of color. In some cases, updates might simply expand the discussion around examples already introduced into the text (for example Gee’s Bend quilt maker Lucy Mingo, page 7; Judith Baca’s Great Wall of Los Angeles, pages 23-24; Jaune Quick-to-See Smith’s multi-media work, page 168). Such updates would help to further decenter traditional canonical Western art historical narratives. In addition, references to LGBTQ artists would be a welcome addition, as would including supplementary sections dedicated to contemporary artistic production. The authors have been careful to include discussions of more contemporary art forms like new media and graphic novels, and additional examples would be relatively easy to insert into the text. Discussions of early modern and modern art are already strong.

The text is written in clear and accessible prose. The learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter give readers the necessary information to navigate each chapter. The concluding section in each chapter (“Before You Move On: Key Concepts”) does an excellent job of synthesizing the key points included in each chapter.

The text is arranged thematically rather than chronologically and is internally consistent throughout. Each chapter is well organized and easy to follow with a consistent arrangement that will be especially helpful for students as they study key points presented in the text.

The authors organize the text thematically, rather than chronologically as is the case with many introductory art history textbooks. Each chapter is organized consistently with learning outcomes, an introduction, a series of content sections that could be assigned at different points in the course, followed by a recap section entitled ‘Before You Move On,” and a list of key terms. The key term/glossary sections are extremely useful. In particular, the key terms included in chapter three, “Significance of Materials Used in Art”, provide an excellent and comprehensive glossary of artistic materials. It is easy to imagine students consulting this resource routinely throughout the course. Many of the ‘Test Yourself’ questions included at the end of each chapter could also double as in-class discussion prompts.

The book contains eleven chapters, organized thematically. The chapters cover conceptual questions, including: What is art, who is considered an artist, and why is art powerful (chapters one and nine)? How does art connect to our lives (chapter six), our identity (chapter eight), ritual life (chapter ten), and ethical world views (chapter eleven)? These conceptual discussions bookend chapters focused of the materials of art, and later chapters effectively circle back to themes briefly presented in the introductory chapter.

The remaining chapters provide students with art specific vocabulary and the descriptive and analytical tools to view, discuss, and interpret art and architecture. Chapters two (“The Structure of Art”) and three (“The Significance of Materials Used in Art”) provide students with an excellent and thorough description of the materials of art, which will be especially useful to students without a background in studio art. The authors are careful to include discussions of a wide variety of media including architecture (chapter seven), painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, performance, and new media. Chapters four (“Describing Art”) and five (“Meaning in Art”) provide students with an overview of strategies for formal and contextual analysis.

The Table of Contents provides links to each subsection, which is an effective navigational feature. The artworks and charts embedded in the text are high quality, well placed, and increase reader understanding of the concepts presented. The consistent design layout makes it easy for the reader to shift between image and text. Due to copyright restrictions, however, the authors are unable to include reproductions of all of the artworks discussed in the text. In those instances, the text includes links to the images. Some of the links to artworks are broken or point to sites that will require students to sift through extensive texts or image sets to find the artwork mentioned in the textbook. Along with the artist and title, it would be helpful to include the date, medium, size, and location in the label accompanying each artwork. This is a highly accessible textbook—the authors offer a variety of ways to download the PDF as both low- and high-resolution files, chapter sets (1-3; 4-7; 8-11), and in Japanese translation. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License.

The text does not contain obvious grammatical errors. However, it does contain typographical and spelling errors; accents are omitted at times.

Overall, the text makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. At times, the text misses opportunities to bring the discussion into communication with cultures that flourish beyond the Western world. Greater attention to indigenous cultural specificity is warranted. For example, the authors reference the Aztec Plumed Serpent deity Quetzalcóatl (p. 256) in the context of Chichén Itzá, which is a Maya site located in the Mexican state of Yucatán. However, Kukulcán is the name of the Yucatec Maya deity to which the main temple at Chichén Itzá is dedicated. The authors should reconsider using the word ‘Eskimo’ (p. 270) or explain that ‘Eskimo’ is a designation imposed upon Inuit and Yupik people that has been rejected by Inuit communities for decades. This is one of several instances in which the authors could engage more significantly and critically with histories of settler colonialism. Other opportunities to confront biased Western narratives could occur in the sections focused on mahogany harvesting in the Caribbean (p. 88), Manifest Destiny (p. 161-162), and discussions of transatlantic trade in general. The discussion of Jaune Quick–to–See Smith's (an enrolled Salish member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation) "Montana’s Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People)" presents one such opportunity (p. 168), but both links to her work are broken. Because the artist’s name is misspelled twice in this section, students may encounter difficulties finding a reproduction of the work independently. Similarly, the authors could confront histories of enslavement more frequently, modeling their discussions on the section dedicated to Fred Wilson’s "Mining the Museum" exhibition (p. 289-290).

This text represents an important contribution in the effort to make art and the study of art accessible to students. Undergraduates studying art appreciation will benefit from the accessible prose, clear design layout, and high-quality in-text illustrations.

Reviewed by Julia May, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia on 11/30/20

I would use this text in my art appreciation/visual culture course. I very much appreciate the arrangement of the book, the first section dedicated to the fundamentals of art and the second, to central themes. These aspects provide a solid... read more

I would use this text in my art appreciation/visual culture course. I very much appreciate the arrangement of the book, the first section dedicated to the fundamentals of art and the second, to central themes. These aspects provide a solid foundation for students who will want to know more. It is a sufficient balance of form and meaning, which you don't often see in introductory texts. It is accessible and easy to follow. The embedded hyperlinks to supplemental information is also a unique feature that students will find helpful.

The information is accurate and consistent.

Any updates will be easy to make. I don't see anything going out of date too soon.

The language is clear and accessible. Including glossaries at the end of each chapter is a great way for students to have ready access to key definitions.

The text is consistent.

I feel that the modularity of the text is adequate. The reader should not be overwhelmed by the above elements. Being able to zoom in on the images - is a great feature - they remain very crisp and clear, at least for me.

The authors organized the text effectively, considering the amount of material covered (see above). I appreciate how the authors include a set of learning outcomes at the start of each chapter and have "tests" throughout as well as "key concepts" and glossaries. My only concern is that there is no index, nor is there a bibliography (unless I missed them).

I think the interface is sufficient. I was able to access the material embedded in the hyperlinks. Using hyperlinks to supplemental content is a terrific way for students to obtain details on particular objects. I also like that authors used them judiciously.

I did not see any grammatical errors.

The chapter on art and ritual life serves as an excellent example of presenting the traditions of a variety of cultures in a balanced and respectful manner.

This book is a perfect companion to any college-level art appreciation course - and for today's student. The balance of form and meaning, the inclusion of learning objectives for each chapter, the "tests," and hyperlinks to supplemental material makes it unique and a text I would consider using in my course.

Reviewed by Danielle Bell, Adjunct Professor of Art and Art History, Community College of Aurora on 8/14/20

In reviewing this text, there were many things that I had issues with: 1. The text condenses the discussion on artistic mediums to half a chapter. This does not give students enough time to fully engage with the mediums since there is no context... read more

In reviewing this text, there were many things that I had issues with: 1. The text condenses the discussion on artistic mediums to half a chapter. This does not give students enough time to fully engage with the mediums since there is no context given. 2. There is a whole chapter dedicated to architecture, but only smaller sections within a chapter dedicated to other art mediums, such as painting, printmaking, and drawing. The chapter on architecture could have been condensed so much more and included in the mediums section. 3. In the sections on mediums, the text does not always show examples. For instance, in the printmaking section, they do not show an art example for each process, so the students reading would have no idea what a screen print even looks like. 4. My other issue with chapter 2 is directed at the sections on the elements of art and principles of design. These sections are very rushed. Its information overload. The authors do not spend an adequate amount of time/space on each element. Again, no context is given for each element and its many facets. There needs to be more time given to the elements and principles and more art examples given so that students are better equipped to identify such things when doing a formal analysis. 5. My next issue is that there is no definition of formal analysis given before the authors, in Chapter 4, begin performing a formal analysis on two different works of art. 6. Chapter 4 also has a rather quick, but comprehensive art historical section, but it doesn't really belong in this chapter as its supposed to be about "describing art." 7. The chapter on identity in art is incredibly Eurocentric, and is also is very focused on art before 1900. There is a significant lack of contemporary art discussed in this text.

The content that is presented and discussed is done so accurately and seemingly unbiased.

For the most part, the text is very relevant, especially its chapters on themes in art. However, there are times the authors delve into topics that seem irrelevant to an intro to art text. For instance, Chapter 3 on cultural value of materials is very out of place in this text.

Clarity rating: 3

The book is at times accessible and yet also full of scholarly jargon that is confusing to those not familiar with that type of writing. Throughout the text, the authors "name drop" scholars, art schools, historical figures and events, etc. without providing context. Even the metadata for artworks is always clear as there are times where the text will omit information rather than indicating that the information is unknown.

I encountered some inconsistency in the spelling of artist names. In the text, there are conventional transliterations of artist’s names. For instance, for artist Do Ho Suh, the name is spelled Do Ho Su on page 92, and Wassily Kandinsky is spelled Vasily Kandinsky on page 106.

The text is not overly self-referential and would be easy for any professor to cherry-pick sections to assign to students. I think the strongest chapters in this book that any intro to art class could benefit from are chapters 1, 5, and 11.

The organization of topics is strange and, at times, confusing. One area that really stood out to me as disorganized is found in Chapters 2, 3, and 4. Chapter 2 is titled "Structure of Art", which is already a confusing name for this chapter as the topics range from mediums of art to the elements and principles of art and design. Chapter 3 then gets into the intrinsic value of materials, which already seems of out place in this textbook as it seems like something more relevant to an art history class than an introduction to art class. Finally, in Chapter 4, there is a discussion on formal analysis, which really should have been included in, or put after, chapter 2 since it discussed the elements and principles.

There are a number of links given in the text that do not work and others send students to works of art with low image quality.

I found no grammatical errors in this text.

This text is pretty Eurocentric. While it does have sections where the authors discuss non-Western topics, such as Chapter 10 on ritual life and art, its only in the context of Western themes. African, Mesoamerican, and Native American art are some notable cultures that are either left out or barely discussed.

This is a decent textbook for cherry-picking specific topics from, but all together it is not a great text to use as a tool for creating course structure.

Reviewed by Don Oberheu, Lecturer, Leeward Community College on 7/14/20

The text does an excellent job of covering the areas and ideas that one expects from an introduction to art textbook. The table of contents is clear and provides easy navigation within the text. While there is no glossary at the end of the text,... read more

The text does an excellent job of covering the areas and ideas that one expects from an introduction to art textbook. The table of contents is clear and provides easy navigation within the text. While there is no glossary at the end of the text, there is a chapter-specific glossary at the end of each chapter providing a convenient review of the concepts and terms covered in each chapter.

The content is accurate, error-free, and, with its many comparative references to different cultures and times, very unbiased.

The content is up-to-date and covers all of the mediums, including photography, that one would expect from an introduction to art text. It is written and arranged in such a way that any necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The text is written in organized and well-flowing prose that introduces and explains the ideas, the technical terminology, and the historical flow of the material it covers.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within a course. The text is not overly self-referential. One can cherry-pick whole chapters or sub-sections within a chapter to align with various subunits of a course without presenting much disruption to the reader.

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion.

The interface is the only area of this text that needs some improvement. While the text is not overly self-referential, when it does refer to previously introduced and discussed images, the reference tends to be incorrect. The image referred to does exist however, the given labeling is often incorrect. Likewise, while it is great that the text is peppered with hyperlinks to images on the web, many of the links are not valid. The hyperlinks work, however, the linked images or pages are often missing.

The text contains no grammatical errors.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. In fact, it makes great use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and time periods.

In addition to serving as a textbook for introduction to art courses, this text can also be used in more medium-specific introductory art courses, e.g., Introduction to Digital Photography, to help learners in the courses better understand both composition and the potential role of their own art as it relates to the medium they are learning.

Reviewed by Sandra Clyne, Adjunct Instructor, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/30/20

Although the text provides a detailed analysis of ancient, traditional, and modern visual art, it is notably deficient in its treatment of contemporary (post 1960s) art. This omission would lessen the appeal to college students of this otherwise... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Although the text provides a detailed analysis of ancient, traditional, and modern visual art, it is notably deficient in its treatment of contemporary (post 1960s) art. This omission would lessen the appeal to college students of this otherwise encyclopedic and well reasoned introduction to the critical awareness of visual art.

The text's treatment of anthropological and art historical detail is meticulous.

Art students require a text that provides insight into the revelatory role of visual art within human consciousness. This text is far too pedantic and does not invite exploration and imagination by the students in interpreting the works of art presented.

The text would be quite accessible for undergraduate college or university students. The concepts discussed are adequately introduced and the terms are well defined. The style of writing is quite clear and straightforward.

The text is quite internally consistent, without notable contradictions in its key propositions and theses.

The text is quite clearly divided into chapters and subheadings, and there is a "Key Terms" section at the end of every chapter. However, the text lacks an omnibus glossary and subject index.

The text "flows" from basic to more complex concepts. The text approaches the critical analysis of visual art from distinct perspectives that are clearly signaled by chapter headings.

The display features employed in this text are its beautiful illustrations, which bring to life the adjacent verbal analysis.

The grammar and sentence structure utilized in this text are impeccable.

The text examines visual art from a wide variety of cultures over a range of geographical sites, but is somewhat Eurocentric. More emphasis on African, Asian, South Asian, Native American and Oceanic art would have diversified its approaches and content.

Because of its logical structure and clear writing style, this text would provide an accessible introduction to the highly complex field of visual art for undergraduate community college, college, or university students.

Reviewed by Meridyth Espindola, Adjunct Professor, Bunker Hill Community College on 6/26/20

This book does a great job covering a broad spectrum of the context and meaning of art and design, and consistently provides visual examples. read more

This book does a great job covering a broad spectrum of the context and meaning of art and design, and consistently provides visual examples.

This book presents information in an accurate way, although it includes a very limited perspective on art by BIPOC. While this is characteristic of traditional art and design history texts, it is important to be aware of and address in the classroom.

The text focuses mainly on historical art history, and will not quickly become obsolete.

The text is well-written, easy to read, and follows a natural hierarchy of information. Visually, the page formatting is digestible, easy to follow, and well organized. This text is more inviting than other digital resources because of the visual design system in place.

Consistent tone of text and organization of information.

The division of content into small, clearly labeled and organized sections makes it easy to approach, navigate, and understand.

Well organized, clear structure and easy to follow. Both the written text and the visual design facilitate a clear hierarchy of information and digestible content.

Easy to use interface.

(Did not find any grammatical errors.)

The text is not directly insensitive or offensive, but examples of artwork by BIPOC are limited and presented from colonial perspectives. This is not a problem stemming from this book alone, rather the traditional Western perspective of recorded art history, theory, and criticism. However, this text also misses the opportunity to address cultural appropriation. In a section titled and devoted to "Appropriation" (Chapter 11), the only perspective offered is that appropriation is a "legitimate way" for artists to "re-contextualize" images. The singular artist example is photographer Sherrie Levine. To devote a section to appropriation, and yet leave out cultural conflicts entirely, misses an incredibly problematic aspect of appropriation in both the historical and contemporary landscapes of art and design. This is a critical discussion that belongs in the classroom, and a disappointing absence in this text.

The typography, image formatting, and layout system do a nice job of keeping information easy to read and navigate.

Reviewed by Talicia Honkola, Art Instructor, Mesabi Range College on 6/25/20

The textbook is comprehensive, offering topics on elements and principles covered in my course. In my opinion the first half would work better to introduce students to visual art. The book is arranged well and is easy to comprehend. read more

The textbook is comprehensive, offering topics on elements and principles covered in my course. In my opinion the first half would work better to introduce students to visual art. The book is arranged well and is easy to comprehend.

Reviewed by Marla Sweeney, Adjunct Instrcutor, Middlesex Community College on 6/17/20

The text is a good introduction to art and art history . It is not a chronological art history text but covers several periods, art forms and ideas related to understanding art. read more

The text is a good introduction to art and art history . It is not a chronological art history text but covers several periods, art forms and ideas related to understanding art.

The text is well researched and unbiased.

Although examples of art from many periods are addressed the final chapter on Ethics includes the most contemporary art examples. The text is arranged in a format that would allow updates to be easily implemented.

The text is written in clear understandable prose. Each chapter ends with an overview of key concepts, vocabulary and good test questions on the material.

The text is consistent in framework and terminology.

The text is organized in consistent module format. The format introduces each chapter with learning outcomes and a brief introduction. Each chapter ends with key concepts, vocabulary and good test questions as a review of the material.

The text is organized logically and the chapters are based on clear topics.

There are no navigation issues with the text or the display of image examples.

The text gives examples of varied types of art from diverse cultures. There are good visual examples from historical to contemporary.

This is a good introductory text to art. I feel it would be a good accompaniment to a chronological art history text. It addresses topics that may not be covered in other art texts as fully including a definition of art, the distinction between fine art and craft, art and identity and ethics in art .

Reviewed by Julia May, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia on 5/7/20

The authors organized the text effectively, considering the amount of material covered (see above). I appreciate how the authors include a set of learning outcomes at the start of each chapter and have "tests" throughout as well as "key concepts" and glossaries.

My only concern is that there is no index, nor is there a bibliography (unless I missed them).

Reviewed by WangLing Chou, Associate Professor of Art, Louisiana College on 4/30/20

The text is comprehensive, offering a wide range of material on the subject. Several of the chapters--mostly the latter ones--are more conceptual and/or philosophical and while they would be excellent for Art majors or upper level students, they... read more

The text is comprehensive, offering a wide range of material on the subject. Several of the chapters--mostly the latter ones--are more conceptual and/or philosophical and while they would be excellent for Art majors or upper level students, they would not be as useful for a general education Art Appreciation course. Still, many of the other chapters are more than sufficient in terms of comprehensiveness. In terms of an index or glossary, neither are present at the end of the book; however, at the conclusion of each chapter, all vocabulary from that chapter are listed and defined. An index and the end of the text would be helpful.

No inaccuracies were detected in the text. The book is unbiased except that is obviously favors a greater understanding of art, such as at the end of section 1.3.2. Chapter 11 briefly deviates from the text's usual objective tone, calling on the need for both society and artists to have a particular understanding of one another.

Even with the later chapters that touch on more recent phenomena in the art world such as identity and ethics, the material in the text is written in a way that it will be relevant for an indefinite period of time. Updating content should present no problems in terms of ease of implementation.

The text is easy to read and would be accessible to college students. All specialized terminology are conveniently in boldface type and are defined both in-chapter as well as in a section at the end of the chapter. The prose is not clinical and dry but is often inviting, making use of an inclusive third person perspective and sometimes directly addressing the readers with "you."

The text is largely consistent. One area to improve might be in the learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter. While many of verbs are measurable such as identify, name, analyze, distinguish, explain, etc., the verb "understand" is used frequently in the outcomes and is not measurable based on Bloom's Taxonomy of educational objectives.

All chapters are divided into smaller, easily identifiable sections, ranging from anywhere to 5 up to 12. Most sections within chapters are only a couple of pages. Understandably, some sections are significantly longer, but multiple images can be a contributing factor to the increased length. The text does reference itself (i.e. "this text," etc.) on occasion, but such references are minimal.

The text is well organized, both in terms of the arrangement of chapters, as well as the divisions within the chapters. The text begins generally, moves to historical, practical, and knowledge-based content, and finishes with conceptual/philosophical content.

Interface rating: 3

One issue of concern is that in Chapter 11, every other page is incorrectly labeled at the top as "CHAPTER 10: ART AND RITUAL LIFE." Such a mislabelling could confuse readers. Also, the justified text is generally not a problem, but the inconsistency in spacing between characters is sometimes problematic. For example, the first line of the last paragraph on page 19 includes no spacing between any of the characters, making the sentence almost unreadable. Finally, while the images graphics are relevant and helpful, the text as a whole feels cramped and could use some negative space--more white space around images and graphics.

Few grammatical errors were detected. It should be noted that the writers employ all three points of view--often writing in first person. Such an approach likely makes the text more accessible to college readers. However, a small issue that arises is when the writer first mentions "the viewer," singular, but subsequently uses the pronoun "we" (plural). This agreement error was only noted a couple of times on page 14 and may or may not occur in other places. A simple fix is to change "the viewer" to "viewers."

The text does an excellent job on covering a broad spectrum of cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. At no point could any content be misconstrued as culturally inoffensive, as the writers did a good job in remaining objective in presenting the facts. For example, the section on The Dome of the Rock in Chapter Six is a sensitive topic, but the writers treated it with historical accuracy and cultural and religious sensitivity.

Even though several chapters are above and beyond what I need for my gen. ed. Art Appreciation course, I would still find this text useful.

Reviewed by Alexis Rusch, Adjunct Instructor, Oakland City University on 3/30/20

This book is easy to comprehend. I do think the first half is better than the second. There is no index which I do find useful. In the area of visual elements and principles of design, I do wish they went more into depth. read more

This book is easy to comprehend. I do think the first half is better than the second. There is no index which I do find useful. In the area of visual elements and principles of design, I do wish they went more into depth.

I find the information presented to be accurate.

The contemporary art could easily be updated to keep this as a current and relevant text especially since links are used.

I do think the first half of the book is a bit more clear than the second half. When teaching, I find it useful to have just 1-2 examples of art for each idea/concept I am discussing. The second half almost gives too many examples of some ideas and becomes confusing for students.

The book has an overall good and consistent structure. The terms being given at the end of each chapter are good and easy for students to find and study.

The organization of the chapters and subheadings is logical and makes sense. This book is easy to break up into small sections of readings for students.

I would consider the organization the best thing about this book!

All the links worked! The quality of images and text for those links varied from website to website.

No grammatical errors observed.

Examples of artwork are given from all over the world. Although the examples and content is heavy on Western Art, there is some reference to Non-Western Art. I did not find anything culturally offensive.

Closest thing you will find that is free to use for an art appreciation course. I would not use this as my only book for the course but would use it and have some online resources to supplement areas such as visual elements and principles of design. I do feel like this book relies heavily on European art as examples.

Reviewed by Kimberly Jones, Associate Professor, Sweet Briar College on 1/29/20

While the text is relatively comprehensive, I wish that it would have cast the net wider in terms of art forms to include a more extensive coverage of film, video games, textiles, typography, etc. Nonwestern art is included, but I would have like... read more

While the text is relatively comprehensive, I wish that it would have cast the net wider in terms of art forms to include a more extensive coverage of film, video games, textiles, typography, etc. Nonwestern art is included, but I would have like to have seen more.

I do wish the authors would have expanded their discussions a bit more. In their attempt to be succinct, a choice, I imagine, made to keep the reader engaged, I'm afraid some important content is lost.

Additional information in the captions is also needed. Important facts, such as year, medium, size, etc., are not included.

I did not identify any errors. It appears to be unbiased.

I appreciate that the text stresses, right from the beginning, the importance of images in contemporary society. Asking the question -- how does Bouguereau's work relate to today -- is a good way to connect past art to the present. I do wish it would have given more examples though of new media art. I thought this was a lost opportunity to add relevancy.

I believe the text is organized in a way so as to easily implement updated material.

The style of writing is much more readable than other textbooks I've used. I believe today's students will find this style more accessible and will therefore be more likely to actually read the text. While the authors acknowledge art history's (and presumably their own) use of jargon, which they argue is "unavoidable" in any discipline, they avoid the use of unnecessary jargon. Key vocabulary words (jargon if you like) relating to art and art history are clearly and concisely defined.

I found the tone and style to be consistent throughout.

I very much like the way the text is organized. I appreciate that blocks of text are short. I think it would be easy to organize this text anyway you like when teaching, although the flow, the way one chapter leads into another, is nice, so I personally would not change it. The text is easily customizable, in my opinion.

Overall the interface is fine, but it is pretty basic. Extra features, like allowing users to zoom in on pieces, or adding arrows to specific parts of images under discussion might make this more accessible and interactive.

I did not identify any grammatical errors.

I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive.

I was surprised that the text did not take advantage of its online format to include links to videos, especially when discussing various techniques. The different printmaking methods, for instance, are much more easily understood when demonstrated. It could also have included actual videos in its discussion of video art and performance art, rather than a link to a photograph.

While I do see room for improvement, I appreciate what this text has to offer. I may even consider adopting it for my introductory course.

Reviewed by Mary Shira, Instructor, James Madison University on 1/8/20

This is not a book I feel I could adapt in its present form in my course, Art in the General Culture, a general education course designed to introduce students with little or no background in art. While it contains a wealth of information that I... read more

This is not a book I feel I could adapt in its present form in my course, Art in the General Culture, a general education course designed to introduce students with little or no background in art. While it contains a wealth of information that I can adapt within my course, it is not laid out in such a way as to communicate new concepts, such as the elements and principles of design and the history of art following a timeline that is easily followed by novice students hoping to grasp the major concepts and apply them to their lives in a meaningful way. My biggest concern is with the layout of the content as it is. In broad terms it does introduce a wide range of cultures and artforms which is wonderful but would be overwhelming to my population. Early chapters contain media spanning history and techniques (architecture, photography, craft and fine art) that need defining before the more complex concepts such as aesthetics and criticism can be attempted

I found only two minor errors while reading the text: Page 123, in the hypertext notes mid page Beckmann has an “r”, Breckmann before the link. And in the discussion of the Palette of Narmer on page 239 it states the image on the back of the palette shows Narmer with the crown of Lower Egypt, when in fact he displays both Upper and Lower Egypt’s symbols as he is “The Great Unifier”.

The inclusion of contemporary art is well placed throughout. I do feel the inclusion of so many art forms and cultures throughout most chapters is confusing however. For example, Chapter 2 attempts too many media such as painting, printmaking, sculpture plus the elements and principles of design making it hard to absorb in a meaningful way.

Most of the technical information is well presented with good visuals to back it up. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of definitions for artist made prints versus reproductions to be helpful for students to understand the difference. As an artist and college instructor myself, I can easily follow all the information but my students would be challenged to absorb much of the technical aspects of the art presented as it jumps around in application from selfies and digital art to Renaissance to ancient works. The chapter on architecture, often student’s favorite section, is too broad and yet has little nineteenth and twentieth century urban examples such as the significance of The Crystal Palace and the contribution of Le Corbusier.

Yes, the text is consistent throughout in terminology and framework. It is as I have stated however the framework that doesn’t work for me in my class setting. I believe the user would be better served by grouping less broad concepts within chapters, for example, photography. By discussing its history from the Camera Obscura to the iphone, students could see how it affected the history of artmaking while understanding also the development of criteria for judging it as an artform in the twentieth century. It is something students today will need to develop for computer generated art in their lifetime.

Modularity rating: 3

I don’t agree that the text can be easily absorbed or supplanted into an existing course as it is initially challenging in the early chapters to define art without giving students the tools to make these decisions and injects historical imagery again without a way for placing it in a useful framework. Chapter One in particular, is heavy on theory and would lose many of my students at the outset. Discussions of labyrinths and terms such as circumambulate would be off putting and unnecessarily confusing. Chapter Two is too ambitious and would serve students better if it followed a thread beginning with Gestalt and following up with two-dimensional media and only later addressing three-dimensional media such as sculpture and pottery.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 2

Here is the rub, I am confused by the organization here. I would like to adapt portions of the text but the way topics are presented makes it challenging. The text contains a wealth of information but the format and general layout of the chapters makes it a daunting task to absorb it into my course. I do really feel that a timeline of some sort coming later in the text is essential for students to place work in its social, political and historical context. All art can only be appreciated fully beyond its formal aspects when the viewer has access to the context in which it was created. The format of this text confuses that by jumping around culturally and historically too much.

I do feel the inclusion of maps to place the art in the world would greatly advance comprehension. I don’t think students will likely access links referenced within the text though I appreciate the concept so that can create a navigational problem if the art is essential to understanding the concept. I also found the diagram used to explain the Lost Wax method of casting to be poor.

Only the one I mentioned previously. All in all the writing is engaging and easy to follow

If anything, I think the effort to be inclusive of cultures is overdone. Women could be better represented, though again within the framework of the text it is more challenging since their contribution has historically been ignored until the modern era.

I really enjoyed the text. I made copious notes and underlined passages on many of the pages that I will absorb into my own course as the information expands topics I touch on throughout the semester. I do feel it would be a monumental task to adapt this book to my course, given the population I deal with in an introductory course on art history and culture. In addition, my course concentrates on Western culture, and so references world art only in so much as it has influenced that aspect of our culture. I am not quite sure what sort of student your text would address in so much as it is technical and expansive while not really addressing the needs of the novice in art history. I think it would be better suited for an aesthetics course than my introductory one. The class I teach is designed to help students develop a cultural understanding and appreciation of the visual arts, such as architecture, painting, sculpture and design. Lectures, videos, projects and discussions focus on issues related to the practice and techniques of creating and valuing visual imagery. Special emphasis is given to developing an understanding of the language of visual art and design, learning the basics of art criticism method, and gaining an overview of the history of the visual arts with a priority given to contemporary works of art. .

Reviewed by Billi London-Gray, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 12/30/19

The text is comprehensive, providing an introduction to design concepts and terminology as well as an historical survey of (mostly Western-centric) ideas around the production and interpretation of art. Topics like ethical considerations in art,... read more

The text is comprehensive, providing an introduction to design concepts and terminology as well as an historical survey of (mostly Western-centric) ideas around the production and interpretation of art. Topics like ethical considerations in art, originality, meaning and materiality, and community purposes for art are given thoughtful treatment, encouraging multiple viewpoints for class discussions. The book lacks back matter — no comprehensive glossary, index, image list, or bibliography. As an e-book, this can be solved with a CTRL + F search. If printed, it’s a limitation for users.

I did not find any factual errors in the text, but I did find some errors in image captions (ex: Figures 7.5 and 7.36) and spellings. I encountered some variation from conventional transliterations of artist’s names (ex: Do Ho Suh is spelled Do Ho Su, page 92, and Wassily Kandinsky is spelled Vasily Kandinsky, page 106). I also encountered numerous broken or misdirected hyperlinks. These broken links were especially disappointing when they failed to show works by underrepresented artists, such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (page 168).

This text offers a lot of relevant material, especially given that it’s free for students to access. The content could be more up to date, with examples by new media, performance, and social-practice artists. I would also find examples by contemporary mid-career and emerging artists instructive and relevant.

The bolded key terms and glossary in each chapter are very useful. The prose is clear but drifts between accessible and academically clunky. I wish the images of artworks were captioned with the date completed and, where applicable, an indication that the artist is unknown rather than omitting artist information. For most images, the date was provided in the running text, but this requires re-reading and could confuse context for students who don’t know what to look for.

The text is internally consistent with respect to terminology used and the framework of each chapter. There is some inconsistency with including locations of architectural sites in image captions.

The text is divided into chapters that can be digested in one reading assignment or broken into shorter assignments. The divisions are clear and logical. This makes the text scalable for classes that meet multiple times per week, once per week, or on accelerated schedules. Individual chapters (for example, Chapter 2 on form and composition, or Chapter 4 on formal and critical analysis) could also be assigned as stand-alone readings, in lieu of adopting the entire textbook for a course, especially given the inclusion of a glossary within each chapter.

The organization of this text builds progressively on concepts chapter by chapter, but is not self-referential in a way that requires reading the book from cover to cover. The structure of each chapter, with learning objectives followed by content followed by a recap, comprehension questions, and key terms, provides a clear framework for students to prioritize information and test themselves. It is also conducive to reflective and indirect instructional activities in class or online.

The interface is clean but has some leading issues in the text, where letters are slightly stretched, slightly squished, or cut off below the baseline. The multi-decimal section numbering system is visually noisy and, in my opinion, no more useful than section titles and page numbers in helping students find reading assignments or refer to passages. In general, page layouts are tight, with minimal margins between images and text. This seems like a decision driven by printing concerns (minimizing page count), but additional white space would improve readability. The text worked well with the text-to-speech reader in Google Chrome.

I encountered numerous typos and grammatical errors, mostly in the form of missing punctuation, missing words, missing letters, and awkward sentence constructions. None of these obscured the author’s meaning, but it could use another round of proofreading.

This text presents more than the usual suspects found in introductory art appreciation and visual literacy books. Images by pre-modern American and European women artists are refreshing and demonstrate efforts to go outside the traditional canon. That being said, it could still be much more representative and inclusive. For example, the first chapter addresses the definition of art but approaches the debate through the ideas of notable white men without acknowledging the hegemony around this question. No examples in this chapter are truly contemporary, with Maya Lin’s Vietnam Memorial, completed a generation before today’s students were born, being the most recent image example. This trend continues throughout the book, where the vast majority of text and images are devoted to long-dead Western artists (mostly white European and American men) and static forms of art (mostly painting and traditional sculpture), with good representation for Ancient Near East art traditions, less for Eastern traditions, and little consideration for new media or performance art, artists of color, and global south art and artists. Good opportunities are missed: while there’s more than a page of text devoted to Kehinde Wiley, the image of his work is accessed via hyperlink rather than embedded (pages 221-222) for effective appreciation of his art-historical reference. In the section “11.5 Ethical Considerations in the Collecting and Display of Art,” Nazi looting is criticized but there’s no mention of the colonial plunder that still resides in American and European institutions. It would be great to see a more inclusive second edition of this book.

While I have listed specific areas that need improvement, I am thrilled that this book exists as an accessible, free, and user-friendly resource for students and instructors. Its shortcomings are far less than other texts I’ve used, and its virtues are numerous, especially given the flexibility to make immediate improvements using the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. Many thanks to the authors, editor, and publisher who have generously shared this work.

Reviewed by Rick Lostutter, Associate Professor of Art and Design, Hanover College on 12/20/19

This textbook is a fairly comprehensive primer on art from the approach of purpose, materials, structure and meaning. It provides readers with the foundational tools of understanding how to more formally assess art and the creation of many... read more

This textbook is a fairly comprehensive primer on art from the approach of purpose, materials, structure and meaning. It provides readers with the foundational tools of understanding how to more formally assess art and the creation of many different kinds of visual representation. Having the "test yourself" and key terms sections at the end of each chapter allows the reader to develop a language and vocabulary that applies across the breadth of the nature and definition of visual art and helps solidify the elements presented within each area of art exploration. There are plenty of cultural references to the context of historical examples as well as the impact that art and design has had on society and the importance of art as a timeless reflection of the world. The structure of the book is an easy introduction into many different aspects of the study of art. I really enjoyed the inclusion and focused chapter on architecture within the greater context on art.

Having read through this text several times, I find it to be very accurate from an art perspective, technical reference and grammatical work. Statements made throughout the book are presented in a way that is supported with referenced examples and well agreed-upon art and design principles. The evaluation of art is traditionally an objective process, yet this text allows for expert opinion and fact to reside together in a way that allows for appropriate and open evaluation by the reader. So many art texts try to push specific agendas pertaining to narrow views of what art is or is supposed to be and this book avoids that in a very skillful manner.

The references and visual material presented in this book are of generally-accepted and representative examples of historic art. I would have liked to have seen some more contemporary art and artists represented as a comparison to art that has traditionally been used to illustrate the principles of art and conceptual design work. Given that this is a digital text that can easily be updated, it seems to provide a platform for having up-to-date and even current artists and their work represented. Students need to see that current work is being created that adheres to the traditional standards of the historical works referenced through the ages of art instruction. Having said that, the works used do not represent an obsolete view on art evaluation and instruction.

The reading acuity and age-appropriateness of the terminology, vocabulary and description are adequate and what I would expect for a college-level resource material. Again, the terms at the end of each chapter provide an easy reference tool for any language that a reader might not be familiar. It not only helps in the reading and retention of the material, but creates a great study guide for review after the reading of each section.

Having read many co-authored texts on specific subjects, the voice of the work is consistent and reads as though one author was the source for the entirety of the book. This is important, especially for a subject such as art, so the reader can begin to develop their own assessment of the topic without struggling through many different styles of evaluation.

The sections and chapters of this book are appropriately divided in a way that makes the subject digestible. The pacing of each chapter is segmented so that the ideas and concepts are easily incorporated into the overall topic of that chapter. This makes it a much better tool for grouping concepts from several different chapters into a lesson that requires many different elements to work together as a conceptual theme. Some chapters or sections may not be as relevant at particular times within a structured curriculum segment and the format allows for easy coordination of those individual concepts that will seamlessly integrate a cohesive lesson plan.

The organization of the topics in this book are clearly stated and work as a logical progression from one theme and area of art to another. Having said that, the topics can stand alone as needed for any given presentation within a class lesson.

The interface of this book is very clear and easy to use. Locating relevant topics from the table of contents and then quickly finding those topics within the text was thoughtfully accommodated with the section titles at the top of each page.

I have not found any grammatical errors in my assessment of each segment of this book.

Art is a discipline that has traditionally focused on the western culture and therefore has not been a very inclusive, historical representation af all cultures and races. This text does an adequate job in presenting examples that bleed outside of the traditional western historical examples of other texts. I would have liked to see more diversity which could have come from more contemporary examples of art. Given that, I did not find anything that I felt was culturally insensitive or inappropriate.

I would highly recommend this book as a great introductory supplement to any foundational art course that is meant to provide students with a base-level understanding of the complexities of art and design as a visual exploration. This should be incorporated as an essential text for students who are beginning their journey of the study of the creation of art and design. I could see this as a supplement to an introductory art history course as well.

Reviewed by Mike Morelli, Director Entertainment Management, University of Montana - Missoula on 12/19/19

This book provides a nice broad survey of styles, periods, artists' and types of art. read more

This book provides a nice broad survey of styles, periods, artists' and types of art.

The content is accurate for the vast majority of the book with few technical and grammatical errors. That being said, the errors (which appear in the second half of the book) have drawn notice from some of my students.

As an introduction, this book provides an excellent basis for discussion with students. The chapters and content are relevant, presented in a clear concise manner, and are supported by facts.

I appreciate the clarity of the material and the structure of chapters as well as the tone of the book. Color images with good labels and attribution make it easy to discuss and research further for students.

The text consistently presents concepts with supporting images and documentation in a logical and straightforward manner.

Good modularity for the most part. Given the way in which artists'/styles/concepts are presented in chapters, by necessity some ideas can only be examined contextually, and require a broader framework for understanding. The authors to a great degree provide that background and break down segments through titling with numbers to show flow while creating "bite sized pieces".

Excellent organization. Well laid out.

A logical combination of text, images, and titles delivered in a visually pleasing way.

As noted previously, few grammatical errors although enough to draw comment from students.

This text explores art as expressed by a wide variety of artist's with differing races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in inclusive and thoughtful ways. While I have had students react strongly to images or concepts in the book, (i.e. Hindu Swastika) it is not an objection to the manner in which the material is presented but often a strong initial personal reaction to a specific image, which is then discussed contextually in a manner that is both sensitive and dispassionate.

This book has worked well in several first semester Introduction to Art courses. It's clear, concise, and well written with logical and consistent organization.

Reviewed by David Riep, Associate Professor, Colorado State University on 12/10/19

I found this textbook to be very comprehensive. As one can quickly grasp from the table of contents, this book covers all of the major introductory topics for approaching and discussing art and visual culture (as well as some focused topics that... read more

I found this textbook to be very comprehensive. As one can quickly grasp from the table of contents, this book covers all of the major introductory topics for approaching and discussing art and visual culture (as well as some focused topics that are not typically found in "Intro to Art" texts). The authors organize the information in a manner that effectively builds upon previous sections, while also maintaining the ability to assign specific chapters and sections independently. Although this is not meant to be an art history text, I was impressed at how the content engages with numerous art historical methodologies (formalism, semiotics, social art history, feminist art history, iconography, connoisseurship, and even some key points coming from Hegel’s theories) without becoming cumbersome. The images of techniques and processes are also helpful (i.e. relief wood carving), as are the detailed explanations of media (i.e. what is egg tempera?). The key terms found throughout the text are also very helpful and are perhaps more useful at the end of each chapter, rather than a comprehensive glossary at the end of the book.

While it can be difficult to address global art production with an unbiased voice, I found the overall content to be thoughtful and generally balanced. I appreciated the broad questions posed to the reader, and found them to be very interesting and engaging (i.e. Why do we make art?, What defines an artist? What is the difference between Art V Craft?) as they provided the reader with the opportunity to further explore such topics. I also appreciated the authors’ openness regarding the strengths and limits of various perspectives and explanations throughout the text. While the discussion of some specific works are at times perhaps too narrow, and draw upon singular, declarative statements in order to support a point, the authors generally promote critical thinking and exploration of broad concepts. It is perhaps noteworthy to mention that some chapters were more effective in presenting a global perspective than others, although this is addressed in more detail below. Overall, I found the content to be accurate and well-researched.

One of the strengths of this text centers on the timely content, which references modern technology and concepts, as well as popular culture. I also really like the ability to pull up supplementary images throughout the text by clicking on imbedded links, although I found several of them in need of updates. I appreciated the inclusion kinetic art and new media within the comprehensive list of formal elements for 2D, 3D, 4D art, and found the overview of Aesthetics to be intentionally geared toward contemporary readers. There were many sections of the text that seemed to be specifically aimed at addressing current trends in art production and interpretation. For example, I enjoyed the dialog regarding architecture’s response to changing social development and advances, as well as the discussion in Chapter 8 which ties visual content to contemporary culture (popular media and activities such as genealogical websites, etc.). Chapter 9 equally engaged with the role of visual culture in contemporary societies by addressing Art and Power (propaganda, both symbolic and documentary), and offered an interesting dialog on building visual literacy. This chapter addresses the role and limits of media in recording or presenting images of power, and also addresses how imagery can appear “objective,” but can often contain specific messages. I found this to be extremely relevant, especially given the role of visual imagery in popular culture and social media. The chapter on Ethics is also quite relevant, and highlights the perception of visual culture and how it changes over time. Finally, the discussion on appropriation is very timely, as is the component that addresses museums. The questions posed regarding collecting and display practices are often left out of introductory texts, but are extremely relevant in contemporary times.

Overall, the text is approachable and clear in tone, and effectively guides the reader on how to best use this resource (i.e. explaining how the book will present content, and where the reader can expect to find various components). I found it to be a very useful text that presents complex concepts in a manner that non-specialists will easily understand. I also found the various case studies that are used to guide the reader in applying theories and methods to be very effective. The text presents content in a clear and concise manner, and I found the “Test Yourself” questions to be well constructed, approachable, and effectively open ended (when appropriate).

Another strength of this text is its consistency in presenting and disseminating content. The authors developed a number of components that are found in each chapter which draw the reader's attention to recognizing and applying key concepts. I found each chapter to be clearly and effectively structured, with appropriate subheadings and use of bold text to highlight important ideas and terms. This made the text very easy to navigate. I also found that the overall content maintained a consistency in tone, in spite of the fact that multiple contributors were working on any given chapter. The text is very clear and approachable, yet engages with complex theories and concepts.

It would be very easy to assign portions of this textbook throughout a teaching term, as most chapters can function as independent units, while also effectively engaging with other sections. I like the overarching themes of each chapter, which could easily be realigned as needed, and the fact that the subunits are of a manageable length. This book offers instructors a great amount of flexibility.

The book’s overall organization is clear and concise, with each chapter presenting measurable learning outcomes and ending with practical applications of concepts. I also found the subheadings to be very thoughtful in expounding upon the overall topic in each respective chapter. It is very easy to navigate through the various subunits, and the overall content is very appropriate in building an effective discussion of the various topics at hand.

While I really like the use of imbedded links to view images and expound upon concepts, some of the links did not work and need to be updated. Regardless, I like the fact that the use of links allows for the text to remain current, and to highlight contemporary content, developments, and artists.

I did not find any grammatical errors.

The text offers a sound explanation of artistic concepts, and makes an effort to present a global perspective. I appreciated the attempt to use both recognizable images from the Western canon as well as lesser known works, although some chapters were more effective in presenting a global perspective than others. For example, I was intrigued by the in-depth discussion / case study in Chapter 3 covering media in the eras of Constantine through the Ottonian Empire, although it could have been balanced by non-Western case studies (for example, the use and significance of metals in African cultures). Chapter 4 addresses formal analysis, although the overall discussion is largely focused on degrees of representation in the arts. This seemed to present a very "Western" perspective of artistic development, and could perhaps benefit by highlighting western and non-western objects, as well as naturalistic and abstract pieces. I especially liked the focus on “Interpretation” and highlighting how meaning is formed from multiple perspectives (the individual, society, and the impact of time), although I found the section on “Evaluation” to be rather narrow and perhaps unnecessary (what, for example, is the “verdict of history” that determines great art? Who / what determines this "verdict"? Why are museums placed at the center of this discussion, along with the suggestion that a work’s presence in a museum determines its artistic value? What do the authors mean by the phrase “best art”?). I appreciated the discussion of conventions in Chapter 4, and how the text traces them across cultures. However, when addressing cultural style, it might be helpful in some cases to note the role of "time" (the Western examples were presented according to how various artistic conventions developed over time, while many of the the non-Western examples, such as the Ancient Near East, are not given this same treatment). In a similar manner, the topic of individual artistic style could also benefit from exploring non-Western “anonymous” artists through a brief discussion of the history of collecting, and how one can trace the hands of unknown artists in the same way that Western artists have an identifiable style. I appreciate the inclusion of female artists such as Lilly Martin Spencer and Frances Palmer in Chapter 5, as well as the addition of a few non-Western pieces, but the chapter is still quite heavily Western, as is Chapter 6, which maintains a Judeo-Christian focus. This chapter could perhaps be broadened by engaging with diverse belief systems. This seemed to be rectified in numerous other chapters. For example, Chapter 7, which focused on architecture, was more intentional toward representing global perspectives and works of art, which I found to be very helpful in understanding global art production. Along the same lines, I found Chapter 8 to be very effective and inclusive in presenting concise notions of "the self" within expanding social spheres, and in discussing individual identity/gender, and external influences such as economics and class. I also appreciated how Chapter 10 highlighted global engagement with sacred structures, sites, rituals, and performances, as well as their significance.

The open source text "Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning" is an impressive resource that addresses the foundations of approaching, discussing, and understanding art through both historical and contemporary lenses. The authors took on an impressive amount of work to create a textbook that engages with contemporary topics, while laying the foundations for effective visual literacy.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Morton, Associate Professor, Wabash College on 11/6/19

This text covers almost all of the bases one would expect for an introductory class. Its biggest problem is the lack of inclusion of non-western examples in its presentation. The European art tradition dominates the discussion, with some... read more

This text covers almost all of the bases one would expect for an introductory class. Its biggest problem is the lack of inclusion of non-western examples in its presentation. The European art tradition dominates the discussion, with some allowance for Chinese and Japanese. You look in vain for references to African, Latin American, Oceanic, or indigenous art, even when they would be an obvious choice given the ongoing discussion.

This text has been written and edited carefully by veteran teachers. I did not see any errors or the use of suspect research

I believe the thematic approach to the material is far more relevant to today’s student than the classic approach based on historical progression. The chapters are judiciously chosen and are placed in a logical order. Again, the only thing old-fashioned here are the relentless insistence on using the western canon as the basis of discussion.

This text has been carefully written and has been painstakingly edited. I particularly thought Ch 2 was a standout in the way it presented the basic categories of art. At many points I berated myself for failing to present material so clearly in my own classes!

Once again, it is worth stating that the editing is of admirable quality. A lot of thought has gone into maintaining similar terminology and reference points as the chapters progress, even though they have different sets of authors. The use of keywords is also a strong feature, since many of them recur as the book progresses.

A definite strength of the text. Very easy to divide up the text by week, class, group, etc.

The editor is to be commended as the text flows smoothly from on section to another.

I liked the yellow bars on the right side which assist in moving between chapters. The “find” feature works well, and overall it was easy to use the extext. This is very user-friendly.

Once again, the editing here has been thorough and painstaking

Chapters 8-10 in particular are disappointing in that they offered a chance to move away from a traditional, Eurocentric approach. While the authors do include some non-western examples as they proceed, they still rely too much on European art. Chapter 11 is also disappointing—with non-western art having been plundered systematically for a long time and its placement in First World museums being increasingly problematic, it is not even mentioned.

Well done on a very user-friendly text. However, some extra work in terms of broadening the geographical base of examples is definitely in order

Reviewed by Jade Hoyer, Assistant Professor of Art, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 10/25/19

As other reviewers have noted, the text covers elements of design, rationale, context, and impact for and of making art. It’s a lot for a work to cover, and is generally successful, if sweeping, in doing this. I didn't note an index. The... read more

As other reviewers have noted, the text covers elements of design, rationale, context, and impact for and of making art. It’s a lot for a work to cover, and is generally successful, if sweeping, in doing this. I didn't note an index.

The exception to this for me is Chapter 2, which is essentially a studio class in a chapter (a rapid-fire discussion of all artistic media, design elements, design principles, and color theory for good measure. This chapter contains no less than 150 "Key Terms!"

I found the content to be generally accurate.

It was frustrating that most of the work’s contemporary examples were hyperlinked instead of embedded as images and potentially impermanent. Though likely a result of copyright issues, to present most contemporary accounts as a block of black text visually diminishes their importance. (It’s also likely that students won’t bother clicking the links.) Would like to see links changed to more persistent format.

With regard to writing, the work is generally clearly written, and approachable to beginning students. The tone of the writing is quite generous- the first chapter explains how art is ultimately about the viewer’s interpretation and adds “but we do have help if we want it. People who have made a disciplined study of art can offer ideas about what art is important and why.”

With regard to imagery, I thought that no dates, media, or sizes were listed for the works to be a big miss.

The work also had a tendency to bounce around. I felt many sections leapt centuries and continents (and often both centuries and continents) within a single page with transitions akin to “meanwhile in Russia…,” or “a few hundred years later.” I appreciate that many of these about faces were connected to efforts to be inclusive, but it presented a dizzying narrative, that was made more confusing for lack of timelines or context (like dates!) provided in the imagery.

Writing seemed consistent throughout. However, I found instances of sloppy formatting: definitions were often in bold a few letters or even a word beyond the word being defined. Beyond this, I could imagine this formatting being confusing for students as words that were in bold indicated definitions and sometimes, but not always, were designated as Key Words at the end of each chapter. For example, on p 63, four terms are defined in one paragraph (unity, variety, conceptual, interval, scale, proportion), but only two words (interval, scale) are designated as Key Words. I find using a different formatting technique in this case, such as color, would be helpful in assisting students in identifying Key Words earlier at the beginning of the chapter.

I enjoyed this aspect of the work! I would especially use the final chapters for my classes (such as Art and Power, Art and Ethics). I found these chapters to be thoughtful and relevant to students, and especially appreciated their being structured around case-studies.

I appreciated the general flow of the work beginning from simple definitions “what is art?,” “who is an artist?” to contemplating identity, power, ethics, and controversies in artmaking, though some sections seemed redundant. Good summaries and questions to accompany the readings, especially later in the text.

Worked great for me! I also appreciated how the Hyperlinks took me to new works, and that I could return to my spot on the page when I clicked the back button. Please note Relevance section regarding links.

I found limited grammatical errors.

I appreciated the interweaving of Western and Non-Western narratives, though found that, especially if one were focusing on the imagery, that the works presented felt skewed Western.

Great resource- will definitely utilize sections in my teaching.

Reviewed by Maria Guzman, Instructor - Art & Art History , Peralta Community College District on 9/26/19

I found this book to be a good "skeleton" text for a variety of courses. I liked that it had chapters dedicated to both formal analysis (Chapters Two, Four, and Five) but also managed to include global perspectives (Chapter Eleven: Art and Ethics... read more

I found this book to be a good "skeleton" text for a variety of courses. I liked that it had chapters dedicated to both formal analysis (Chapters Two, Four, and Five) but also managed to include global perspectives (Chapter Eleven: Art and Ethics was especially thought-provoking). The themed chapters (Chapter Eight: Art and Identity and Chapter Nine: Art and Power) are relevant for any Art History course, and I use them for all courses, including World Art, Art 1, 2, and 3 (these cover the prehistoric to contemporary periods, collectively). The addition of Key Terms at the end of chapters was also helpful.

When I decided to use this text, my main concern was regarding whether the content would be easy to connect to my prior courses' designs. I used Henry M. Sayre's "A World of Art" and the Marilyn Stokstad "Art History" textbooks. Thanks to the chapter that discussed the general theories about what art "is" (Chapter One), and the clear language that mirrored Sayre's creative drives (found in Chapter 6, mainly), I easily transitioned to using this book for my course. Most recently, I have adopted it for Art 101: Western Art History and ART 103: History of Modern Art.

Inclusivity is consistent in the discussion of works from different cultures and geographic areas. I was impressed by the mention of postcolonial topics, and even the addition of 4-D in relation to formal descriptions. This is a text that has incorporated recent scholarly perspectives and new genres in art. I had fun adding OER readings about identity, especially, in order to complement the chapter in this text.

I have had feedback from students regarding the easy-to-follow format and text used in this book. I also find it easy to get through in a short amount of time.

Overall, the terminology was clear and consistent.

Yes. I usually remix the chapter order, based on what type/periods I am addressing in a course. Chapters One, and Two are great for the first few weeks. I save Chapter Four for the middle of most classes, in which we are beginning to do more art descriptions as a group. I use Chapter Six towards the end of the courses, where the class begins to conduct research and observe more creative drives and themes. I apply Chapters Eight and Nine based on the time periods, and how relevant they are the subject matter or styles covered in the course. I have thought about inserting Chapters Eight and Nine right after Chapter One in order to address the modern period and the growing individualism in modern art.

Chapter Ten is especially good for any ART 1, 2, or World Art course, especially (ART 101 or 102 as well).

I will be teaching a short-term course about Architecture this semester, and am excited to use Chapter Seven: Form in Architecture.

Excellent -- these are short, include many genres, mediums, and cultural styles in a sensible way. Usually, the chapters include a variety, and this enhances the global perspectives that the authors encourage. It also makes it easier to select works of art to focus on, if you are covering particularly modern or World Art, for example.

No issues with interface. The format is easy to navigate, and my only suggestion is to create hyperlinked headings for chapters in the Table of Contents, so that you could jump to the chapters a little sooner. Small suggestion, though. It's very well formatted and designed.

As stated in the Relevance section, this book offered good topics that were easy to connect to contemporary or recent studies in non-Western art (Global Art perspectives). See pages 5, 8, and 9 for a few points made about this text's open format and my review of The Met Museum's OER text, "Art in Africa". It was a compatible text and I would recommend "Introduction to Art" for its culturally-sensitive and unbiased perspectives, especially if building a course about global approaches to art. Read my summary here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cSG4MWFta-nE9yTgSC__QP22D2dHpYjsg9evVysBQFg/edit?usp=sharing

No additional comments.

Reviewed by Mara Pierce, Assistant Professor of Art Education, TRAILS on 9/16/19

This text covers several, if not all, the bases needed to fully appreciate art making processes, historical perspectives, variations, time periods, methods, criticism, purposes, associations, and artists. Each chapter opens with objectives and... read more

This text covers several, if not all, the bases needed to fully appreciate art making processes, historical perspectives, variations, time periods, methods, criticism, purposes, associations, and artists. Each chapter opens with objectives and concludes with an evaluative activity. The authors present varied perspectives that are appropriate to understanding the diversities that are encompassed in the art world. The images included are also significant and comprehensively representative. However, many of the images also depict the same imagery found in other books. Students reading this material need to also see work from a more balanced sampling of artist genders. The topic is discussed in Chapter 8, but not visual samples of women’s or other-gendered artists included there. I applaud the discussion of the Nazi art theft.

The text contains mostly accurate information, but could use further clarity. For example, if using Indigenous names, use tribal identifiers, such as Piikani for those who identify as Blackfeet. A piece of dance regalia is referred to as a “costume,” which elucidates the author’s limited understanding of the role of garb in ritual. While appropriation, as covered in Chapter 11, is an integral part of the contemporary artworld, it is also presented as acceptable and normalized. It should also be included that appropriation is not universally accepted and is fought by several artists today. For example, there was recently a court case by Ai Weiwei brought against Volkswagen for copyright infringement based on appropriation of his work used in an ad.

For a General Education class, there is no doubt that this text would work toward appreciation of art making, art history, criticism, and aesthetics. There is a great deal of insightful information that would be relevant to undergraduate students’ first exposure to the art world. Additionally, some points would be relevant to students who have been practicing in the art field already, as well as those who plan on teaching art at the K-12 level.

The authors have written using clear language and vocabulary that are appropriate and relevant to the early college student. However, it would be more effective to have the vocabulary listed at the onset of the chapter, as opposed to the end. In doing so, the students can reinforce learned words and make connections throughout the reading. It also acts as an introductory feature.

The flow and voice are consistent. Level of difficulty is upheld and relevant throughout, as well.

Each chapter in this text can work independently of each other. However, in being able to comprehend and apply information in some of the latter chapters, one would have needed to cover material, specifically, in Chapter 1 and 3-5.

The text is excellently organized. The authors began with the foundation of defining art through discussions of contemporary diverse purviews held. The organization is logical and would be in a manner that I would present in my course.

The text file is easy to access and navigate. The URL links are clear, as well. However, it would be helpful in supporting the learning to provide links on the images to their sources, as well.

There are no perceivable grammatical mistakes.

I found the cultural aspects of the text to be limiting. The authors touch on the fact that art is not viewed identically throughout the world, which I applaud given that this is a tremendous part of the art perspective today. However, there is also a need for greater underrepresented Indigenous discussion/examples. Between Chapter 1 & 2, for example, there is only one image of Aboriginal origin. Ch. 7 includes three architectural pieces. Consider Anasazi examples, such as Pueblo Pintado or Mesa Verde as part of early architecture. Chapter 10 discusses masks, but only examples one. There are thousands of cultural groups across the globe that use masks for purposes from theater to holidays.

The text is a good resource for basic understandings. It may be best served for an online course given that much of the relevant information is laid out in the text.

Reviewed by Stephanie Newton, Professor, Aims Community College on 7/26/19

The book could spend more time with processes of creating--the different types of paint, printmaking, etc. It seems to be very brief in introducing the elements and principles of art as well. Although each chapter has a glossary, it does not have... read more

The book could spend more time with processes of creating--the different types of paint, printmaking, etc. It seems to be very brief in introducing the elements and principles of art as well. Although each chapter has a glossary, it does not have an index, which I usually find to be helpful in textbooks. The images also lack some key information that is standard in other art textbooks--no dates, no dimensions, no media. I truly disliked that about the text.

While I appreciate the gender-neutral language of the text (craftsperson), I do not feel that it is totally error free and accurate. For example, the authors use the dated notion of "sympathetic magic" when discussing cave paintings, which is a theory, but is not widely accepted any longer. They also refer to cherubs or putti as cupids. Cupid is a specific deity. One really glaring problem is the use of "Eskimo" on page 270. They need to reframe the use of that term to indicate it is not an acceptable way of describing the Inuit or Yupik cultures.

The text has a nice mixture of old and new art, and examples of contemporary art could easily be updated. My one issue with the relevancy is that many of the contemporary works of art (and other examples they employ) are not pictured, but given as hyperlinks. Those links could easily be broken in the future. I understand that obtaining copyrights to those works could be prohibitive, but it's a distraction from reading the text to send students to a website to look for the example provided.

On page 208, paragraph three, the authors are referring to a conceptual artist, but they omit the word artist, and don't define what a conceptual artist is. They also often refer to historical styles of art without defining what that means. How are my students supposed to know what Beaux Arts or Art Nouveau are without some sort of explanation (p. 193)? On page 203, they mention the Franks, but don't explain who the Franks are. On page 205, they mention a tympanum, but don't define what a tympanum is, nor is it in bold (to indicate that it is in the glossary), although it is defined in the glossary. There are also some areas that are not very clearly written, such as paragraph 2 on page 202. On page 256, while discussing Chichen Itza, they discuss Quetzalcoatl but don't tie it to the pyramid in anyway at all.

Consistency rating: 3

I found the beginning of the text to be much more clearly written and compelling than the second half of the book. It provides almost too many examples of art to discuss an idea.

You could fairly easily rearrange the order of chapters or omit a chapter without needing the others to support the content. This for my class would be necessary in chapter 2, where bizarrely, they discuss processes before elements and principles.

It seems to be organized fairly well, although chapter 2 does have me a bit confused. It would also be good of them to introduce abstract vs. naturalistic earlier, perhaps in chapter 2.

Again, I worry about using so many hyperlinks in a text such as this. They could easily become dated or broken, leaving the reader frustrated. Some of the images are low quality, and some of the diagrams are very hard to see, so I am concerned about students with vision issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 1

Oh boy! Again, I didn't start seeing major problems here until around page 200. Page 178, Fig 7.5, Skara Brae is misspelled as Sjara Brae Page 218, the word artist is missing after conceptual Page 235, Persepolis is spelled Persepholis Page 246: Iconoclasm is spelled as iconoclas Page 250: Bamiyan is spelled as Bamyan

I felt that it was very culturally inclusive, using artistic examples from around the globe, but perhaps focused too much energy on Christianity. Again, framing the use of the word Eskimo would be worthwhile.

There were some things I thought were really unique and wonderful about this textbook. The first four chapters had me very excited about the possibility of a OER book for my students. I especially thought chapter 3 had some valuable and unique ideas that would be super fun to share with my students. Chapter 5 is where it started to lose me. They discuss how important iconography is, but don't really give any analysis of specific symbols in a deep and meaningful way. They could have used the Merode Altarpiece as a platform to really dive deep into Christian symbolism, but only mention a few of the icons that are present. I know these are things that can be done in the classroom, but I was a little disappointed by the vagueness of their analyses and the overabundance of examples.

Reviewed by Michael Takemoto, Associate Professor, University of Hawaii Maui College on 5/24/19

This is a review of the hard copy, purchased from Amazon. Overall, for an art appreciation / introduction to visual art text, it is fairly comprehensive. However, compared to other books of a similar nature, it lacks in some aspects: it doesn’t... read more

This is a review of the hard copy, purchased from Amazon. Overall, for an art appreciation / introduction to visual art text, it is fairly comprehensive. However, compared to other books of a similar nature, it lacks in some aspects: it doesn’t include a glossary, many significant 20th and 21st century artists and their works are not included. A more in-depth exploration of the elements of design (or visual elements), the principles of design, as well as the deeper exploration of various art mediums and techniques would be helpful.

Each chapter begins with learning outcomes and ends with review questions and key term definitions, this is definitely helpful for students to understand the basic concepts of the text.

The book has accurate historical and cultural facts, and includes the correct titles of works and artists. However, most of the printed images have no dates, mediums, and dimensions.

The text is relevant for our times, as it introduces a wide range of Western and non-Western, multicultural artforms and traditions. It also includes sections on the role of politics, economics, and ethics in the visual arts.

The writing is clear and concise, it is easy to follow and understand. The Key Terms at the end of each chapter serve as a good review of the introduced vocabulary.

There is good internal consistency in the text, as each section follows a similar format.

Each chapter is broken up into smaller sections, so readers can proceed at their own pace and know what to expect is each subsequent chapter.

The text is organized in a logical, but not historical manner. The concepts presented flow smoothly from one postulation into the next.

Iʻm somewhat neutral on this, since Iʻm reviewing the hard copy. However, when exploring the PDF version, the links throughout the text are a great asset. Some links took a while to download, I’m sure this part will need constant updating.

The text is clearly written and grammatically correct. Readers are able to comprehend and understand the concepts and ideas presented.

While the content is dominated with Western Art concepts and examples, it still includes a number of diverse cultural works and traditions from different historical eras and locations.

Iʻve used this text for one semester so far, and plan to continue its usage. As a basic introductory book, it is more than adequate. Instructors can definitely pick and choose the parts they find useful and add their own additional content when needed. Students will understand the content and like its cost, even if they decide to order a hard copy.

Reviewed by Leila Armstrong, Visiting Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 5/9/19

The text covers a broad array of art movements both geographically, and temporally, though I think the non-Western selections are a bit slim. There are a number of mentions of modern/contemporary art, but the authors often provide links to images... read more

The text covers a broad array of art movements both geographically, and temporally, though I think the non-Western selections are a bit slim. There are a number of mentions of modern/contemporary art, but the authors often provide links to images rather than embedding them. I imagine it has to do with copywright issues, but I think our student body would skip clicking on the links. The learning outcomes, key concepts, test yourself, and key terms sections provide a nice loop for students to reinforce material learned, and to give quick but accurate definitions of key terms that appear throughout the text.

The setup is different from most textbooks I've used, and some of the terminology is different (e.g. elements of design instead of visual elements). There are also some terms I've never seen used before (e.g. psychic line). I found some visual elements and some principles of design commonly found in other texts either missing or placed in categories that aren't where I'd put them (light//value, pattern, motion, isometric perspective), but overall the information is presented in an unbiased manner and the content is accurate.

The content is up to date and there's not much that will change in the historical sections of the textbook (particularly at this level), and making additions of new artworks, or updating the images used would be relatviely simple.

Again, the key terms, definitions etc will help students with new terminology, and I found the writing straight-forward, concise, and conrete. The explanation of terms are clear, and the authors have a number of good charts, diagrams and the like to help students understand the terms better and how they can be applied to different media.

The authors are consistent in their use of terminology throughout and each chapter is set up the same.

Each chapter and the text within each chapter follows a similar format, and the authors have made a number of subdivisions of the text with numbes which makes breaking the chapters up into modules very easy. The information is parsed in readable sections, but each subunit aligns with the ones before and after it.

The organization is logical, beginning with the the basic questions, moving into formal analysis and then into thematic units. Overall the text flows easily from one topic to the next.

The images, diagrams, etc. are all clear. I tested a number of the links (but not all) and they worked, but I've found links are one of the most problematic additions to course content, because the links often break. Furthermore, depending on whether the student is reading the text in Adobe or online, the link will take them out of one program and into another, which isn't a seamless reader experience, or in the case of online, if the link isn't right-clicked, you go straight to the web page and lose you spot in the text.

The text didn't contain any grammatical errors that I could see.

Although I found the non-Western selections slim, the book was inclusive of a variety of works from different cultures and time periods. I didn't come across any information that I would consider insenstitive or offensive, but since art often deals with subjects that can be considered controversial, there are there certainly sections that may offend (nude bodies, or looking at past representations of race that are unacceptable today). The book does have a nice section that covers some of the controversies of art.

Reviewed by Anthony Marchetti, Full-Time Faculty, Minnesota State on 5/4/19

This textbook is an impressive guide to the introduction of art and visual literacy. It is not an art history textbook. There is room for further examples of artwork or at least links to more visual resources. Also, more contemporary image... read more

This textbook is an impressive guide to the introduction of art and visual literacy. It is not an art history textbook. There is room for further examples of artwork or at least links to more visual resources. Also, more contemporary image examples would only strengthen this title. The Learning Outcomes provide a solid reference for the main themes presented in each chapter. The Key Terms, however, are less developed and seem more like an after thought. The text is organized thematically, but there is room for chronology to play a larger role, perhaps in individual topics/chapters or with an appendix that can trace back to image examples throughout the textbook.

The text is accurate, error-free and also unbiased. The shortcoming is one of omission - there should be more information presented with the images. Title, artist, scale/size, medium, current location, and any other pertinent information about process should be included.

Aside from the need for more contemporary examples (or links to contemporary work outside of the text), the information presented is relevant. Much of the text is historical so will remain so for as long as the text is available. The arrangement of content is easily modifiable for future editions. More contemporary work could be added, making the content even more up-to-date.

he text is written in a style that is easy to understand. Simple repeated visual devices (differences in color or size of text, bold text for important terms, etc.) organize the text. Topics and subtopics are broken up into manageable blocks of text that should retain student interest. As mentioned previously, more information is needed about the individual sample images.

The organizational template used and the writing style are consistent throughout the text.

The division of topics and subtopics is supportive of student comprehension. The organization of the text would allow for multiple class formats - one class session per week, multiple classes per week, or an online Art Appreciation/Intro to Art.

The thematic nature of this textbook would work well for an Art Appreciation or Introduction to Art seminar/survey course but would not be applicable to an Art History course that demands more chronological order. The text is successfully organized so a student would easily understand what to expect from chapters and subtopics. Text formatting unobtrusively guides the viewer to important concepts and key terms.

The PDF interface was a strength of this work - links to outside content supplement the text. Still, there is room for more of this type of content in this text. Images in the text are high quality reproductions. I found no navigational problems.

I did not detect any grammatical errors in the text.

In general, the text draws from different cultures to connect main concepts and themes throughout - this is an important distinction from some art appreciation texts that place the majority of non-Western cultural/artistic traditions into a single chapter. More contemporary examples are needed in this text.

Reviewed by Jeff Brown, Associate Professor of Art, Nicholls State University on 4/29/19

In its 11 chapters, the book covers the essentials for the overall subject. I appreciate how it is divided up, especially in the beginning where it starts with basic ideas and concepts of what is art. It can seem elementary to discuss this, but... read more

In its 11 chapters, the book covers the essentials for the overall subject. I appreciate how it is divided up, especially in the beginning where it starts with basic ideas and concepts of what is art. It can seem elementary to discuss this, but is so important to establish this with students who may not have had any or much interaction with fine art. The book includes learning outcomes for each chapter, which works well for instructors who use learning outcomes within their syllabus and for assessment purposes. I feel the selection of images are a good choice and diverse, using the traditional images found in just about all the other hardcover textbooks. A nice addition is the use of images of process and where artists are working. The inclusion of key words and meanings at the end of the end chapter is a useful tool for students utilize. One item that could use more attention would be to include dates and materials used for the chosen artworks.

Accuracy of content was error free and unbiased.

The content is current information about a historical event or current event as we know to this day. Updates can easily be made without much restructuring of the textbook.

The book was written in an easy read way with lots of imagery to match concepts. Key terms placed in bold text makes it possible for readers to easily locate if going back and forth from text to key term definitions, located at the end of each chapter.

The book is full of terms and its consistency to the concept or subject. Terms that may not seem clear to the reader are defined at the end of each chapter. This would allow the reader a more user-friendly way of referencing a term then the typical glossary at the end of the book.

The framework of the book that remained consistent from chapter one to the final chapter. An overall good structure to the textbook.

This is probably the toughest part to putting a book together in my view. Choosing what to include or how much to include of one topic or concept can truly make or break it for a textbook. This book is setup in a conventional way, such as chapters with subheadings. This way does work for the textbook, but is nice is that within each chapter the subheadings do not linger on and on when it could have been much shorter.

Organization of the chapters and subheadings work well. Easy to work through

I give the interface a low rating due to its setup of links and workings as a PDF. I like the fact that the textbook utilizes web links. This can be exciting for the reader to potentially experience other useful visuals or resources to help relate to a topic. Some web links within the text of the subheadings are sometimes often just images with no actual source listed and lack further information. This part could be revisited for better interfacing. One thing I noticed and hope it can be remedied, are the workings of the table of contents. Many dead jump links existed in the table of contents page. Some worked great, allowing you to jump to a chapter or subheading with the press of button. Frustrating when it did not.

It would be nice to be able to easily return to the table of contents from anywhere, rather than having to scroll back up to the table of contents page.

The text of book seemed to have no grammatical errors.

No cultural insensitivity stood out.

A useful online textbook. Images are of a choice and quality. However, more information is needed for each image used, such as dates, materials, and dimensions.

Reviewed by Michelle Dean, Assistant Professor, Thomas Nelson Community College on 3/27/19

Introduction to Art: Design, Context and Meaning is an appropriate title for this text. The 11 chapters explore structure, materials, meaning and context of artistic production in a somewhat comprehensive manner. It certainly provides a solid... read more

Introduction to Art: Design, Context and Meaning is an appropriate title for this text. The 11 chapters explore structure, materials, meaning and context of artistic production in a somewhat comprehensive manner. It certainly provides a solid foundation for visual literacy and aligns with content in standard art history courses. This text is also well organized. Learning outcomes and an introduction are found at the beginning of each chapter. Key concepts, key terms and a self-test are found at the end of each chapter. This text, however lacks a comprehensive index or glossary.

The content of this text is accurate and essentially unbiased and error-free. Key terms are often defined in a universal manner and therefore aligns with terminology in standard art history texts. The text does not display any particular bias and appears error- free. The main criticism I have in this area is the information provided for images does not align with the standards. Title, artist, medium, size, and location for each image should be provided for the reader not just a reference to where the image was obtained.

The bulk of the content in this text will remain relevant for an extended period of time. Topics such as structure, materials, meaning and context of artistic production leading up to the modern age do not change significantly over time. The one criticism I have in this area is that there is not much contemporary art and that fact may lead to the text feeling out dated over time. Additional chapters would be perhaps the easiest way to update the content however this text in not arranged in chronological sequence and integrating contemporary example in previous chapter will be challenging.

This text is written for students who are new to art. It is an introduction to art. It presents information in an accessible manner and clearly defines most terms. Although the learning outcomes are stated in perhaps on overly cumbersome manner. The main criticism I have in this area is that the history of art and perhaps more importantly the evolution of art is difficult to ascertain when works of are referenced without regard to chronological sequencing. To talk about classical and modern examples in a section can be challenging for a new student in art to compare and comprehend.

The framework of this text is very consistent. The content of each chapter is organized in the same manner. As previously stated, learning outcomes and an introduction are found at the beginning of each chapter. Key concepts, key terms and a self-test are found at the end of each chapter. Key terms are in bold type in the chapter and also included in the list of key terms at the end of the chapters. Terms are used consistently throughout the text.

The chapters of this text are divided into sub-sections. For example Chapter 3 on materials is divided into 11 sub-sections which include sections on learning outcomes and introduction at the beginning and self-tests and key terms at the end. And although there are numerous sub-divisions in this chapter it is still reads as large blocks of text. Text boxes might be a more effective manner to present the content in a more accessible manner for our current student populations.

The overall organization of the content is presented in a clear a logical fashion. The first chapter asks the appropriate question ... What Is Art? Chapters 2-4 discuss the structures of art, the materials used in art and describing art. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss meaning in art and connecting with art. Chapter 7 is specifically focuses on architecture. And chapters 8-11 address art as related to special topics such as identity, power, ritual and ethics. A concern here is that architecture is not fully integrated into broader discussions.

The images and diagrams in this text were clear and of good quality. The inclusion of various links in the body of the text were well placed and on topic. But I could not open all the links.

I did not notice any significant grammatical errors.

This text is somewhat unbiased. I did not notice any culturally insensitive or offensive content. However, the content is primarily a discussion of the western tradition. Although, Eurocentric approaches are common in art education it is perhaps more appropriate to intentionally be inclusive of non-western traditions.

Reviewed by Mandy Keathley, part time professor, Linn-Benton Community College on 1/28/19

Considering how entry level and accessible the text is, it is also fairly comprehensive. I wish there were more contemporary art examples, but I was able to fill in as needed. I found it sufficient as an outline, and did a lot to fill in the gaps. read more

Considering how entry level and accessible the text is, it is also fairly comprehensive. I wish there were more contemporary art examples, but I was able to fill in as needed. I found it sufficient as an outline, and did a lot to fill in the gaps.

No errors noticed.

The book feels a bit out of date as it is, though not in danger of becoming more so over time.

The text is great on clarity and accessibility, written in a way that most entry-level students could understand. If anything, it errs on the side of over-simplification.

Very consistent

The modularity was one of the strongest aspects of this book which made it easy to teach in a course. Each unit feels contained and leads into the next. However, I think that some modules could be expanded.

The book is organized well. It is not in chronological order like might be expected, but this can be used effectively. I found it helpful to teach chapter 5 & 6 first, to get students to think about the meaning in art as a way to get them interested.

The interface was adequate. The design could be improved, including the sub-headings and organization of images.

no errors noticed

The book does a decent job of touching on a few global art examples, but could do better.

Reviewed by Bob Casper, Adjunct Faculty, Boise State University on 1/9/19

I used it a supplement for a Webdesign course, reinforcing artistic concepts, and it was well received by the students. read more

I used it a supplement for a Webdesign course, reinforcing artistic concepts, and it was well received by the students.

When it really comes down to it, some issues of toughness may have come up here and there, but, all in it was acceptable for my student's level.

Seemed to work well and present ideas and concepts that were relevant to for my students.

My students were a novice level and some details were not too in-depth.

Elements of the book followed a framework that as easily followed.

The book was presented in chapters that worked well in the course and for what I needed.

Each area was well put to together and bridged nicely.

Simple read, clear text.

Did not notice any errors.

Presented historical and cultural ideas and issues without calling out marginalised students.

Seemed to meet ADA standards.

Reviewed by Lori Parks, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art History, Miami University on 8/2/18

The focus and organization of this text is similar to a number of other Art Appreciation textbooks currently available. For example, there are a number of texts that present Art Appreciation through a thematic structure. The material is... read more

The focus and organization of this text is similar to a number of other Art Appreciation textbooks currently available. For example, there are a number of texts that present Art Appreciation through a thematic structure. The material is introductory which is positive in that it is very accessible to readers and thus would not be too intimidating to students new to this subject. The text also does a good job with listing and creating Learning Outcomes for each chapter along with a wide variety of mostly good quality open sourced images. While there are lists of Key Terms included in each chapter, they are minimal at best and there does not seem to be enough cross connection with the terms and their use within the body of the text. There is also some problems with being too simplistic with terms and concepts, one example being the use of icon which is very much dependent on both the historic and cultural context. Although the text is organized somewhat thematically, it would help to have chronology play a part within each chapter/topic as well as some form of an appendix or place where an overview of the history of art might be placed. This is often the problem with Art Appreciation texts and the reason why so many of them have a very condensed overview/history of the various periods. It is difficult to provide any depth without the context.

There are a number of issues with accuracy, which could also overlap with other subsections of this review. For example, the terminology is often overly simplified and inaccurate. While readability is important, it is equally important for a student to expand their vocabulary and become familiar with the language of the discipline. Simplification also comes in the form of analysis and description of the works of art without connecting it to formal elements and historical and cultural context. There are also assumptions being made in the analysis (e.g. students knowing what Prairie Style is and how that might influence another artist/movement). Another problem area are the huge leaps in time and generalizations made in content, for example, in connecting the ancient Greeks to Jackson Pollock on page 4. Another area of concern is the labeling and citations. The labels for the images give weight to the open sourced “author” rather than the information that is important to the work of art (artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, and museum/collection), this could be better by creating a reference page at the end of the text for the open sourced images. More examples of non-western art would also be important.

Overall good, I would have liked to see more contemporary art and topics/themes including areas like performance. The images chosen generally follow the typical works of art found within the canon of Western Art History.

Generally clear and readable, although as mentioned elsewhere in this review, at times overly simplistic and rambling and repetitive. And, as mentioned earlier, the labels for the works of art are in need of correction with emphasis placed on the artwork rather than open source.

The template used is consistent through the chapters. There are issues with consistency in use of terms, and citations/websites etc. This should be strengthened more. I also wonder about the sources and context with regards to the discussion of historical development of art.

Each chapter is organized into topic/theme and subsections that are meant to connect back to the theme of the chapter. While this is a good way to allow for quick access there is room for further development both by the authors and also within the classroom setting and by the teacher.

While the thematic approach is important, the chapters read as disjointed and the text is at places overly general and at times repetitious. There should be more focus on an overarching question of “what is art” which would allow the various themes explored in each chapter to read as more cohesive. The chapter on Art and Ethics could be strengthened more.

While there is a really good attempt at organizing the text, there are a number of issues that make it difficult. For example, the placement of the imagery and discussion becomes somewhat confusing when there are also a number of images that are discussed but not shown the body of the text. The reader is instead supposed to go to the link and toggle back and forth. Such long links in the body of the text are distracting and confusing. A better way to organize this might be creating case studies which would allow for more in depth focus on the particular artist/artwork. The lack of continuity would be confusing for a student who is new to the topic of art and art history. Overall the clarity of the images are okay with only a few that could be improved upon in quality.

While there are some typos, the formatting and use of citation is more distracting. As mentioned, the inclusion of large links in the midst of the text is frustrating as well as the lack of period to enclose this before beginning a new sentence. There are also things like the indentation in the footnotes that can be easily fixed.

Overall there is an attempt to draw from different cultures to connect to the themes and concepts without being overly biased. As mentioned earlier, more examples of non-western art might be helpful. Also, more contemporary examples and connecting them to issues that are currently relevant like identity and protest etc.

Overall an impressive project and a good foundation to build upon. This text is best for Art Appreciation or potentially studio classes (supplement).

Reviewed by Peter Spooner, Instructor, Lake Superior College on 5/21/18

With eleven chapters in just under 300 pages, the text provides a comprehensive framework with which to explore the topic of art appreciation. It does not (nor does it claim to) offer a complete art historical survey, but rather uses examples of... read more

With eleven chapters in just under 300 pages, the text provides a comprehensive framework with which to explore the topic of art appreciation. It does not (nor does it claim to) offer a complete art historical survey, but rather uses examples of visual imagery from a variety of cultures, time periods and genres to make larger points about how we actually use art. Its chapter and sub headings suggest a view where art is fully relational to its users, whether they are individuals, communities or nations. Rather than a comprehensive glossary, the authors place key terms at the end of each chapter. The text is searchable, making an index unnecessary. The text successfully presents art as both an individual and collective enterprise, appropriately offering a variety of ways to explore its multiple functions, from self-identity and spirituality to commerce and communication. It makes an attempt to compare artworks from different time periods and cultures in terms of their function in life, and looks specifically at the viewer’s role in the process. To its credit, the text concludes with a chapter devoted to ethics and art.

The text seems to be free of any overt bias, and authors attempt to bring a variety of viewpoints to bear on the art and ideas they present. The text is well balanced between the authors’ assertions and well-documented quotes and information from a variety of sources.

The text is organized thematically and in terms of large ideas, thus guaranteeing a degree of longevity and future relevance. With so many web links in the text, it will be important to check regularly to make sure they are active. While this text is not based only on contemporary art, it uses many examples of current art throughout. For this reason, longevity is always a concern in art appreciation and introductory art texts. Since by definition contemporary art is a moving target, and at times local or regional in its relevance, instructors may want to supplement the text with their own references to contemporary art.

The text is clear and accessible, written to encourage understanding, not to prove points or advance opinions. It is appropriately written for students who are introducing themselves to art, and contains a minimum of jargon and hyperbole. Relevant key words and technical terms are defined at the end of each chapter, as befits any introduction to a subject.

The organization of the text and its components is consistent throughout, as is tone and flow of the text. Care is given throughout to maintain a consistent tone, level of detail, and depth in the text. Each chapter contains the same useful sequence: Learning Outcomes, Introduction, “Before You Move On” and Key Terms. Generally, students find such consistent organization reassuring and helpful.

Each chapter of 25-30 pages is sub-divided into seven or eight subtopics, and these sub-topics are themselves broken down into easily readable paragraphs, were key ideas are evident. These subtopics are well related to chapter themes, but by themselves could be used as lessons or topics for assignments. Beyond the first two chapters, the tone of which is more introductory, it seems as though instructors could and should feel free to present chapter and subtopics in whatever order serves their needs. The text is flexible and relational to the degree that some, but not all, chapters and/or subtopics would need to be used in a course. Given the modular organization of sub-topics within chapters, the text could be efficiently updated, and it is easy to see how instructors could insert their own material into chapters. The sub-topics contain plenty of specific examples, yet it is always possible to trace their connection to the chapter’s larger ideas.

Major topics are presented in a clear fashion that has a logical sense of development. The subtopics within each chapter are also clearly organized. Blocks of text are broken up by copious illustrations, photographs and live links. Each chapter begins with a list of learning outcomes, and ends with a section titled “Before You Move On,” which reviews key concepts, and provides a list of study questions. In addition, key terms are defined at the end of each chapter, as opposed to a single glossary, which makes it likely that students will review terms after reading chapters.

The PDF form with live links to websites and on-line resources was easy to use. Links were placed within text immediately following the artist or artwork under discussion, making them easy to find. The links themselves were relevant and added to the topic(s) at hand. All of the links I checked were operational, but as one might expect, the quality and size of images and text varied from website to website.

I did not detect any grammatical errors in the text. However, in Chapter Eleven: Art and Ethics, a number of the pages contain the heading Chapter Ten: Art and Ritual Life.

The text makes reference to art from a wide variety of cultures and to the experience of people from diverse backgrounds. It is true that many of the artworks and artists are familiar and part of a standard canon of Western art and its cultural touchstones. However, each chapter also contains references to non-Western art, and a cross-cultural approach is evident throughout the book, not only in isolated chapters.

The inclusion of an entire chapter devoted to “Art and Ethics” is refreshing, and somewhat overdue. The authors discuss and provide examples of art that has provoked controversy in terms of censorship, first amendment rights, copyright, appropriation, and the role of artists and institutions in examining sensitive societal and political issues.

Reviewed by Arianne Fernandez, Full - Time Lecturer, LaGuardia Community College on 5/21/18

The range of topics this book covers provides a great resource for teaching students the basics of visual art and introducing them to various media and techniques as well as the process of art making, from multiple. Since the text covers a wide... read more

The range of topics this book covers provides a great resource for teaching students the basics of visual art and introducing them to various media and techniques as well as the process of art making, from multiple. Since the text covers a wide range of time periods, styles, and works from Western and non-Western cultures - enhanced by good images-it is appropriate for both Introduction to Art and Art in Society courses. Despite the minimal attention in regards to Contemporary Art, the text is well written , with great descriptions of the pieces presented, with accurate explanations of art vocabulary. Overall, a great source for students.

The text appears accurate.

The textbook is arranged in a logical manner that introduces students to important concepts which enable them to understand how to describe a work within its cultural framework and uses a logical sequencing of information. The textbook has many high-quality images of the works discussed within the chapters. A fallacy, however, is that the bulk of art emphasized is predominately pre-1960 art. Thus, the instructor will need to go beyond this book to discuss Contemporary works within a global spectrum.

The language used is appropriate for college-level readers, with sentences easily understood. The ned of chapter glossaries provided, re-enforce the art vocabulary presented in each topic. The images support the content effectively and illustrate beautiful the in depth discussions presented within the chapters of the text.

The writing throughout the text is consistent. Each is well organized: outcomes are highlighted. The vocabulary is written in bold type and the end chapter glossary provided enforces the vocabulary. The summary and review questions provided at the end, are a great way for students to check both comprehension and progress.

The manner in which the text is organized supports teaching visual literacy in a logical sequence with each chapter’s subcategories allowing for the topics discussed to be highlighted. Thus, the reader can approach these topics from various viewpoints. Having more contemporary images / historical information can allow for students to make more meaningful connections with the art of today.

Overall, the chapters are consistently and straight forward which allows students to understand the topics presented clearly, as the book seamlessly weaves introductory concepts – i.e. what art is, its function and various use of media- and makes connections in the way that art shapes society as a whole.

The images provided in the text, are clear and high quality. The chapter sections and subsections are clear. The font is appropriate and easy to read and the inclusion of vocabulary words in bold, allows students to pay closer attention to the material covered.

The textbook contains a few typographical errors but nothing major.

This text provides a solid foundation in the visual arts. By analyzing historical artworks in depth and including works from non-Western cultures – African, Asian cultures- and women -which despite significant contributions are always glossed over In introductory texts- providing a global platform for students. An instructor would need to bring in additional examples to strengthen student understanding. Specially in regard to contemporary art. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. The thematic approach instead of a chronological approach makes it reader friendly and not tedious to read.

Overall, this is a great introductory text that discusses important styles, concepts and historical context. Some chapters need expanding, or the instructor can mix and match chapters in this text with other supplementary material in areas that are lacking.

Reviewed by Jonathan Johnson, Associate Professor, Otterbein University on 5/21/18

This textbook is ambitious and covers a lot of ground—both theoretically and historically. The thematic (as opposed to purely chronological or geographical) approach and interface allows the soaring comprehensiveness of this text to take a... read more

This textbook is ambitious and covers a lot of ground—both theoretically and historically. The thematic (as opposed to purely chronological or geographical) approach and interface allows the soaring comprehensiveness of this text to take a digestible and highly modular form. The position of the writing seems to be educator and student centric, with pedagogical concerns. Art historical (or disciplinary) outcomes aren’t the main focus here—and that should please those looking for an introductory or non-major textbook. I imagine this would facilitate the outline and planning of a course—where course outcomes could be developed with this text in mind as opposed to developing the course and then searching for an appropriate textbook and supplements.

The themes address in the text are sufficiently supported and explored with ideas and artwork reproductions that flesh out the major social issues contained within the artwork. The process and historical/social conditions of the work’s creation are also covered in each section. In this way, these art works are placed within the time they were made and viewed through a contemporary lens.

Table of contents, key terms and “Test Yourself” sections are comprehensive and helpful from a teaching perspective.

The textbook is accurate and without bias according to my reading.

The overarching “big questions” are up to date, however it could beneficial to have more contemporary examples representing these themes/questions embedded within the pdf version of the book. Are there more recent examples of art that tackle issues of race, history and identity as in the given example of figure8.25, for instance?

As mentioned below in “Clarity”, the writing is clear—but undergraduate students might be more immediately engaged with the material if it was more often connected to a contemporary iteration of the social issue at hand. We are introduced to Maria Luisa of Parma immediately within the Class section (8.3.4)—which I find quite interesting. However, I wonder if an undergraduate or non-major might desire a class reference that they can relate more to? At least at first, and then delve into something more “historical”? I’m thinking a bit of the Oxford University Press’ A Very Short Introduction series here.

With this being said, I did enjoy looking at more historical works and works from the 19th century through the lens of these very contemporary themes. I was also newly introduced to a few engaging works such as Sargent’s Gassed (Fig. 9.10) and Daumier’s The Third Class Carriage (Fig. 8.20). When connected to these larger questions and contextual frameworks, these two pieces (and many others included in the book) seem fresh and imbued with a renewed relevance.

The writing style is very straight-forward and clear of unnecessary jargon. Well suited for non-majors and for building student interest in Art History. Writing style seems to match the audience and outcomes.

Visual and organizational layout is consistent and becomes helpfully predictable as you move through the text.

Thoughtful and relevant groupings and subheadings. The order is logical and terraced to build upon previously presented ideas and themes. Would function well as a “pick and choose” text for a introductory art course or a course designed for non-majors.

Structure, flow, sequencing and logic are amongst the greatest strengths of this text.

Overall, the interface is easy to follow and basic in design. The off-white framing of the images and figures is reminiscent of a Polaroid border, and is a little distracting. Having the date(s) of the artwork underneath each image would be convenient for reference. Having to go between the text body and the image for the date is a little inefficient. Image reproduction is mostly sufficient, but the Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket I (Fig. 1.14) would have benefited from a larger reproduction, especially since the text references technical nuances of the work in its analysis.

I found no grammatical errors in the textbook.

The larger questions and themes are well chosen, sequenced and organized. How do they manifest more directly today? Showcasing the cultural relevance of more established canonical artists is a strength of this text. Pairing up Auguste Clésinger (Fig. 8.17) and Kehinde Wiley (pp. 221-2) in the early portion of the 8.3.3 Sex/Gender Identity section is a great example of answering this question I’ve posed, but I think more of it would add a depth and extend the relevance.

It goes without saying that pursuing a textbook writing project such as this truly serves the greater good and the authors should be commended.

Reviewed by Dina Pizzarello, Adjunct Assistant Professor, LaGuardia Community College on 5/21/18

This textbook would be a wonderful source for any beginner art or art appreciation class. It does not delve too deeply, but that is a plus for the beginner and/or typical non-artist using this resource. An index and glossary would be great... read more

This textbook would be a wonderful source for any beginner art or art appreciation class. It does not delve too deeply, but that is a plus for the beginner and/or typical non-artist using this resource. An index and glossary would be great additions to help students search for information and make connections more easily.

I found this textbook to be accurate and unbiased, although more examples of Non-Western art could have been added. Some of the CH 11 pages and titled CH 10 at the end of the text.

This text is current enough for the average art appreciation class. All of the links I checked worked perfectly. Since it is mostly based on works of the past, it will need little updating.

Clarity rating: 1

This text is written simply, clearly and with brevity. This can be especially helpful to international students and students with cognitive disabilities. Beginners can easily understand definitions and concepts.

The organization and writting are consistent throughout.

The chapter organization and subdivisions wold work really well for classes taught on single or multiple days. This is a big plus for those of us that teach at community colleges.

One strength is that the text is arranged thematically, not chronologically. This format has been proven to work better in art appreciation classes. Each chapter has a comprehensible and logical flow to the breadth of information covered.

I found no interface issues.

I found no grammatical errors.

I found this text to be un-biased and culturally sensitive.

I liked how the text included non-traditional images to explain some concepts. This gave the book a fresher feel that millennials could more easily connect with. Most of the images are of small or medium scale. It would be a nice to incorporate larger image examples of select artworks. This would be more visually impactful.

Reviewed by Eleanor Johnston, Academic Skills Librarian, Staffordshire University on 2/1/18

This texts provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art and contains 11 chapters, thematically arranged, to give an overview for beginners to the subject. The text contains enough content and examples to ensure that there in... read more

This texts provides a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art and contains 11 chapters, thematically arranged, to give an overview for beginners to the subject. The text contains enough content and examples to ensure that there in appropriate contextualisation and that the idea of Art as a concept is covered with sufficient depth and clarity. At the end of each chapter, there is a Key Terms list, which acts as a glossary for the readings just completed. There is no index at the end of the book, but this is not a problem as online PDFs can all be searched using the 'find text' function. There are areas where the text is not greatly detailed - any book of under 300 pages could not possibly cover all areas of art without omissions, so there is a greater emphasis on older works when used as examples. There is little on contemporary art, although it is covered in most detail in the final chapter. As there is no index of Artists, it can be tricky to locate movements using the 'find text' function. The outcome to 'build a broader, more comprehensive view of the nature and definition of visual art' (p.1) is impressively achieved.

The content of the book is accurate and I did not detect any particular biases or error. Of course, any Introduction to Art may inherently contain the biases of Western Culture in relation to the choice of themes and narrative, but there has genuinely been an acknowledgement of the importance of all cultures, and there has not simply been one token chapter to shoehorn in all other civilisations. There is one error in the layout - on pages 280, 282, 284, 286, 288, 290 and 292 in Chapter 11, these are titled 'Chapter 10: Art and Ritual Life" on the top right of these pages.

This text is arranged thematically, so this structure does ensure that there will not be any aspect of the contents that would quickly become obsolete or outdated. Any weblinks used within the text would have to be checked and maintained. These are contained throughout the book - I would surmise they were used if no Creative Commons image was available to illustrate a concept or technique. I did click through to a large number of the weblinks and am pleased to report that they not only were, without fail linking through, they also provided further details and areas for discussion that built upon the content of the text.

This area is a real strength of the book. The book explains complex concepts in a very clear and concise way, ensuring that any new or unfamiliar terms are included in the 'Key Terms' pages at the end of each chapter. I was particularly impressed with this in Chapter Seven: Form in Architecture. I think the authors had an intention to provide clear, accessible prose and to ensure that a reader with no knowledge of the areas of design, meaning and context would be able to understand and appreciate them.

Again, with the chapters arranged thematically with the same structure scaffolding each one (learning outcomes, introduction, before you move on and key terms) the text was consistent and the framework extremely clear. I did not find any examples where key terms were overlapping, confusing or contradictory.

As an Introduction to Art with easily digestible sections, these text deserves commendation. Each chapter is approximately 30 pages long, and sections within the chapters are subdivided into smaller sections (e.g. Chapter 8: Art and Identity contains 21 pages and has 5 subsections. The visual aspects of the text -multiple examples, images, photographs, artworks etc, ensure that there are no giant blocks of text, and the book taken as a whole is aesthetically pleasing and a pleasure to consult.

I would suggest that this area could be improved by expanding on descriptions in the contents page - there were sometimes cases of repetition when a concept was discussed across multiple chapters (e.g. the Sacred). This is a hazard of the thematic approach, but I understand that without reverting to a chronological timeline of art, it is very difficult to cover these in one or two paragraphs in one section of a text. The subjects of design, structure and materials provided better scaffolding for chapters.

The text was extremely clear and the images were reproduced at a high definition. Any links taking students through also provided clear images, although these were sometimes rather small. There was no confusion with the image labelling or creative commons attributions, and I found the single column view easy to read.

There were no grammatical errors that I was able to detect.

The text provided references to a variety of cultures throughout the pages. Once again it should be highlighted that non-Western cultural artistic traditions were not simply shoehorned into a chapter, but there was a great deal of inclusivity in the whole book. Indeed, the cultural relevance and variety mentioned is of great artistic importance and is refereed to as crucial to the ethics and raison d'etre of many prominent artists (see especially Chapter Eight: Art and Identity).

This Open Textbook is a valuable addition to the canon of texts currently recommended as an introduction to art. The thematic chapters provide a perfect platform to commence a discussion on a topic (for example, meaning in art). Students would be advised to read the chapter in advance of lectures / tutorials and to use this as a starting point for their research.

Reviewed by Victoria Hutson, Art Faculty, Lake Superior College on 2/1/18

This book covers a broad range of areas that are typically included in a college level art appreciation book. Because it covers so many different areas—it doesn’t go into a lot of depth in any one area. However, an instructor could easily provide... read more

This book covers a broad range of areas that are typically included in a college level art appreciation book. Because it covers so many different areas—it doesn’t go into a lot of depth in any one area. However, an instructor could easily provide more depth by providing supplementary material for specific areas. The book is arranged by topics or themes which is typical for most art appreciation books. It is not arranged chronological--which is usually the format for art history books.

The book appears to be accurate, error-free and unbiased--although I did catch one inaccurate statement regarding the Vietnam War Memorial. The memorial is below ground level but the book claims that this reflects “the belief that the Vietnam War was initially conducted ‘beneath the surface,’ that is, unknown to most Americans.” However, in the 1995 documentary, “A Strong Clear Vision” the designer (Maya Lin) explains a totally different reason why it is underground. This conflict between what the artist says and what the book says is worth noting. It did make me a bit concerned that other material may also be inaccurate—but I did not catch any other inaccurate statements.

This book should have relevance for a long time because the material it covers is primarily about past art—which for the most part doesn’t change. While it is possible that new information may become available that changes our understanding of the work—for the most part our educated guesses about the message, meaning, or function of the works will remain the same. In addition, the vast majority of images and information included in this book are also found in most of the standard art appreciation textbooks.

The textbook is written in a style that is clear and easy to understand and follow. Specific terms are written in bold text with their definitions listed at the end of each chapter.

There is a consistency in the way the material is presented in each chapter.

Each of the chapters are divided into smaller sections that make it easy to assign or highlight a specific portion of the text. In addition, each chapter starts with Learning Outcomes and ends with Key Concepts, Test Yourself, and Key Terms sections.

The topics in the text are presented in a fairly logical and clear fashion. It is very similar to other art appreciation textbooks I have used in the past. The book starts with fundamental concepts (what is art, art materials and techniques, describing art, finding the meaning, etc.) and then it proceeds into more advanced topics (connecting art to our lives, identity, power, ritual Life, and ethics). There is a separate chapter on architecture which seems a bit odd since no other area was given a specific chapter of its own.

The pdf interface is very functional to use and easy to navigate and download. While I understand the reasons for including links to copyright protected images I did find having to click on the link cumbersome and somewhat disruptive. In addition, often I felt a bit confused when I started reading about a work of art that did not have a printed picture to accompany it. I found myself glancing around the page trying to find the image that I was reading about only to see that later in the paragraph there was a link. Perhaps having the link at the beginning of the paragraph would have worked better. Plus, it would serve as a notice that the following text is about an image that needs to be viewed via a link. A few of the links brought me to pages that were no longer active.

I did not notice any grammatical errors.

The material in this book does includes examples from a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds—although most of the material is from what is traditional considered the origins and evolution of western civilizations.

This would be a good book for an art appreciation course. Because of its modularity it would be easy for an instructor to assign specific areas to establish a basic foundation and then provide supplementary material for in-depth explorations of chosen topics.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Maynard, Adjunct Professor, Rhode Island College on 2/1/18

This books is not an historical survey, but it offers a wide range of artworks from throughout history and the world to elucidate major themes and concepts. Even while it is non-linear or chronological, the text nonetheless covers terms and ideas... read more

This books is not an historical survey, but it offers a wide range of artworks from throughout history and the world to elucidate major themes and concepts. Even while it is non-linear or chronological, the text nonetheless covers terms and ideas specific to historical moments, taking them as case studies to illustrate larger themes. The end of each chapter includes questions to consider and a list of major terms with definitions.

excellent, to my knowledge.

While the book references very contemporary technology, including 3D printing, etc., it contextualizes them in more traditional methods; the themes and of the text remain timeless.

Both the imagery and the phrasing read easily. The images are very detailed and include helpful close ups.

The progression of chapter creates a very readable narrative.

The book is well divided up, and I appreciate the integration of both historical and formal terms throughout, to offer new historical information throughout without becoming dense.

The book lays out a great foundation for material and terms of analysis to get into deeper themes and modes of interpretation.

One thing I would add/change, is for the images to include the dates in the caption, not just in the text. While the text is non-linear, I think it's important for the dates to be readily available to understand the historical breadth of the works.

none that I encountered.

I especially enjoyed the integration of works from throughout the world. Often in more conventional texts, art of the non-western world gets relegated to their own, atemporal chapters. This format allows for thematic comparisons that helps to breakdown the hierarchies of the canon.

Reviewed by Renee Couture, Assistant Professor of Art, Umpqua Community College on 2/1/18

This book covers just about everything needed for teaching students the basics of visual literacy and introducing them to art. This text has a range of images and includes various time periods, styles, and works from Western and non-Western... read more

This book covers just about everything needed for teaching students the basics of visual literacy and introducing them to art. This text has a range of images and includes various time periods, styles, and works from Western and non-Western cultures. The textbook, however, lacks significant references to contemporary art. A vast majority of the work presented is pre-1960 and most of the media covered is traditional fine art media (painting, sculpture, drawing). That being said, the authors provide glossaries at the end of each chapter of target vocabulary, a comprehensive index, and write thoughtfully and thoroughly to provide a solid context to the works/images shown within the text.

The text appears to be accurate.

The textbook profiles works from ancient through modern times. The text is arranged in a way that introduces students to important concepts for viewing and considering artwork, and uses a logical sequencing of information. The textbook introduces students to some of the major “movers and shakers” in art history, and has many high-quality images of the works discussed within the chapters. The text, however, largely emphasizes pre-1960 art. In fact, it seems only a handful of post-1960 artists are mentioned and very few supporting images are provided of post-1960 artwork. To be fair, there are links provided, which will require upkeep. An instructor will need to find examples from other sources to expose students to contemporary art (artists, media, themes, and modes of working).

The text’s language is appropriate for college-level readers. Sentences are easily understood and the use of art-specific vocabulary (along with providing a glossary at the end of each chapters) shows students appropriate use of target vocabulary. Chapter topics are presented in clearly, accessibly, and with depth. Images are used effectively in supporting content.

The chapters are uniform in their organization; the writing is consistent. Each chapter starts with outcomes and an introduction. Headings for chapter subsections are clear and specific. Target vocabulary is written in bold type and each chapter has a glossary. Each chapter ends with a summary and review questions to check for student comprehension.

The text is divided in a way that supports teaching a foundation in visual literacy. Each chapter is clearly titled with subsections supporting the chapter’s topic. In some cases, subsections from different chapters could be mixed and matched. One of the strengths is the use of imagery from various time periods within each chapters as opposed to the standard chronological approach to an art history course. This could be further exploited by the addition more contemporary art by the instructor along side more historical examples the text provides.

The chapters are consistently structured. The choice of chapter topics and their flow is appropriate and student-centered. The book starts with basic information (what art is, its structure, media used) and works toward greater complexity (various ways art connects to and shapes our lives).  

The supporting images are clear and high quality, allowing the reader to increase the size of the images without losing clarity. Some of the pages feel crowded and a few of the links were nonfunctional. The chapter sections and subsections are clear. The book's font is easy to read with line hierarchy is unmistakable and consistent, and the use of bold lettering indicates target vocabulary for students.

I found no grammatical errors within the text.

The text will provide students with a solid foundation in visual literacy using historical artworks as examples. It includes work and architecture of non-Western cultures and women. However, it (generally) ignores contemporary art (artists, media, modes of working, and thematics) which students will see in today’s world. There are missed opportunities to discuss more recent attitudes & intentions within the arts (for example, in Ch 4: Describing Art, it would seem appropriate to have subsections on Modernism and Post Modernism). It would be helpful if were either more examples of contemporary art along side the more historical examples or if there was final chapter on art post-1960. An instructor will need to find examples of contemporary art (through resources such as Art 21, museum catalogs, artist websites, articles/interviews for arts-related sources) to expose students to contemporary artists and art. Inclusion of more art post-1960 would: 1) present students with more challenging imagery, 2) expose students to themes that are more relevant to them, and 3) further introduce students to the works of more women and minorities. Nonetheless, this book would be an effective tool for an Intro to Art or Art Appreciation course. A strength of the book is its thematic approach instead of the standard chronological approach. I did not find it culturally offensive or insensitive.

This book has enough general information that certain chapters (or parts of chapters) can be used in a Basic Design or Drawing course as well as a general Art Appreciation/Intro to Visual Literacy course..

Reviewed by Nancy Pettigrew, Associate Instructor, Tidewater Community College on 8/15/17

For an art appreciation textbook, there is no set of required information that must be included and, therefore, a textbook's comprehensiveness is somewhat subjective. This textbook does cover some core areas for this discipline: the definition of... read more

For an art appreciation textbook, there is no set of required information that must be included and, therefore, a textbook's comprehensiveness is somewhat subjective. This textbook does cover some core areas for this discipline: the definition of art; the function of art; elements of art and principles of design; and different media used to make art. I thought that the treatment of the elements and principles and of the media was cursory. Beyond that the textbook is thematic, with the choices of themes being somewhat idiosyncratic.

The treatment of the subject was constrained by the authors' focus primarily on the traditional media associated with fine arts, such as painting, sculpture, and architecture. Other current art appreciation textbooks also include more modern media, such as film and design. The scope was also hampered, in part, by the distinction the authors' drew between art and craft.

The focus of the textbook is mostly on art made before 1960, with most of it produced long before that. There is a dearth of examples of contemporary art being made by artists in the last 20 years. An exception to this is the chapter on Art and Ethics, which addresses recent controversies in the field.

The textbook does not include an index or a comprehensive glossary. Terms are defined at the end of each chapter. The table of contents is not sufficient to function as an index.

The content of the textbook is generally error free. There are some opinions expressed that I do not agree with, but these are debates that are not settled within the art history community. The authors do not seem completely up to date on recent scholarship in some areas. For example, the "Snake Goddess" from Crete is included when modern scholarship has called into question the validity of its heavily reconstructed form.

Since much of the art covered in the textbook was made before 1960, the content is up-to date and will not become obsolete quickly. The exceptions to this are the links to external web pages that will need to be maintained on a regular basis. Without this regular maintenance, these links could become obsolete quickly. This could pose a problem since the links are embedded in the content of the text.

The textbook is written in prose that should be accessible for the average college freshman. Specialized discipline-specific terminology is defined in the text and in a list of terms at the end of each chapter. The text does lack an comprehensive glossary of these terms..

The textbook is internally consistent in organizational framework of each chapter and in the use of terminology.

The textbook is divided into small reading sections with clear headings and subheadings. These could easily be reorganized and realigned.

I found it difficult to follow the organization and structure of the text. There seemed to be no clear logic to much of the distribution of the chapters and the chapter sections. Related content can be found in different chapters of the text. For example, both the chapter on Form in Architecture and on Art and Ritual Life contain extensive sections covering sacred architecture.

Within the chapter sections, there is some organization based on chronology, although this is not consistent. This creates a problem in which chronology is repeated without a larger, cohesive historical narrative. .

The interface of the textbook was effective overall with no significant issues that would distract or confuse the reader. Of necessity, the textbook provides links to works of art that are not reproducible in the textbook due to copyright issues. These links can be clunky and I would be concerned that students will not take the time to click on them all while reading the textbook. Links need to be reviewed. At least one of the links within the text to external images was broken. For the most part the images included in the textbook are high quality, although I find their sourcing odd from random users on Wikimedia.

Overall, the textbook contains no major grammatical errors beyond a few typographical errors.

The textbook draws its examples primarily from Western (European and American) and Asian cultures. There is some inclusion of other cultures, races, and ethnicities, such as Native American or African, although this aspect of the textbook could be strengthened. An instructor would need to bring in additional examples to make a course using this textbook truly inclusive. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.

This textbook could be appropriate for usage in an Art Appreciation class, if the instructor of the course was comfortable with the somewhat idiosyncratic thematic choices of the authors. For example, the inclusion of the chapter on the Significance of Materials is not typically included in an art appreciation textbook. The textbook would not work for an Art History course that is taught in a chronological framework. Specific dates are not provided for most of the objects discussed, although birth and death dates of artists are. The historical context and timeline of the works covered by the text are subsumed within the thematic organization.

Reviewed by Samantha Moore, Adjunct Instructor, Art History, Northern Virginia Community College on 6/20/17

The text covers information listed in the table of contents adequately. Content is arranged thematically as is common in art appreciation courses. Each chapter includes a glossary of terms covered at the end of the chapter. It does not include an... read more

The text covers information listed in the table of contents adequately. Content is arranged thematically as is common in art appreciation courses. Each chapter includes a glossary of terms covered at the end of the chapter. It does not include an index at the end of the text. Readers must review the table of contents and guess where information may be found.

The historical information listed in the text was accurate. The text included accurate information regarding styles and movements and theory associated with art. However, the text presents basic and surface level information and lacks in depth views on any one topic.

The content of the text is up-to-date particularly in the discussion of media types. Should updates be necessary it would be easy to implement them.

The text clearly defines bolded terminology. Each chapter is divided into sections and information in each section is related to the theme of that content area. The language is clear and easy to read and follow.

The language used, content presented, and organizational themes are consistent throughout the text.

The text follows a pattern of listing objectives, sectioning off each chapter, and following up with review concepts and terminology. Sections of the text can be assigned at different points within the course.

The text includes eleven chapters divided into sections. While each chapter and subsequent section is rich with information, heading and subheadings do not give a clear sense of what content will be present in a given area. Without an index it is not clear to readers when or where readers will find certain information.

When reading the text online I encountered an issue clicking on links to images. The link would bring me to the image in the same window as the text. I would then have to go back to the text and find my place.

The text was inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds.

This would be a decent text to use in an art appreciation course but not in a survey art history course. The content is not arranged chronologically or by region. Rather it is divided thematically into broad sections. I was pleasantly surprised with the information listed in several portions of the text. While it does not cover any area in depth it does a fair job of presenting a basic foundation for most of the major topics covered in an art appreciation course. Instructors will find they need to expand on most concepts and should plan on supplementing the text with readings and lectures. Without an index it is difficult to gauge when and where readers will find specific content. Chapter titles and section sub heads are very broad and do not help with pinpointing the location of information.

Reviewed by Isabelle Havet, Faculty, Linn-Benton Community College on 6/20/17

The textbook thoroughly covers the topics of each chapter, and each chapter has enough range that it could easily be supplemented and ideas expanded upon. The "Key Concepts" and "Key Terms" sections after each chapter are very useful and would... read more

The textbook thoroughly covers the topics of each chapter, and each chapter has enough range that it could easily be supplemented and ideas expanded upon. The "Key Concepts" and "Key Terms" sections after each chapter are very useful and would prove an effective study tool for students, as would the "Test Yourself" study questions. However, the textbook should have a master glossary of terms at the end for ease of reference. This is a large omission, especially for students studying for midterms and finals, or working on papers or larger group projects.

There are a small number of typos and usages of uncommon words when more simple words would suffice that are confusing and obscure meaning. (E.g., the tile for section 5.4.3: "Prohibition and Destruction of Imagery: Iconoclasm" misspells the word "iconoclasm," which is particularly problematic as "iconoclasm" could easily be reenforced as a key vocabulary word.)

The text is relevant, and one of its strengths is the breadth and depth of the visual examples anchoring the chapters.

The text is fluid, and the language accessible in a way that would be suitable for different levels of students.

While the text is generally well-organized, the organization of the chapters is somewhat confusing. The choice of chapter topics is also somewhat confusing. Certain major topics are omitted (for example, a chapter dedicated to a more in-depth survey of major artistic media), for what are some interesting but less necessary topics (e.g., Significance of materials in art). This will pose a challenge for instructors who might have to carefully weigh which chapters to teach. This might be especially problematic for instructors teaching in a 10-week term system, or who would supplement the text with additional lessons focused on the history of art (which is omitted from this volume).

The text would easily be divided, which is a strength as the organization of the chapters as it stands might not work for every instructor.

The topics are generally presented in a logical, clear fashion. The structure of chapters is easy to read and flows well.

The text cleverly utilizes open access images. The images are generally very compelling and of high-resolution, which is a big bonus in a visual arts textbook. There are only a few images that are grainy or fuzzy and would beed to be replaced (e.g., the statue of Menkaure and Queen). The interface is legible and pleasing to navigate.

The text contains no grammar errors.

An array of images from different time periods, geographical locations, and cultures. This is a huge bonus, as visual arts fields are moving to make curricula more inclusive. It would have been useful to include more contemporary art, as this is an important topic to emphasize when teaching about visual culture, and is relevant to students' lives. It is also important for instructors who might be teaching visual arts and studio students.

A unique text with a compelling choice of images and topics, and worthy entry in the expanding but still very limited field of art appreciation/visual culture textbooks. I would have liked to see a glossary of terms at the end of the text. It would also be useful to have a discussion of art history, and if not a chapter or more dedicated to art history, at least a timeline at the end of the text. The students are presented with an overwhelming number of artworks, so a general historical reference at the end of the text would be useful. Finally, there are some omissions of topics in favor of narrowing or less important topics that would necessitate some supplemental teaching materials or lessons.

Reviewed by Hilary Galián, Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17

The text covers a broad survey of art including many art forms. Photography, digital media and relational aesthetics examples are lacking throughout the text. Chapters include examples of Western and non-Western art and architecture. More context... read more

The text covers a broad survey of art including many art forms. Photography, digital media and relational aesthetics examples are lacking throughout the text. Chapters include examples of Western and non-Western art and architecture. More context could be fleshed out for how works of art were relevant in their own time. The text effectively references images and graphics that are either included in the text or linked on the web. There is no index, and a list of images would benefit the reader by seeing examples listed in chronological order or by medium. Image captions in the text should include mediums, date and location information, which would help with quick reference and to classify a work illustrating an era.

The wrong title is listed in a few image captions. Otherwise, the book appears error-free.

The content of the book spans the ancient world through contemporary art and reflects current art-world values and attitudes in broad terms -- defining art and artists through a contemporary lens and recognizing the omission of women and marginalized groups throughout the canon of art. Though the recognition is valid, more modern and contemporary art examples could be used to reflect the contributions of a broader group of artists. There are many links to outside sources for imagery, and it is unknown how often those may be checked for changes and errors. A safeguard against readers following links to sources that may have changed their content would be to insert those images directly into the text, which would also help the reading flow, particularly when two works are offered for comparison, such as Wiley’s and Clésinger’s "Femme Piquée par un Serpent," in which only Clésinger’s is included in the text.

Text is written clearly using accessible language for students. Adequate context is given for technical terms with minor exception. The questions at the end of each chapter to check for understanding reflect the text, though more attention could be aimed at mirroring the language and terms used in the chapter.

The chapters are subdivided consistently. There are a few instances in which the title of a work in the text narrative does not match the title given in the caption for the image. There are also some terms listed in the glossary that do not appear in the corresponding chapter. Similarly, there are some inconsistencies in the “Test Yourself” questions, in which the corresponding information is missing.

The chapters are clearly defined as are the concise, themed subsections. It could be easily reorganized to fit subunits of a course, though the text is jumbled chronologically due to classification by theme.

The text flows logically by the outlined themes. The book’s organization would benefit from some reference to a chronology. Without this context, a novice student may struggle to follow a somewhat disjointed selection of art and artifacts.

Internal references to images are made sufficiently clear. Over time, the numerous links to other web material may need updating. There is one reference in the text that is missing a link. A few links reveal images and are too small and low-resolution. The handful of formatting mistakes and typos are somewhat distracting, as is the single column layout.

The text appears free of grammatical errors.

The text is inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds. The balance of art examples still favors a white, male perspective. References to “our” perspective should be made explicit as such. Some general examples given to explain concepts lack universality, such as yoga as an example of art and science.

This book would serve well as primer for beginning art students for its far-reaching historical scope and theme-based approach, though a student would need supplemental material to address contemporary art forms and the contributions of a broader group of artists.

Reviewed by Sasa Miljevich, Adjunct Instructor (Fine Art), Portland Community College on 6/20/17

The text is organized thematically and covers some of the areas of Art. Some of the content is overly simplified , and some important artistic movements are omitted. There is no index, which make it difficult for students to comprehend some key... read more

The text is organized thematically and covers some of the areas of Art. Some of the content is overly simplified , and some important artistic movements are omitted. There is no index, which make it difficult for students to comprehend some key concepts.

Content is accurate and error free. Images shown and links to artists are mostly of Western Art/ Artist, very few examples , in comparison, of Non-Western Art/Artist.

The text is current and few sections would need updating.Necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The text is written in clear and concise manner.

The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The text is easily dividable into smaller sections to fit with various topics of discussion throughout a term.

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion, but smoother transitions between the different chapters would help.

The text is free of significant interface issues, easy to navigate , with clear images. very easy to download and print.

The text does not have many examples of non-western artist and is not overly inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, backgrounds, gender.

Reviewed by James Jewitt, Manager and Instructor, Arts Minor, Virginia Tech on 6/20/17

This text successfully manages the difficult task of synthesizing a plethora of approaches when studying art and its history. It considers numerous ethical, philosophical, and thematic issues typically left out of traditional survey books. While... read more

This text successfully manages the difficult task of synthesizing a plethora of approaches when studying art and its history. It considers numerous ethical, philosophical, and thematic issues typically left out of traditional survey books. While these comprise a robust and welcome conversation about the reception, agency, epistemology, and meaning of art, it comes at the cost of a slightly anemic treatment of major historical developments along conventional lines. No index is present or list of illustrations.

Some problems with Italian language terminology are evident, such as "giornate."

The content incorporates relevant and informed perspectives on crucial art world debates, including issues of ethical circulation of cultural property and material culture. Its content offers a broad appeal across the humanities and even social sciences, with relevance to students of philosophy and history as well archaeology and communication.

The prose tends to be clear and readable, though veers towards a somewhat overly conversational and colloquial tone. In places it seems imprecise and too rambling, needing much more concise and to the point verbiage. Also, captions for images are not given information relating to date, medium, or dimensions--a crucial oversight!

The text displays consistency throughout and does a good job of integrating key terms and concepts throughout its chapters. The bolded key terms that appear as a glossary at the close of each chapter is especially helpful, as well as the "test yourself" sections and introductory concepts that start each chapter. Such stand-alone devices are a great boon to students and surely aid with comprehension.

One keen advantage of this text is the authors' clever division of the material into cogent modules that mesh well with poignant themes currently driving the discipline of art history and also the best courses at colleges and universities. In this way, the text serves as an indispensable resources in introductory design and art history courses, as well as upper-level seminars focused on interpretation, methodology, and philosophy of art.

Overall the book is logically organized, particularly chapters 1-5 and 8-11. However, chapters 6-7 are oddly placed and the section on architecture is not well integrated into the rest of the text. It is treated like a separate and outlying practice instead of being carefully woven into the rest of the chapters on form, production, materials, etc. Likewise, chapter 7, though integral and vital, seems out of place. It would perhaps best be placed before the chapter on meaning, since it offers background on socio-cultural behavior as foundation through which to better understand art.

In general, the illustrations and figures are crisp and high resolution. However, they are not expandable or zoomable as is common in other electronic or digital textbook platforms currently available. Likewise, the internet hyperlinks could be replaced with embedded content to better increase the longevity of the text. Some odd spacing around the figures and illustrations is distracting as well.

See comment 4 above. In general, the discussions could be edited to offer a more precise and concise analysis that is less conversational and more direct. Right now it reads as if the authors are pandering a bit to a student audience by invoking memes, selfies, and other ostensibly trendy cultural phenomena.

Another great advantage of this text is its admixture of canonical and popular objects, drawing upon mainstays of art history as well as more of-the-moment visual culture. It is particularly adept at addressing themes that weave together global works in many media from makers of many backgrounds, thereby questioning the entrenched and monolithic canon.

Reviewed by Joe Macca, Adjunct Faculty, Portland Community College on 6/20/17

While the text covers such a vast amount of visual art history, genres, meaning, symbolism, materials, etc., because it's so much, it can only very briefly mention these topics. That said, the glossary of terms is thorough and appropriate. The... read more

While the text covers such a vast amount of visual art history, genres, meaning, symbolism, materials, etc., because it's so much, it can only very briefly mention these topics. That said, the glossary of terms is thorough and appropriate. The 'learning outcomes' and 'test yourself' sections are also very well organized. It can help students understand the kinds of questions and testing done in art survey classes.

In terms of studio art though the book can be a supplement only. Textbooks can be excellent but still not substitutes for the instruction of the hands on manipulation of materials.

The book is unbiased (if there is any bias, it's very slightly European. But which comprehensive survey book is?!) and presents its varied historical genres accurately.

The book suffers slightly from not discussing more contemporary artists and genres, especially performance, installation and public- art based works. Mid 20th century and before, the book is quite thorough. Because of this it is perhaps mildly more prone to obsolescence.

The book is excellent in its prose. Very clear, easy to understand, many good images and illustrations.

The book feels consistent overall. As described elsewhere, it may suffer a little from its lack of discussion of contemporary genres, artists, techniques, etc.

The modularity is the book's necessary natural feature since it cover so much. The chapters are quick and concise.

The 'Personal and Communal Need to Create' sections are so important. I appreciate that this was covered at length. Some sections are not elaborated on as much. I believe the isolated discussion of different art materials (a section on oil paint, a section on print, etc.) is clear and organized- I also believe it should be discussed that these techniques and materials are also very interchangeable.

The book is very well organized. Illustrations and pictures are appropriately shown. More images of 'artists at work' could improve the text.

No grammar issues detected.

The book does a good job of being varied and unbiased, especially when describing art made in varying regions by peoples with different ethnic backgrounds.

I believe the book can function very well as an Open Art History/ Survey Textbook.

Reviewed by A.D. Rocha, Fine Arts Advisor and Instructor, Washington State University on 6/20/17

The text presents its themes in an order that is easy to follow. The examples provided are relevant and serve well to illustrate the concept. The prompts at the end of each chapter also present good starting points for class discussion. read more

The text presents its themes in an order that is easy to follow. The examples provided are relevant and serve well to illustrate the concept. The prompts at the end of each chapter also present good starting points for class discussion.

The content is accurate. The definitions provided are concise.

The content is current. The inclusion of "fourth dimensional" art is particularly helpful in discussing contemporary art.

The terminology used is easy to understand. The "key terms" section is also helpful in its definition of terms that are introduced in that chapter.

The terminology used is consistent and works to expand on the content for proceeding chapters.

The arrangement of sections allow for each to be taken separately as necessary. The chapters can be presented in different order or omitted altogether.

The order of each chapter and its individual sections are easy to follow. Presenting basic concepts on the definition of art and the formal qualities that comprise an artwork in the first four chapters provides a good starting point for the context and meaning discussed further into the text. The only issue with the "flow" would be the inclusion of the chapter on architecture.

The images were presented within the appropriate text and were displayed clearly. The size of the PDF makes searching for a specific term or section a bit difficult, but otherwise there are no problems with the interface.

There were no grammatical errors in this version of the text.

A broader cultural range of examples would be more helpful, however, this is something an instructor can easily amend within classroom lecture or discussion.

This is an excellent introductory text to basic art elements and concepts. On its own, it provides a clear overview for students with no art history background. It can also be used to support other texts where more specific art movements are discussed.

Reviewed by Aderonke Adesanya, Associate Professor, James Madison University on 6/20/17

The text is a bold work in terms of content coverage. It focuses on the nuts and bolts of learning about and discussing art and its context, and combines these with some considerable information on art history, It therefore aptly fits the needs of... read more

The text is a bold work in terms of content coverage. It focuses on the nuts and bolts of learning about and discussing art and its context, and combines these with some considerable information on art history, It therefore aptly fits the needs of a foundation class. Although it has semblances of existing studies, this is not your traditional introductory art textbook. Apart from the in-depth discussion of concepts, techniques, and terminologies, the authors have included learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter, exercises (review questions) at the end plus key terms to help users review and affirm the content of every chapter. I also find very instructive the discussion of ways of looking at and understanding works of art in chapter 4; the distinction between formal and critical analysis, and the distinction in analysis, description, interpretation and evaluation. These comprehensive discussion make the text a great resource. The material is also reader friendly.

I find that there is minimal references to non-western art especially African and African Diaspora Art. This is palpably obvious even under the discussion 4.5.1 Cultural Style in Chapter 4. The illustrations in the text are also geared towards the examination of western art than other categories including Asian and African. In the discussion of two and three dimensional art (with highlights on materials and techniques), almost all illustrations and examples are western art, with some minimal references to Chinese and Japanese preferred materials for art, and their processes.

There are minor typos found in different pages of the text. For instance: i). Introduction: 2.4. Art Forms (cat egories should read categories)

ii). Chapter 8: p. 247 "iconoclas" should read "iconoclasm"'

Additionally, there is issue of consistency when "iconoclasm" is used as a sub-heading but not mentioned again in the body of the text.It also does not appear in the list of terms of reference. Consistency in reference to location: Benin is in Nigeria, West Africa and not just Africa as presented in the text on page 232. It is correctly referenced in previous pages.

Content is up-to-date. However, it may require updating in the next three years to expands coverage particularly the diversity of the subject matter covered, illustrations, and invariably to bring new content into the chapters.

The text is ready friendly, written in straightforward accessible prose. The definitions of terminologies accurate and simplified for readers to grasp the concepts quickly.

A consistent template runs through the chapters.

However, there is an issue with consistency when "iconoclasm" is used as a sub-heading but not mentioned again in the body of the text.It also does not appear in the list of terms of reference. Consistency issue with the way a culture's location is referenced: Benin is in Nigeria, West Africa and not just Africa as presented in the text on page 232. It is somewhat appropriately referenced in previous pages.

Consistency issue with the spelling of terracotta (pages 273-4, and 277)

Excellent compartmentalization, though I find the many sub-headings a bit problematic.

The structure of the book is very well organized. The topics are presented in logical sequence.

The interface appears many and a bit distracting. The links interspersed in the text forces the reader to go in and out of the text to check images being compared with those embedded in the text. It would have been more effective if these were readily accessible in the text for immediate comparison. No evidence of overtly distorted images (Perhaps Figure 10.37?). However, some of them could be improved for clarity (Figure 10.48 and 10.49).

No grammatical errors but there are typos.

The text could do with some examples of ideas and images about diverse cultures that the learner in the introductory class can later build upon.

Nothing beyond the outlined responses to other questions in this review.

Reviewed by Stephanie Wirt, ACA Art History Adjunct Professor, Reynolds Community College on 2/8/17

This text does cover the material its title implies at an introductory level. More depth could be used in some areas. In the chapter on describing art some major stylistic movements were omitted. The approach to describing art changes relevant to... read more

This text does cover the material its title implies at an introductory level. More depth could be used in some areas. In the chapter on describing art some major stylistic movements were omitted. The approach to describing art changes relevant to the time period and that is not addressed here by omitting some of the major Art movements like Impressionism, Cubism, Realism, photography and digital imagine.

All external Links work Information is accurate but seems to lack in depth in some areas. The artwork shown is primarily from the western world and the art of dead white men. In choosing which art to include as examples more diversity in artists’ ethnicity and gender should be included for a more balanced and realistic scope of art

The technical content of the text is up – to – date. The information as far as approaches to understanding art in general don’t change. Many of the artworks used to illustrate concepts are well known and appear in many standard art history textbooks. However, the lack of contemporary art examples makes some of the content less relevant to the life of the contemporary student. Art, how and why its made) is changing and this text does not necessarily address how to understand new practices in art

The text is clearly written in an easy to understand format.

The format, vocabulary and tone of writing is consistent throughout the text.

a. Each chapter is broken down into subsection that focus on a specific aspect of the overall chapter theme. b. Sections could be combined for instructional purposes c. Sections are brief enough to allow for quick coverage but also leave room for individual teacher adjustments to focus more time and discussion on specific concepts

a. The topics and objectives of each chapter are clear and flow in a logical format. While there could be an argument for some readjustment of chapter ordering, it progresses in a thoughtful format.

o This is a pdf text that can be downloaded to computer or tablet form the web. This allows students access to the main content without having to have internet for most of the content. o The outside links to artworks are necessary to view significant artwork that is not in the creative commons directly at this point. However over time that will change as the original artist dies and time has passed from the date of its creation.

The book's grammar is written using correct English.

The text does not show any outright bias against any specific cultural, racial or ethnic groups. However they are not many examples of non-western art or artists or women artists within the examples provided within the book. This is not unusual for many art survey books but there is a new movement in art education to expand the examples of art to include more people of color and women as well as more diversity in cultural arts within educational texts.

o This book is a good introductory text for a basic art survey class. It doesn’t go into depth in art history or studio practices but it does present a basic knowledgebase for understanding art in general and how to interpret and appreciate a variety of elements of art. o A teacher using this text would want to supplement the reading with practical studio experiences to give students a better understanding of some of the media and techniques presented in the book as well as an opportunity to practice the methods of analyzing artworks with more contemporary artworks.

Reviewed by RADFORD THOMAS, Ph.D., PROFESSOR OF ART, VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE on 2/8/17

Content adequately covers the subjects it purports to include. However, there is no comprehensive index. A brief list of Key Terms is included within each chapter. These lists are barely adequate and probably confusing to neophyte students with no... read more

Content adequately covers the subjects it purports to include. However, there is no comprehensive index. A brief list of Key Terms is included within each chapter. These lists are barely adequate and probably confusing to neophyte students with no art background. For instance, in 1.9 KEY TERMS, p.30, Icon is described primarily as often religious. “Icon”, in art, may have multiple meanings according to the culture that produced the artifact and its use by those members of that group. As an example, the image of “Isis” is an icon found throughout Egyptian culture with various “religious” as well as “power” and other cultural meanings. This criticism can be directed to all KEY TERMS lists in the text to some extent.

Illustrations appear to be consistent with the knowledge base of the written text. In other words, illustrations fit the need and are usually of good quality and reference the dialog effectively. Titles are included for each image along with the artist/author and sources where appropriate. Missing are important notes about media, method, size, and date alongside the illustration. Non-art students are wont to go to the trouble of looking up this important information.

Some KEY TERMS terminology is lacking in completeness or accuracy. Perhaps it is because the editors wished to make definitions simple, too simple. Bias is toward pleasing everyone while skimming over important iconographic details of the art forms examined. Dialog needs to be aimed at describing the iconographic content of art rather than ancillary historic events.

Content appears to be current in a way that will not make the text out-of-date within a normal time period. Updates, except for items that need immediate attention, should be easy to implement.

This text is actually written in a student-oriented manner that makes a connection between current student populations and information required to cover the subject matter. Applause to the editors.

This text is consistent with overall use of terms and organizational framework. Iconographic statements should be revised so they are accurate and clearly defined to explain the focus, use, and understanding of the art.

This text is divided into eleven rather arbitrary chapters. Editors chose these topics to somehow relate not only to history of art but to serious ways of making art. So this text is not aimed at teaching students about the why of art but about the construction of art. This makes it an art appreciation text, not an art history text. The format does not flow historically but topically.

It is difficult for the novice student to follow these disjointed chapters to a conclusion about what art really is. Each module or chapter is an end in itself and does not develop a cohesive theme about art itself. The Art and Ethics chapter is particularly misguided. This chapter’s content should be placed alongside relevant art objects and discussed in relation to that art.

Text is rife with various and confusing imagery placed next to each other making it difficult for the beginning art historian to make sense of it. There is a lack of cohesive structure throughout the text with a few exceptions. One example is the discussion of “porphyry” in chapter three. This dialog goes from the Sarcophagus of Constantina to the Palace Chapel of Aachen with no real discussion of how valuable materials are used for iconographic purposes. It then goes on to explain a "mausolea" for some reason.

In addition, I find reading the book difficult because it does not use two columns as a standard interface. It uses only a single column throughout the text.

I find no essential grammatical errors or problems.

Text is very inclusive and comprehensive in this matter.

In chapter five I found the Key Concepts very well written and useful to students

It is strange that there is a chapter on Architecture alone as an art form. Photography? or Painting? or Sculpture? or Ceramics? or Weaving...

Reviewed by Renee Garris, Adjunct Professor, J Sargent Reynolds Community College on 2/8/17

The text covers Art in a thematic approach. It explains concepts in an easy to understand manner. read more

The text covers Art in a thematic approach. It explains concepts in an easy to understand manner.

The content is accurate and error-free.

The text is current and few sections would need updating.

The text is written is a manner that those who are new to art and art history can easily understand. There are definitions for words that are new for the readers.

The text is consistent in its use of terms and the framework in which it is written.

The text is written with smaller rather than larger sections and is follow throughout the chapters of the book.

There is a logical progression to the text.

It is free of distortion of images and the illustrations are clear.

It is free of grammar errors.

It is culturally sensitive without bias. It could use more examples of art from the non-Western world for some sections to provide better balance.

Enjoyable read and could be used alone or with supplemental material.

Reviewed by Deborah Cibelli, Professor , Nicholls State University on 12/5/16

The text is organized thematically and does not offer a chronological survey of the history of art. Chapters discuss forms and materials, the processes of describing and interpreting art, aesthetics, architectural form, art and identity, art and... read more

The text is organized thematically and does not offer a chronological survey of the history of art. Chapters discuss forms and materials, the processes of describing and interpreting art, aesthetics, architectural form, art and identity, art and power, art and ritual, and art and ethics. These topics are all covered effectively. Chapters include examples of Western and non-Western art and architecture and offer many comparisons of art from different cultures. While there is no index, the reader may refer to the chapter titles and the glossaries found at the end of each chapter.

The factual information provided is accurate, does not contain errors and is sensitive to world views.

The themes that have been selected are well chosen and will remain relevant so that the text will not require constant revision. However, the URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) or web addresses for different web sites may change over time and the authors may want to update the text by adding examples of contemporary art.

The text discusses complex ideas in a clear and concise manner. Terms used in each chapter are clearly defined in the text and in the chapter glossaries.

Each chapter covers material outlined in the table of contents and the introductory chapter. Each chapter also has a summary of key concepts and reinforces the themes developed throughout the text.

The chapters and sections within the chapters are clearly delineated. There are on average, eight sections in every chapter, making it easy to divide the text into discrete units and easy to refer to specific topics.

The themes and ideas covered in the text are clearly delineated. There are clear transitions from section to section and from one idea to the next.

The illustrations are clearly numbered and referenced in the text. The images are from public domain sources on the web and are identified as such. It would be helpful to have dates for the images and references to the museums where the art objects are located either in the text or as additional information added to the labels for the images.

There are few grammatical errors. There are a few typographical errors such as misspellings of memento mori on page 98, of Edgar Allan Poe on page 214, and of iconoclasm on page 246.

The text compares works of art from different cultures and seems inclusive, objective, and balanced in terms of the items included and the content.

The text departs from standard introductory surveys by referring to objects from different cultures and historical periods that have been selected to illustrate the myriad functions of art, that is, art as map, religious work, “secular icon”, etc. Material is organized thematically rather than chronologically using a comparative model. The chapters on forms, materials, description, symbolic interpretation, aesthetics, architectural form, identity, power, ritual, and ethics, also encourage the reader to make connections to contemporary art and culture. Key concepts are reviewed in the chapter summaries and each chapter has a list of questions that can be used by the student to review the material as well as a glossary of key terms. The chapters on forms and materials support the study of art based on media. In the discussion of interpretive methods, the reader also gains insight into the role of the viewer as well as the artist in determining meaning and is asked to consider the continued relevance of artistic expression. The book could be adapted for teaching a more conventional survey of art if sections are assigned based on content. Chapter 10 on art and ritual, for example, largely follows a historical trajectory that begins with Stonehenge and examines architectural forms in Hawaii and Japan before discussing the sacred spaces and art of the medieval period that have been produced in different media. The strength of this work is that students are asked to make comparisons. They are also asked to think contextually about global art.

Table of Contents

• Chapter One: What is Art?
• Chapter Two: The Structure of Art
• Chapter Three: Significance of Materials Used in Art
• Chapter Four: Describing Art
• Chapter Five: Meaning in Art
• Chapter Six: Connecting Art to Our Lives
• Chapter Seven: Form in Architecture
• Chapter Eight: Art and Identity
• Chapter Nine: Art and Power
• Chapter Ten: Art and Ritual Life
• Chapter Eleven: Art and Ethics

Ancillary Material

• Ancillary materials are available by contacting the author or publisher .

About the Book

Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of Art. Authored by four USG faculty members with advance degrees in the arts, this textbooks offers up-to-date original scholarship. It includes over 400 high-quality images illustrating the history of art, its technical applications, and its many uses. Combining the best elements of both a traditional textbook and a reader, it introduces such issues in art as its meaning and purpose; its meaning and purpose; its structure, material, and form; and its diverse effects on our lives. Its digital nature allows students to follow links to applicable sources and videos, expanding the students' educational experiences beyond the textbook. Introduction to Art: Design, Context, and Meaning provides a new and free alternative to traditional textbooks, making it an invaluable resource in our modern age of technology and advancement.

About the Contributors

Pamela Sachant is an art history professor at North Georgia College & State University located in Dahlonega, Georgia.

Peggy Blood is Director of Confucius Institute and Full Professor in the Department of Fine Arts Humanities & Wellness. Prior to SSU she Directed satellite campuses (Fairfield &Travis AFD) for Chapman Universities in California. Her area of specialization is Fine Arts, Higher Education & Administration. She is a Fulbright Specialist & Fulbright Specialist Program Peer Reviewer, and reviewer for other academic fellowships and scholarships. Blood is a visiting scholar at Jiujiang University in Jiujiang, China. 

Jeffery A. LeMieux is Professor Emeritus of Art at the College of Coastal Georgia. He is a practicing artist with works in private and public collections including the University System of Georgia Board of Regents and the College of Coastal Georgia. He holds an M.F.A in 2D Studio Art from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.S. in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His area of specialization is college level art foundations and art appreciation which he has been teaching for over 20 years.

Contribute to this Page

561.684.6133 • 305.444.6282 [email protected]

• Publications
• Privacy Guidelines
• Antique Frames
• Decorative Arts
• Frame Conservation/Restoration
• Furniture Conservation
• Master Framing
• Outdoor Sculpture
• Works on Paper
• Documents Maps & Books
• Sculpture & Objects
• Tribal & Pre-Columbian
• Other Services
• Slide Presentation
• Community Outreach and Initiatives

561.684.6133 • 305.444.6282 [email protected]

Glossary for paintings.

The comparative extent of damage described by the following adjectives:

Negligible:

Insignificant damage that may not need immediate attention but needs to be monitored.

Damage slightly more noticeable than “negligible”; should be monitored by a conservator.

Existing condition, which is relatively unimportant; generally does not involve risk of loss; should be monitored by a conservator.

Damage is noticeable and may be of middle or increasing severity of size; not serious but should be monitored or corrected by a conservator.

Readily identified damage, often with distinctive features and requires remediation by a conservator.

Damages or existing condition are noticeable, if not conspicuous in extent; stability of the work is in question, often great risk is a factor. Requires immediate attention by a conservator to prevent further damage or loss.

Most severe damage or existing condition has become very advanced. The work is insecure, no longer stable and at great risk.

It is important to understand that damage to a work of art is rarely static and the work will continue to deteriorate. It is best to have a conservator monitor works annually.

• Privacy Policy

Home » Term Paper – Format, Examples and Writing Guide

Term Paper – Format, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Term paper is a type of academic writing assignment that is typically assigned to students at the end of a semester or term. It is usually a research-based paper that is meant to demonstrate the student’s understanding of a particular topic, as well as their ability to analyze and synthesize information from various sources.

Term papers are usually longer than other types of academic writing assignments and can range anywhere from 5 to 20 pages or more, depending on the level of study and the specific requirements of the assignment. They often require extensive research and the use of a variety of sources, including books, articles, and other academic publications.

Term Paper Format

The format of a term paper may vary depending on the specific requirements of your professor or institution. However, a typical term paper usually consists of the following sections:

• Title page: This should include the title of your paper, your name, the course name and number, your instructor’s name, and the date.
• Abstract : This is a brief summary of your paper, usually no more than 250 words. It should provide an overview of your topic, the research question or hypothesis, your methodology, and your main findings or conclusions.
• Introduction : This section should introduce your topic and provide background information on the subject. You should also state your research question or hypothesis and explain the importance of your research.
• Literature review : This section should review the existing literature on your topic. You should summarize the key findings and arguments made by other scholars and identify any gaps in the literature that your research aims to address.
• Methodology: This section should describe the methods you used to collect and analyze your data. You should explain your research design, sampling strategy, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
• Results : This section should present your findings. You can use tables, graphs, and charts to illustrate your data.
• Discussion : This section should interpret your findings and explain what they mean in relation to your research question or hypothesis. You should also discuss any limitations of your study and suggest areas for future research.
• Conclusion : This section should summarize your main findings and conclusions. You should also restate the importance of your research and its implications for the field.
• References : This section should list all the sources you cited in your paper using a specific citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Appendices : This section should include any additional materials that are relevant to your study but not essential to your main argument (e.g., survey questions, interview transcripts).

Structure of Term Paper

Here’s an example structure for a term paper:

I. Introduction

A. Background information on the topic

B. Thesis statement

II. Literature Review

A. Overview of current literature on the topic

B. Discussion of key themes and findings from literature

C. Identification of gaps in current literature

III. Methodology

A. Description of research design

B. Discussion of data collection methods

C. Explanation of data analysis techniques

IV. Results

A. Presentation of findings

B. Analysis and interpretation of results

C. Comparison of results with previous studies

V. Discussion

A. Summary of key findings

B. Explanation of how results address the research questions

C. Implications of results for the field

VI. Conclusion

A. Recap of key points

B. Significance of findings

C. Future directions for research

VII. References

A. List of sources cited in the paper

How to Write Term Paper

Here are some steps to help you write a term paper:

• Choose a topic: Choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to your course. If your professor has assigned a topic, make sure you understand it and clarify any doubts before you start.
• Research : Conduct research on your topic by gathering information from various sources such as books, academic journals, and online resources. Take notes and organize your information systematically.
• Create an outline : Create an outline of your term paper by arranging your ideas and information in a logical sequence. Your outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Write a thesis statement: Write a clear and concise thesis statement that states the main idea of your paper. Your thesis statement should be included in your introduction.
• Write the introduction: The introduction should grab the reader’s attention, provide background information on your topic, and introduce your thesis statement.
• Write the body : The body of your paper should provide supporting evidence for your thesis statement. Use your research to provide details and examples to support your argument. Make sure to organize your ideas logically and use transition words to connect paragraphs.
• Write the conclusion : The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion.
• Edit and proofread: Edit and proofread your term paper carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and flows smoothly. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Format and cite your sources: Follow the formatting guidelines provided by your professor and cite your sources properly using the appropriate citation style.
• Submit your paper : Submit your paper on time and according to the instructions provided by your professor.

Term Paper Example

Here’s an example of a term paper:

Title : The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity

As the world becomes more digitally interconnected, cybersecurity threats are increasing in frequency and sophistication. Traditional security measures are no longer enough to protect against these threats. This paper explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity, including how AI can be used to detect and respond to threats in real-time, the challenges of implementing AI in cybersecurity, and the potential ethical implications of AI-powered security systems. The paper concludes with recommendations for organizations looking to integrate AI into their cybersecurity strategies.

Introduction :

The increasing number of cybersecurity threats in recent years has led to a growing interest in the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve cybersecurity. AI has the ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns and anomalies that may indicate a security breach. Additionally, AI can automate responses to threats, allowing for faster and more effective mitigation of security incidents. However, there are also challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, such as the need for large amounts of high-quality data, the potential for AI systems to make mistakes, and the ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in security.

Literature Review:

This section of the paper reviews existing research on the use of AI in cybersecurity. It begins by discussing the types of AI techniques used in cybersecurity, including machine learning, natural language processing, and neural networks. The literature review then explores the advantages of using AI in cybersecurity, such as its ability to detect previously unknown threats and its potential to reduce the workload of security analysts. However, the review also highlights some of the challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, such as the need for high-quality training data and the potential for AI systems to be fooled by sophisticated attacks.

Methodology :

To better understand the challenges and opportunities associated with using AI in cybersecurity, this paper conducted a survey of cybersecurity professionals working in a variety of industries. The survey included questions about the types of AI techniques used in their organizations, the challenges they faced when implementing AI in cybersecurity, and their perceptions of the ethical implications of using AI in security.

The results of the survey showed that while many organizations are interested in using AI in cybersecurity, they face several challenges when implementing these systems. These challenges include the need for high-quality training data, the potential for AI systems to be fooled by sophisticated attacks, and the difficulty of integrating AI with existing security systems. Additionally, many respondents expressed concerns about the ethical implications of using AI in security, such as the potential for AI to be biased or to make decisions that are harmful to individuals or society as a whole.

Discussion :

Based on the results of the survey and the existing literature, this paper discusses the potential benefits and risks of using AI in cybersecurity. It also provides recommendations for organizations looking to integrate AI into their security strategies, such as the need to prioritize data quality and to ensure that AI systems are transparent and accountable.

Conclusion :

While there are challenges associated with implementing AI in cybersecurity, the potential benefits of using these systems are significant. AI can help organizations detect and respond to threats more quickly and effectively, reducing the risk of security breaches. However, it is important for organizations to be aware of the potential ethical implications of using AI in security and to take steps to ensure that these systems are transparent and accountable.

References:

• Alkhaldi, S., Al-Daraiseh, A., & Lutfiyya, H. (2019). A Survey on Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Cyber Security. Journal of Information Security, 10(03), 191-207.
• Gartner. (2019). Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2020. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2020/
• Kshetri, N. (2018). Blockchain’s roles in meeting key supply chain management objectives. International Journal of Information Management, 39, 80-89.
• Lipton, Z. C. (2018). The mythos of model interpretability. arXiv preprint arXiv:1606.03490.
• Schneier, B. (2019). Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World. WW Norton & Company.
• Wahab, M. A., Rahman, M. S., & Islam, M. R. (2020). A Survey on AI Techniques in Cybersecurity. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 11(2), 22-27.

When to Write Term Paper

A term paper is usually a lengthy research paper that is assigned to students at the end of a term or semester. There are several situations when writing a term paper may be required, including:

• As a course requirement: In most cases, a term paper is required as part of the coursework for a particular course. It may be assigned by the instructor as a way of assessing the student’s understanding of the course material.
• To explore a specific topic : A term paper can be an excellent opportunity for students to explore a specific topic of interest in-depth. It allows them to conduct extensive research on the topic and develop their understanding of it.
• To develop critical thinking skills : Writing a term paper requires students to engage in critical thinking and analysis. It helps them to develop their ability to evaluate and interpret information, as well as to present their ideas in a clear and coherent manner.
• To prepare for future academic or professional pursuits: Writing a term paper can be an excellent way for students to prepare for future academic or professional pursuits. It can help them to develop the research and writing skills necessary for success in higher education or in a professional career.

Purpose of Term Paper

The main purposes of a term paper are:

• Demonstrate mastery of a subject: A term paper provides an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and understanding of a particular subject. It requires students to research and analyze the topic, and then present their findings in a clear and organized manner.
• Develop critical thinking skills: Writing a term paper requires students to think critically about their subject matter, analyzing various sources and viewpoints, and evaluating evidence to support their arguments.
• Improve writing skills : Writing a term paper helps students improve their writing skills, including organization, clarity, and coherence. It also requires them to follow specific formatting and citation guidelines, which can be valuable skills for future academic and professional endeavors.
• Contribute to academic discourse : A well-written term paper can contribute to academic discourse by presenting new insights, ideas, and arguments that add to the existing body of knowledge on a particular topic.
• Prepare for future research : Writing a term paper can help prepare students for future research, by teaching them how to conduct a literature review, evaluate sources, and formulate research questions and hypotheses. It can also help them develop research skills that they can apply in future academic or professional endeavors.

Advantages of Term Paper

There are several advantages of writing a term paper, including:

• In-depth exploration: Writing a term paper allows you to delve deeper into a specific topic, allowing you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
• Improved writing skills: Writing a term paper involves extensive research, critical thinking, and the organization of ideas into a cohesive written document. As a result, writing a term paper can improve your writing skills significantly.
• Demonstration of knowledge: A well-written term paper demonstrates your knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, which can be beneficial for academic or professional purposes.
• Development of research skills : Writing a term paper requires conducting thorough research, analyzing data, and synthesizing information from various sources. This process can help you develop essential research skills that can be applied in many other areas.
• Enhancement of critical thinking : Writing a term paper encourages you to think critically, evaluate information, and develop well-supported arguments. These skills can be useful in many areas of life, including personal and professional decision-making.
• Preparation for further academic work : Writing a term paper is excellent preparation for more extensive academic projects, such as a thesis or dissertation.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Concept – Definition, Types and Examples

Academic Paper – Format, Example and Writing...

What is Art – Definition, Types, Examples

Implications – Definition, Types, and...

Prediction – Definition, Types and Example

Chemist – Definition, Types and Work Area

Fine Art Rolls

Books & art journals, toned paper, printmaking, matting & presentation, inkjet papers, youth artist, specialty arts & crafts, blank cards, learning series, strathmore® writing, strathmore® series.

Learn techniques from experienced artists through online videos and downloadable instructions.

register today!

Find the Perfect Paper

Art projects for kids, strathmore youtube channel, paper + media guide pdf, fine art papers guide pdf, digital printing templates, strathmore history, what do the strathmore series mean, environmental stewardship, glossary of paper terms, featured artists, ambassadors.

• Where to Buy

The 2 Meanings of Vellum

The term vellum as it relates to paper can be somewhat confusing because it can refer to two distinct aspects: 1. Vellum as a Paper 2. Vellum as a Finish

Vellum as a Paper Traditional vellum, like parchment, was an early writing surface. In ancient times, it was made from the skin of calves, goats and lambs. The vellum was prepared by exposing it to a lengthy lime bath, then the skins were scraped down with a rounded knife and rubbed smooth with a pumice stone. The term vellum is derived from the French word “veau” which translates to veal and referred to a parchment made from calf skin. It was known as a better quality of parchment with grain and hair marks producing a somewhat irregular and desirable surface.

Over time, vellum was used to describe a high rag paper, usually with a creamy white color and smooth surface that imitated traditional vellum. Printing diplomas and certificates became a popular use of vellum paper. Today the term vellum is often used to describe a very translucent, smooth paper surface.

Vellum as a Finish Vellum finish is used to describe a somewhat toothy surface on drawing or Bristol paper. Over time, several like terms have been established to describe this toothy finish: vellum, medium, regular and kid. Strathmore makes a number of popular products with a vellum surface: 300 Series Bristol, 400 Series Bristol, and 500 Series Bristol.

A vellum finish is most desirable for graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, pastel, and crayon. The surface has peaks and valleys, which grab the dry media, helping the artist achieve more layers and deeper tones.

300 Series Bristol

Our  300 Series Bristol  paper is a popular choice among many artists because it contains quality paper at a very reasonable price. It comes in a number of pad sizes, loose sheets, and large rolls. It has a 'bristol weight' at 100lb. (270gsm), and is perfect for finished art. Look for it in smooth and vellum surfaces.  Smooth  is a very good choice for mechanical drawing, marker, airbrush along with pen & ink.

Vellum  is best suited for working with graphite pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, sketching stick, mixed media, airbrush and oil pastel.

400 Series Bristol

Our  400 Series Bristol paper  is a high quality sheet that comes in 2-ply, 3-ply and 4-ply weights. It is available in pads and loose sheets, and comes in 2 surfaces:

Smooth  Finish is excellent for fine line drawings using pen & ink or marker.

Vellum  finish is excellent for pencil, charcoal, and pastel, as well as airbrush and light washes. Not recommended for traditional watercolor techniques.

500 Series Bristol

Our  500 Series Bristol  is a 100% cotton paper that was created in 1893 and has become an industry standard. It is the ultimate high quality surface for professional artists and illustrators. It is available in three surfaces:

Plate : An ultra-smooth surface that is great for technical pen, pen & ink, marker, and airbrush

Vellum  (Medium): Toothy finish that is great for graphite pencil, colored pencil, charcoal, sketching stick, pen & ink, marker, soft pastel, mixed media, oil pastel, light wash and collage

Semi-Smooth : Slightly textured surface for use with pen and ink, pencil, specialty pens and markers

Strathmore Artist Papers

Sign up for the Artist Newsletter

We do not sell your information or use it for any other purpose than to email you our quarterly Artist Newsletter. All emails include an unsubscribe link. You may opt-out at any time. See our  privacy policy

Filter Blog Categories

ART GLOSSARY

The following is a glossary of art definitions and terms that are commonly used to refer to artwork or artists.

Acrylic Paint

The substance that binds the pigment (color) is a synthetic resin, rather than natural oils. Acrylic painting has the advantage of drying faster than oil paint. This modern technique is in widespread use today and can be applied to canvas, linen, paper or wood.

Aerosol Paint

Paint that comes in a sealed, pressurized container and is released in an aerosol spray when a valve button is depressed. Aerosol painting is one form of spray painting; it leaves a smooth, even coat, unlike many traditional rolled and brushed paints.

Candy Paint

Highly sought after automotive paints by car and motorcycle enthusiasts due to their unique look. This special class of automotive colors have been used by custom painters for more than 60 years to make vehicles stand out from the typical automotive finish.

An earthenware or porcelain product made from a nonmetallic mineral, such as clay, by firing at a high temperature.

A composition made up of various materials, such as paper or cloth.

A drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal mixed with a wax or clay base, square in cross-section

Epoxy Resin

A chemical substance that’s a combination of resin and hardener. When the two are mixed, a chemical reaction occurs, giving birth to what’s known as epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is that clear and glossy hardening material that has innumerable uses ranging from sculpture to the finishing coat of a painting.

Gold leaf   is gold that has been hammered into fine sheets and is the applied to a canvas using an adhesive to adorn a piece of artwork.

A medium similar to watercolor, but heavier, because of a gum substance added to the ground pigment (color) and water. Most often applied to paper.

Modeling Paste

A thick, white paste that is primarily used to add texture and relief to paintings. Due to its thickness, it is best applied with a palette knife.

A type of paint made with natural oils, such as linseed, walnut, or poppy, as the medium to bind the pigment (color). Oil painting, the traditional technique employed by artists for centuries, is typically applied to canvas, linen, paper or wood.

A type of dried paste made of pigments ground with chalk and compounded with gum water.

A water-based painting medium which has been employed for centuries. Typically bound with egg yolks, tempera is applied primarily to paper or paper-board.

A transparent painting medium using ground pigment mixed with water, most often using the whiteness of the paper in conjunction with the transparency of the pigment (color) to create effects. A highly difficult medium to master, watercolor dries very quickly and requires a great degree of practice to master.

Chiaroscuro

The contrast between light and dark in a work of art.

Cross-Hatching

The practice of shading a drawing using intersecting lines

The use of a small amount of pigment on the brush to create a linear application of pigment, yielding a range of line characteristics.

A technique of mural painting executed upon wet plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and once the plaster dries, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall

A material used to prime a canvas or linen surface, allowing it to accept the paint more readily and not be absorbed into the surface. Gesso can also be applied to wood and sanded to create a fine and smooth painting surface.

The application of gold leaf to a painting through the use of glaze and adhesive.

The opposite of impasto, glazing is done by diluting the pigments and layering one color over another. Glazing lends a softness and delicacy to the surface. It is most effective with an under-painted tone and glazes applied on top.

The application of thick paint to the surface of the canvas or board to build up the textures. Impasto can be applied with a brush or palette knife.

A pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface

A shading technique created by forcing the brush to open with pressure onto the surface of the canvas or board, resulting in a loose and textural type of brush stroke.

A painting technique for softening the transition between colors, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on, or the out-of-focus plane made famous by Leonardo da Vinci.

Creating an image using numerous small dots and specks

An oil or water-based solution applied to a finished painting to cover and protect the work. Varnishing can result in a gloss, satin or matte finish. It may sometimes be applied purely for aesthetic reasons.

A small, air-operated tool that sprays various media, usually paint but also ink and dye. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush.

An Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to cloth. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines in wax to resist dyes. This allows an artist to color selectively by soaking the cloth in one color, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colors are desired.

A common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped during use

Palette Knife

A blunt tool used for mixing or applying paint, with a flexible steel blade. It is primarily used for applying paint to the canvas, mixing paint colors, and adding texture to the painted surface. The “palette” in the name is a reference to an artist’s palette which is used for mixing paint.

MAJOR ARTISTIC STYLES

Abstract art.

Abstract art focuses instead on the pure visual quality of the work, allowing colors and shapes to do the talking about what an image represents.

Significant Artists: Joan Miró , Dominic Pangborn , Kre8 , Tim Yanke  

Animation is a dynamic visual medium produced from static drawings, models, or objects posed in a series of incremental movements that are then rapidly sequenced to give the illusion of lifelike motion.

Significant Artists: Chuck Jones, James Coleman , Robert McKimson, Rob Kaz 

Art Nouveau

A decorative style that flourished between 1890 and 1910 throughout Europe and the U.S. is characterized by sinuous, asymmetrical lines based on organic forms. Its chief manifestations were in architecture and the decorative and graphic arts, aiming to create a new style, free of the imitative historicism that dominated much of 19th century art movements and design.

Avant-garde

In French, avant-garde means “advanced guard” and refers to innovative or experimental concepts, works or the group or people producing them, particularly in the realms of culture, politics, and the arts.

A style of architecture and art originating in Italy in the early 17th century movement characterized by contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep color, grandeur and surprise to achieve a sense of awe.

Calligraphy

The design and execution of lettering with a broad-tipped instrument, brush, or other writing instrument.

Classical Art

The ancient civilizations of Greece and Roman Empire set the foundation for the development of Western art. The entire aesthetic of classical art relies on three substantial ideals: beauty, harmony, and proportion. Grecian art worshiped human beauty, and achieved this in their works of art by applying the golden ratio, which strictly defined the proportion of body parts. Classical artists were masters of intricately depicted anatomical details.

Conceptualism 

One of several 20th century art movements that arose during 1960s, conceptualism emphasizes ideas and theoretical practices rather than the creation of visual forms in a work of art.

Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassembled in an abstracted form—instead of depicting objects from a single viewpoint, the artist depicts the subject from a multitude of viewpoints to represent the subject in a greater context.

Significant Artists: Pablo Picasso , Georges Braque

A nihilistic and antiesthetic movement art movement created as a strong opposition to society during WWI. Dada artists represented a protest movement with an anti-establishment manifesto, sought to expose accepted and often repressive conventions of order and logic by shocking people into self-awareness.

Expressionism

The main goal of the expressionists was to express their most profound personal experiences and emotions by painting often fantastical motifs, using vivid colors and strong brushstrokes. Expressionism gave way to many other artistic movements like Cubism and Dadaism.

Significant Artists: Lebo , Marc Chagall , Peter Max

An artistic style that sought to create compositions that depicted life in an idealized or exotic nature

Artwork that is clearly derived from a real object and so is, by definition, representational.

Significant Artists: Itzchak Tarkay , Pino,  Linda le Kinff

Impressionism

Impressionism is one of the most significant art movements that appeared in the late 19th century. These artists tended to transfer their unique impressions of the world by capturing movement and place a heavy emphasis on light in their paintings. They achieved extraordinary effects in their work by using thin but clearly visible strokes.

Significant Artists: Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir , Slava Ilyayev , Daniel Wall , Alexandre Renoir

Installation art

Installation art is an art movement characterized by large-scale, mixed-media constructions, often designed for a specific place or for a temporary period of time. Installation art typically involves the creation of an enveloping aesthetic or sensory experience in a particular environment, often inviting active engagement or immersion by the spectator.

Kinetic Art

A style of art that uses geometry and sculpture to create radiant patterns that morph and change depending on the angle you view them.

Significant Artists: Yaacov Agam , Ron Agam

Land art / Earth art

This art style is characterized by works made directly in the landscape, sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in the landscape using natural materials such as rocks or twigs.

Another one of the art movements from the 1960s, minimalism is typified by works composed of simple art such as geometric shapes devoid of representational content. This movement challenged traditional notions of craftsmanship, the illusion of spatial depth in painting, and the idea that a work of abstract art must be one of a kind.

Neoclassicism

Almost the opposite of pop art in terms of inspiration, Neoclassicism arose in the second half of the eighteenth century in Europe, drawing inspiration from the classical art and culture of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Short for Optical Art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions.

Significant Artists: Victor Vasarely

Photorealism

Developed in the late 1960s and ’70s in reaction to Abstract Expressionism, this style often seems more real than reality, where no detail is left out and no flaw is insignificant.

Significant Artists: Andrew Bone , John Rattenbury , Scott Jacobs

Rising to the height of popularity in the 60’s, this globally popular art movement successfully incorporated elements of popular culture into pieces of artwork. The idea of the entire movement was to ridicule elitist art by showing that you can produce genuine artwork using elements of kitsch and banal objects as your subject matter.

Significant Artists: Andy Warhol, Allison Lefcort , Romero Britto

The goal of Surrealist artists is to explore the unconscious mind as a way of creating art, resulting in dreamlike, sometimes bizarre imagery across endless mediums. The core of Surrealism is a focus on illustrating the mind’s deepest thoughts automatically when they surface.

Significant Artists: Salvador Dalí, Michael Cheval , Bernard Louedin , Francois Boucheix

A style of art in which the subject of the painting looks much like the real thing rather than being stylized or abstracted. Only when examined close up do what appear to be solid colors reveal themselves as a series of brushstrokes of many colors and values.

Significant Artists: Alexander Chen , Viktor Shvaiko , Orlando Quevedo

GRAPHIC WORKS

An intaglio, etching and tonal printing process in which a porous ground allows acid to penetrate to form a network of small dots in the plate, as well as the impressions made by this process. Aquatints often resemble wash drawings. Any pure whites are stopped out entirely before etching begins, then the palest tints are bitten and stopped out, and so on, as in etching. This process is repeated 20 to 30 times until the darkest tones (deepest recesses in the plate) are reached.

A kind of engraving which has a soft, fuzzy line because of metal burrs used in the printing process. Created by an intaglio process, burrs are left on the plate by the pointed needle that directly inscribes the lines. Because such plates wear out quickly, the disadvantage of drypoint is that the editions are usually limited.

Caldographs

Caldographs are the innovation of artist Csaba Markus . By using the dye sublimation process (see below), an image is transferred onto a wood panel. This incorporates the grain of the wood into the imagery. The panel is then protected with a coat of varnish, and from there can be hand embellished.

Dye Sublimation

Dye sublimation is the process that transfers imagery onto materials such as metal, glass and plastic. The original image is made into a digital matrix, and from there the artist has total control over how the colors will appear on the final work of art. The image is transferred onto paper using special inks. The paper is then applied to a surface, such as aluminum plates or wood panels, and heat and pressure are applied. The ink transforms from a solid to a gas, transferring to the surface before becoming a solid again. The image bonds to the surface on a molecular level, creating a crisp, vivid, and clear image.

A tool called a burin cuts a design directly into the surface of a metal plate. The plate is then inked, placed into a press, a sheet of fine paper is placed over it and the impression made.

First used by artists in the early 16th century, the etching medium consists of a copper or zinc plate coated with acid-resistant varnish. To produce an illustration, the artist draws lines through the varnish coating. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the drawn lines. During printing, the plate is inked and wiped so that ink remains only in the etched lines or areas. The plate is then printed under pressure onto the dampened paper, producing the plate mark, which is common to both etchings and engravings.  If more than one color is to be used, a separate plate is created for each color.

The word giclée (pronounced “ghee-clay”) is a French term, which literally translates into “spraying of ink.” A giclée print is produced by a very precise spraying of ink. In the giclée process, an original artwork is digitized and the scan or transparency of the original art is stored in a computer file. The computer is the controlling element of a highly specialized precision ink jet, which sprays several million droplets per second onto paper or canvas mounted on a rotating drum. The material printed upon is normally the type of medium an artist may use for an original painting (watercolor paper or cotton/poly canvas, for instance).

The artist is an integral part of the giclée printing process. A print is made, the artist “red lines” the proof, changes are made and another print is made. This process continues until the artist is satisfied with the result. Once the final settings are decided, the final print is made, approved by the artist and the edition is created.

A printmaking process in which a design is cut, scratched or etched into a printing surface of copper, zinc or aluminum. Ink is then rubbed into the incisions or grooves, the surface is wiped clean and the paper is embossed into the incised lines with pressure from a roller press. Intaglio processes are the most versatile of printmaking methods, as they can produce a wide range of effects.

A print created from a design carved into a piece of linoleum.

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) was probably the first artist to truly make memorable use of lithography, a technique first invented in 1798. To produce a lithograph print, the artist, or an assistant under the artist’s supervision, draws on a limestone slab with a grease crayon or with tusche (liquid ink). Water is spread over the stone and covers only the undrawn areas. Ink is rolled over the stone, adhering only to the greasy lines drawn by the artist, not the areas covered by the water. The final lithograph is a result of printing from a number of stones or plates drawn separately, one for each color in the image. Today, artists use various mediums — from zinc plates to acetate sheets — in creating lithographs.

An intaglio process in which the work is done in two stages. Initially, a metal plate is grained by working it over systematically with a spiked tool known as a rocker (which has a thick blade with a serrated, semicircular cutting edge). This creates a multitude of fine dots all over the plate’s surface. If inked at this stage, the plate would create a rich black.

The second stage of the process consists of smoothing away parts of the roughened surface, with the aid of a scraper and a burnisher, to create the white and highlighted parts of the resulting image.

The scraping of the plate is a skillful job; delicate, tonal transitions can be obtained if it is done well, whereas the flat appearance of some mezzotints is an indication of the difficulties involved. This flatness is also caused by the fact that mezzotint plates wear down very quickly. Color mezzotints can be created with several plates, one for each color.

A unique impression on paper, printed from a smooth surface, such as metal or glass, painted on in ink by the artist.

Optigraph ®

Works of art covered by sheets of specially designed acrylic. When you view the art through the optigraph’s acrylic layers, it creates a unique optical illusion effect that changes how you see the artwork beneath.

Sculptograph

Sculptographs bridge the gap between graphic works and sculpture. They are remarkable three-dimensional works where the artist is able to bring together different colors, textures, and layers into one solid sculpted work of art.

Serigraphy is similar to the process of silk screening. A tightly-stretched screen, often of silk, blocks out the areas not to be printed by filling the screen mesh with a varnish-like substance. Ink is forced through the remaining open mesh onto paper under the screen. The finished print is a serigraph.  If more than one color is to be used, separate screen work must be used for each color. Serigraphy is popular because it allows many opaque or transparent colors to be overlapped.

Seriolithograph

A combination of the two print making processes — serigraphy and lithography. Also known as a “seri-lithograph.”

In place of a metal plate, a wooden block is the medium. Similar to the engraving process, a sharp tool carves the design into the woodblock’s surface. With a woodcut, all of the undesired surface is cut away, leaving only that which constitutes the design. This surface is inked, paper is placed over it and the finished woodcut is the result. If more than one color is to be used, a separate block, or a reduction of an existing block, must be used for each color.

Artist Proofs (AP) / Epreuve d’Artiste or European “Artist Proofs” (EA)

An artist proof is outside of, but pulled at the same time as or after, the regular edition, from the same plates, blocks, stones or screens, without changes. Sometimes, the artist retains these proofs for their own personal use or sale. They are often released into the market with the numbered edition(s).

Printer’s Proofs (PP)

Printer’s proofs are reserved for the printer and collaborators, but are often released into the market as well.

Hors Commerce (HC)

The term hors commerce is French for “before trade.” These proofs are typically reserved for the publisher, but are often released into the market as well.

Bon à Tirer (BAT)

When the artist is satisfied with an impression from the finished plate, they work with an assistant to pull one or several perfect examples marked bon à tirer, a French term meaning “good to pull.” The assistant compares each edition impression with the BATs, before submitting each to the artist for final approval and signature.

A Note on the Numbering and Signing of Limited Editions

In each graphic medium, a limited number of impressions are pulled from the plates, stones, blocks or screens. Initially, each impression is inspected on the actual paper — not on the plates, etc. — and eventually numbered. The matrix is then defaced or destroyed to ensure that the edition stays limited.

The numbering is displayed as a fraction, with the bottom number indicating the number of impressions pulled (not including proofs), and the upper number indicating the “serial” or identification number of that individual impression.

The significance of the numbering can sometimes be misunderstood, as it may be incorrectly assumed that the lower the number, the more valuable the impression. Although this may be true for drypoint etchings, because the burr may wear down, it is not necessarily true of all etchings, lithographs, serigraphs, seriolithographs or woodcuts.

First, the impressions may not necessarily have been signed in the order in which they were pulled. Impressions are typically not signed until the entire edition is pulled, dried, trimmed and stacked, and it is difficult to always handle the impressions in the exact order they were pulled. Second, as with any new project, the technical assistant does not always learn to get the most from a plate until they have already pulled several impressions.

for breaking news, artist updates, and special sale offers

SIGN UP FOR THE PARK WEST NEWSLETTER

• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Receive exclusives, special offers, & more!

• Career Opportunities

Join the Park West Mailing List and receive newsletters, sale updates, and $100 in Free Collectors Cash when you attend one of our live online auctions!

Terms & conditions apply

• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

How to write a term paper

Published September 27, 2020. Updated June 1, 2022.

Term Paper Definition

A term paper is usually the culmination of a semester-long class and is meant to synthesize the information that you learned.

Overview of term paper

To start writing a term paper, you should first choose a topic that you are interested in that is related to the class. Then, do some pre-searching to identify preliminary sources that you could potentially use. Write a thesis statement addressing your topic that is arguable and provable. Thorough research should be conducted to identify a variety of credible sources. Recording and citing the sources as you go helps to make sure nothing is missed. An outline should be created before you write to make sure that the structure and organization of the paper are logical. After completion of the paper, make sure to read each section carefully and edit your draft. Double-check if all the required rules are followed for in-text citations and formatting. In addition to self-editing, it is also a good idea to get another person to read it and provide feedback if possible.

Worried about your writing? Submit your paper for a Chegg Writing essay check , or for an Expert Check proofreading . Both can help you find and fix potential writing issues.

This page will cover the following points:

Key takeaways

Choosing a topic, writing a thesis statement, read, analyze, and take notes, organize your ideas into categories and create an outline, write the paper, edit your draft.

• Turn in your paper and relax !
• Choose a term paper topic that you are interested in and have knowledge of, and then do some pre-searching to identify preliminary sources that you could potentially use.
• Write a thesis statement that is arguable, provable, adequately addresses your topic, and is not too broad or narrow.
• Conduct thorough research to identify a variety of credible sources and begin recording and citing your sources as you go to make sure nothing is missed.
• Create an outline before you write to make sure that the structure and organization of your paper is logical.
• Be sure to edit your draft and have another person read it and provide feedback if possible.

The magic of writing lies in writing about what you know. A term paper is the culmination of a semester’s worth of learning, so you should already have a good head start if you’ve been paying attention in class. In order to choose a strong topic, the following tips will help:

• Consult your class syllabus carefully.
• Clarify what the professor is asking you to do.
• Utilize your professor’s office hours to ask questions if confused.

Finding clarity at the beginning of the project will lead to smoother sailing throughout the journey.

In the process of writing the term paper, perhaps no step is more important than PRE-searching. After carefully reading the syllabus and clarifying what is expected of you, take some time to examine your own interests and skills that align with the assignment. In other words, what do you already know about the topic that would make a good term paper? Is there anything related to this topic that you feel passionate about?

Pre-searching involves asking yourself a few pointed questions:

• Do I fully understand what is expected of me with this project?
• What skills do I already possess surrounding this topic?
• What do I already know about the topic that would make a good term paper?
• What am I passionate about?

The more you already know, and the more invested you are in the project, the easier it will be. Once you start narrowing down your topic, your pre-search should also include some quick online searching to ensure that you will be able to find valid sources on your chosen topic. Taking time at this stage to ensure a solid topic with viable sources will save you time and aggravation in the future.

A thesis statement is the road map for your paper. There are several tips for writing a good thesis statement:

• Write a provable, arguable statement. You are not stating a fact; you are stating a debatable idea. You will use the rest of your paper to prove this statement.
• Usually, it is written in the third person.
• It should address the requirements and topic of your assigned project.
• Too broad: Plastic straws are bad.
• Too narrow: Because plastic straws with stripes harm marine life and contribute to Atlantic ocean pollution, so we should consider banning them in coastal towns with populations of more than 60,000.
• Just right: Because plastic straws harm marine life and contribute to ocean pollution, we should consider banning them.
• Put your thesis statement at the end of your first paragraph.
• Understand that your thesis statement will grow and change. As you research and learn more, it’s natural to tweak your thesis statement to account for new information and conclusions.

The art of research cannot be overstated. Working smarter and not harder is the key to your success here.

• Use your college library’s databases. Most of these can be accessed in the library or online. Since these databases have been vetted by librarians, you can trust the sources you find on them.
• Evaluate any sources you find via an online search engine. Though there are some great sources online (government data, newspaper articles, etc.), you have to be careful about what you choose to use. Not every source is reputable enough to include in a term paper.
• Use a mix of sources. You don’t want to only cite one or two sources over and over again or only cite sources from the same author. The more variety you have, the stronger your argument will be. At the college level, some academic journal articles should definitely be included (these can be found in the above–mentioned databases).
• Make a bibliography of your sources as you research. It’s easier to record your sources from the start rather than forgetting a source later on and being accused of accidental plagiarism.

What makes a good source? One guide to consider following is the CRAAP method of evaluating sources:

• Currency: How recent is your source? Does it present the most up-to-date information? Does it have information from a time period you’re focusing on? Check the copyright, posting date, or publication date carefully.
• Relevance: Your source needs to contain pertinent information for the topic you have chosen. It should also be at an appropriate scholarly level for the assignment.
• Authority: The source’s author needs to be credible. Check the author’s credentials, as well as the publisher’s or website’s background. Avoid personal blogs and random sources that are not written by experts.
• Accuracy: Your information needs to give you solid evidence to write your paper. Analyze a source’s use of language and information to make sure it is accurate.
• Purpose: You need to determine why your source was written. Was it written by an objective expert, or did an author or company with a vested interest in the topic write the article? Avoid articles with heavy bias.

One final note on research: Now is a good time to note that the word “research” means just what it sounds like. The prefix “re-” means ¨to do again,¨ so research means to search and search again. Don’t become discouraged if it takes a while to find good sources. The more work you do on the front end of the project, the better off you will be.

Want to look at a sample paper first? Check out this example term paper .

Once you have your sources, the hard work begins. You will need to read and analyze your source information. Taking notes is a MUST. In order to organize your thoughts and prove what you are trying to prove, you need to take detailed, relevant notes. Here are some reading strategies that will help streamline the process:

• Read your source through once to get a general idea of what it is talking about.
• Read it a second time to take notes and focus on the points you want to include in your paper.

The kind of notes you take could range from summarizing the material to making bullet points of useful facts to jotting down direct quotes. There are also specific note-taking approaches you can follow. If you’re interested in learning more, visit this helpful site .

The next step in the process is to organize the information you have gathered in your note-taking stage. There are several tips that will help you stay on track in this stage:

• Organize your notes into categories.
• Take the information in each category and decide what order to put it in to create the strongest argument.
• Write an outline. After organizing your notes, writing a phrase or full-sentence outline will really help you organize your thinking and keep your writing focused. You can be as informal or formal as you like, but this step is a lifesaver when it comes time to compose.

Consider using this outline template:

Creative Title of Research Paper

• Opening Statement (this is the “hook” for your reader)
• Thesis Statement
• ______________________________
• Recap thesis statement
• Summarize argument

At this point, you already have all the hard work done. All you have to do now is build out the sections in your outline using the research you’ve collected and analyzed.

Here are some helpful tips to make the most of your writing time:

• Format the paper according to the professor’s guidelines. You will probably use MLA or APA style.
• Use formal writing and strong vocabulary throughout.
• Use transition words like “therefore” and “additionally” to connect ideas.
• Use transition sentences at the beginning and/or end of each paragraph to set the reader up for what comes next.
• Create in-text citations as you go along to give credit for your information.
• Double–check your work.

After all of this time and effort, do yourself a favor and edit carefully. Read each section closely and double-check that you’re following all of the proper rules for in-text citations and formatting. There are two great tricks for editing that will help you catch errors:

• Reading your paper out loud will help you catch mistakes, especially words you accidentally skipped.
• Reading each sentence backwards from the end of your paper to the beginning will also help you polish your work. Although they might sound bizarre, these two tricks will really help!

In addition to self-editing, it’s always a good idea to get an outside opinion. There are many options:

• Ask a friend or classmate to read through your paper.
• Visit your university writing center in-person or online and use their review services.
• Submit your paper to an online paper checker like Chegg Writing. This option is great when you’re in a time crunch.

Before you turn in that paper, don’t forget to cite your sources in APA format , MLA format , or a style of your choice.

Turn in your paper and relax!

After going through this process, your fear will melt away and you will have a solid paper to show for your efforts. Imagine what you can learn and produce when you put your mind to it and follow a few simple steps!

Example term paper on Geoffrey of Monmouth

By Kathryne Bradesca. Kathryne has a aster´s degree in Teaching from Kent State University and a BA in English and Communications from Gannon University. She has been a junior high and high school teacher for 24 years.

Common Writing Assignments, Apps & Tests

• Analytical Essay
• AP synthesis Essay
• Argumentative Essay
• Book Report
• Compare and Contrast Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• College Admissions Essay
• Critical Analysis Essay
• Definition Essay
• Descriptive Essay
• Dissertation
• Explanatory Essay
• Expository Essay
• Informative Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Opinion Essay
• Personal Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Reflective Essay
• Research Paper
• Rhetorical Analysis
• Scholarship Essay
• Short Essay
• Thesis Paper

What’s included with a Chegg Writing subscription

• Unlimited number of paper scans
• Plagiarism detection: Check against billions of sources
• Expert proofreading for papers on any subject
• Grammar scans for 200+ types of common errors
• Automatically create & save citations in 7,000+ styles
• Cancel subscription anytime, no obligation

Subtotal $0.00 USD

Art on Paper - Everything You Need To Know

Just let a thought about art into your mind and you will immediately picture a large canvas covered in a thick layer of oil paint.  

But there is a medium that has no less charm as canvas, but is somehow, to my point of view, quite underestimated.

I am talking about paintings and drawings on paper , or as people from the art world call them — works on paper.

This blog post is about everything you need and want to know about these charming artworks — starting from definition, techniques, value, display and care. So let’s dive in!

Works on paper: definition

Shortly speaking, works on paper and art on paper are synonyms and these terms cover all artworks that were created on paper as medium, whether the artwork was drawn with pencils or charcoal, painted with oil or dripped with acrylics, created with ink or pastels.

Works on paper also include prints, collages, photography and even artist’s books. Whatever the technique, it is the medium — paper — that classifies the artwork under the term “work on paper”.

A very clear definition of works on paper is provided by ArtNet.com :

“Works on Paper include artworks drawn, painted or otherwise created on paper using a variety of media.”

This leads us to the next very common question.

Sign No. 28, Gina Vor, Ink on Paper

Is artwork on paper a drawing or a painting?

The simple answer would be — if it was drawn, it’s a drawing and if it was painted, it is a painting. 

Drawings would be created with dry media: chalk, charcoal, pencils, crayons, graphite and pastel.  

Paintings are created with various tools and paint — acrylic, oil, watercolour.  

Of course, contemporary paintings may be created with non traditional painting tools, like human hands and artists may use non traditional media, such as wine or coffee.

I personally find ink a very interesting and charming — depending on how it was applied, an artwork can be either an ink drawing or an ink painting.

What I would like to point out, is that paintings on paper may be created with same paint as artworks on canvas and that means they will be as rich in colour and texture!

Styles, materials and techniques

As a medium paper does not set any limitation to artistic styles. Artists have created and are creating on paper in variety of genres: from detail realistic drawings, to expressive abstract paintings.

I have already mentioned popular techniques and media’s used to create art on paper, but just for your convenience, I will list them all once more in alphabetical order:

• coloured pencil;
• commercial and industrial paints;
• mixed media (several medias used creating a single work of art);
• non traditional dry and wet media;
• chalk pastels;
• oil pastels;
• watercolour

These are just the most common techniques for drawing and painting on paper, of course there are many more and new ones are constantly being offered by suppliers or invented by artists themselves.

Paintings and drawings on paper definitely deserver art collectors attention and those who are experienced in art collecting certainly do own artworks on paper.  

These are the top reasons, in my opinion, why artworks on this medium deserve to be in your art collection.

1. Art on paper offers a glimpse into creator’s mind

We should definitely start with answering a question why artists are creating art on paper first of all.  

Well, many of them use it as starting point to generate ideas and quite often artworks on paper are a their first step into something bigger — it may develop into a large painting on canvas or even into a completely new artistic genre.

That is why most often we associate art on paper with sketches.

Just as we are taking notes to document our ideas, artists are creating drawings and paintings in smaller formats to document their inspiration.

It is a very important first step in the creative process, so no wonder it offers you, as a collector, a very intimate connection with the artist, a glimpse into his/her creative mind, on opportunity to witness the stroke of inspiration, birth and the result of creativity.

View this post on Instagram Sneak peek into a #sketchbook by @gina.vor who is experimenting with various materials and is about to create a new series of #sustainableart ! Can‘t wait to see final results 🙂 - #abstractart #charcoaldrawing #charcoalart #abstractcharcoal #ecoart #ecofriendlyart #blackandwhiteart #blackabdwhiteabstract #minimalistart #sketch #artoftheday #onlineartgallery #artgoda A post shared by Art Goda | Online Gallery (@art.goda) on Dec 1, 2019 at 1:57am PST

2. Works on paper are perfect for those you are just starting an art collection

When you are starting an art collection, you are about to discover the concept, your favourite artists and art styles. That being said, you will need to acquire several artworks before you find out what is it you really like and want.  

Art on paper is perfect for those who are just starting an art collection, because it does not require too much space and is more affordable. That leads me to the next important statement.

3. Art on paper is affordable

Paintings and drawings on paper are more affordable than paintings on canvas. Of course, it depends who created it, but even if you take a look at the artworks, created by the same artist — be it a celebrity or a rising start — you will discover that works on paper are cheaper.

Why? Because they are created in smaller formats and so did not require so much time and paint like large works on canvas.

View this post on Instagram This ink #drawing has left me today and is on the way to USA! - #blackandwhite #blackandwiteart #inkart #inkdrawing #lineart #linearabstract #abstract #abstractart #instaart #instaartist #abstract_buff #abstractors #womenwhopaint #ginavor A post shared by Very Abstract Art (@gina.vor) on Sep 12, 2019 at 3:46am PDT

4. Drawings and paintings on paper are valuable artworks

The value of the artwork is defined various criteria, I will not dive too much into detail what makes the artwork valuable, but will provide some statistics instead.

You will probably agree that curators, who decide which artworks should be in a museum collection, are really knowledgable experts.  

So let’s take a look at some stats and where do works on paper stand at the most prestigious art collections.

• Total number of artworks: 77,6 thous.
• Works on paper, including prints: 68,3 thous.
• Total number of artworks: 200 thous.
• No of drawings: 11 thous.
• No of prints, books and multiples: 60 thous.

KUNSTHAUS ZÜRICH

• Total number of artworks: 99 thous.
• No of prints and drawings: 95 thous.

I guess numbers speak for themselves, the value of artworks created on paper is defined and there are no more comments needed :)

I believe that at this point I have persuaded you to own an artwork on paper, so it is important to tell you how to take care for it.

Yes, artworks on paper are more fragile than paintings of canvas, but if they are handled and cared for properly — they will definitely last for generations to come!

Drawings and paintings on paper are sensitive to humid, temperature changes and light, but modern conservation technologies and few simple steps will remove all concerns and will allow you to enjoy art on this charming medium for many years.

1. Avoid paper-skin contact

Paper absorbs fat, so even if hour hands are clean, I would advice to wear gloves before touching artwork on paper.

2. Frame your painting or drawing

Professional framing will protect the artwork from dust, humidity, sunlight and mechanical damage. Make sure your framer is using archival materials, choose UV-protected glass if necessary.

3. Displaying your art on paper

Avoid strong direct sunlight, humid premises or very dry places (e.g. do not hang the artwork above the radiator).

Small Sign No. 21, Gina Vor, Ink on Paper

Where to buy abstract art on paper?

I am a fan of abstract art and if you are too - I would like to invite you to my online gallery where you will discover contemporary, charming, original and affordable abstract paintings on paper and limited edition prints.

I hope you found this article useful, please SUBSCRIBE for monthly tips on buying art.

Any questions? Just drop me a line !

Digital Art Terms: a Glossary of Words and Definitions

For the new Digital Artist, and even one with a few years under their belt, there are a lot of strange words to learn - it can be a bit overwhelming. Not to mention how some common words that mean one thing in everyday life might mean something totally different in digital art ( value , anyone?!)

It can be a little difficult to understand some of the artist conversations out there - that's why we're maintaining this 'living document' of digital art words and terminology here, to help you stay in the loop.

We'll keep updating and expanding this resource for you!

Some of the included words might seem very broad at first, but in their explanations and definitions we've tackled them specifically for digital artists.

A term given to forms created by the artist that usually don't resemble the original object at all. Usually forms are simplified or rearranged to suit the needs of artistic expression.

Additive color

Property of a color model that predicts the appearance of colors made by coincident component lights, i.e. the perceived color can be predicted by summing up the component colors. Additive color predicts perception and not any sort of change in the light. These predictions work only when viewers match small patches of uniform color isolated against a grey or black background.

Additive color models are applied in the design and testing of electronic displays that render images containing diverse sets of color using phosphors that emit light of a limited set of primary colors. Examination with a sufficiently powerful magnifying lens will reveal that each pixel in CRT, LCD, and most other types of color video displays is composed of red, green, and blue light emitting phosphors which appear as a variety of single colors when viewed from a normal distance.

Additive color, alone, does not predict the appearance of mixtures of printed color inks, dye layers in color photographs on film, or paint mixtures. Instead, subtractive color (definition further down) is used to model the appearance of pigments or dyes, such as those in paints, inks.

Airbrush tool

Tool available in most digital painting software. It attempts to imitate the actual airbrush tool (a tool that sprays various media, most often paint but also ink and dye). In digital art airbrush tool is mostly used for shading and creating smooth gradients.

‍ Analogous colors ‍

Analogous colours are sets of three colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. Usually they match really really well with each other, creating very pleasing, harmonious palettes. You can often find examples of analogous color sets in nature.

Animation ‍

Animation is used to create movement with digital imagery. Animators manipulate figures so they would appear as moving images.

Traditionally animation was created by drawing or painting images on transparent paper and then photographed and exhibited on film. Nowadays the technological advances allow for amazing computer-generated imagery (CGI). Both 3D and 2D computer animation is widely used in the creative fields, depending on the project and it's goal.

Appropriation art

Art in which the artist uses pre-existing images in their art, with very little alteration. The goal of this is so the viewer can recognize the original imagery, in hopes that it will evoke specific associations.

Arbitrary color

Color in an artwork, that is completely different from how the same thing would be in real life (neon pink people, black oak trees, etc)

Artist statement ‍

The creator's comment about what is their craft and why they do it.

Artist trading cards.

Conceptual art project, started by M. Vänçi Stirnemann. Self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated by the artist. (2.5'' x 3.5'' - same format as modern sports trading cards).

Asymmetrical composition

A form of balance in artwork, when the components balance on either side of a vertical axis and are not identical, but are placed in positions within the picture plane to create a feeling of balance of the total form concept.

Abbreviation of black and white (also seen as B&W) - black and white images combine black and white colour in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of gray.

In an image, area that appears furthest away from the viewer. Everything else is on top. In digital art usually referencing the background layers,(layers that are under the rest) as the rest of the layers contain other objects in the painting that are in front of the background.

Balanced composition

Composition type when the components in the artwork are set up in a way that gives a feeling of equal weight and/or attraction.

The merging of colors and / or values. There are few main methods that digital artists use to blend when rendering.

The name is quite self explanatory - it's a digital software tool that has few different settings you can use for blending colours or values in your painting (usually blend, blur, variations of those, some others). There's a right way and wrong way to use this.

BMP - bitmap file.

Bitmap image file (sometimes also known as device independent bitmap (DIB) - raster graphics image file format used to store bitmap digital images, without the display device. It's capable of storing two dimensional digital images.

The edge or frame of a painting or digital workspace (canvas).

Brush tool / pencil tool

Both of these are one of the main tools of digital painting software. Both of these are exactly what the name implies - brush tool imitates real life brushstrokes, and pencil tool imitates real life pencils. The main difference between these is that the pencil tool is limited to only hard brush tips, albeit any size or shape. It's only able to create hard-edged line. However the brush tool provides way more variety, as you can have brushes that create very soft edges, or even blending brushes.

The image used for creating specific digital brushes. You can think of it as the ink that's flowing out of a pen / brush. When creating a digital brush, you start with creating the brush tip image, and only then you're able to adjust the rest of the settings of the particular brush you're trying to make.

Chiaroscuro

Method of using strong light and dark contrast, affecting all of the composition. Also a term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrast to achieve a sense of volume when modelling.

Illustrations or designs; very simplified pre-made images used to illustrate. Most of clip art today is created, distributed, and used digitally.

Closed composition

Art composition where all the elements are inside the frame, not crossing the border. The used elements do not guide the viewer's eye to any other object in the image, or anywhere else for that matter.

Command key or Control key. Keys used in a lot of painting digital software shortcuts. Cmd in MAC; Ctrl in PC.

Subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four ink plates used in some color printing: c yan, m agenta, y ellow, and k ey (black).

The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colors on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtractive because inks "subtract" the colors red, green and blue from white light. White light minus red leaves cyan, white light minus green leaves magenta, and white light minus blue leaves yellow.

In additive color models, such as RGB, white is the "additive" combination of all primary colored lights, while black is the absence of light. In the CMYK model, it is the opposite: white is the natural color of the paper or other background, while black results from a full combination of colored inks. To save cost on ink, and to produce deeper black tones, unsaturated and dark colors are produced by using black ink instead of the combination of cyan, magenta, and yellow.

(Source: Wikipedia) ‍

Produced by light waves striking an object and reflecting back to the eyes. It's qualities include hue, intensity (purity and strength of the color), and value (darkness of color). The things we know as "colour names" like red, orange, etc are colour categories. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associated with objects through the wavelengths of the light that is reflected from them and their intensities. This reflection is governed by the object's physical properties such as light absorption, emission spectra, etc.

Colour emotion (colour psychology)

Whether the individual person realises it or not - colours subconsciously evoke associations and emotions in us. Some of it is subjective, but there are some overarching elements that can be seen almost as a fact. Also what needs to be kept in mind that different cultures can perceive the emotion and the language of colours differently.

Overall, especially when it comes to art pieces and relaying a mood and/or emotion in the piece, these are the following emotions that colours relay:

Red tones: passion, aggression, importance, domination, energy

Orange tones: playfulness, enthusiasm, energy, youthfulness, invitation, vitality

Yellow tones: happiness, friendliness, energy, spontaneity

Blue tones: serenity, balance, trustworthiness, invitation, spirituality, openness, calmness, professionalism

Green tones: nature, stability, freshness, prosperity, health, calm, optimism

Purple tones: luxury, mystery, creativity, romance, nobility, wealth

Pink tones: youthfulness, charm, naivety, playfulness, innocence, femininity, romance

Brown tones: groundedness, sturdiness, age, stability, support, practicality, experience

Gray tones:  formalness, seriousness, professionalism, neutrality, gloominess, lack of emotion, pessimism

Black: power, boldness, sofisticatedness, edginess ( need a better word? ), class, seriousness,

White: cleanliness, minimalism, purity, calmness, health, simplicity, virginity,

Keep in mind that these are mostly overall suggestions and talks about these colours in their more neutral range of value and intensity. Any neon colour will always convey energy, even if it's one of the colours that would express calm. Any dark tones will always be more filled with mistique or grim feeling. Not to mention when you're using certain colours together to try to convey more complicated moods and designs. Context matters a lot.

‍ Color wheel

Radial diagram where primary, secondary, and tertiary colors are displayed. It is arranged specifically to show the relationships between all the displayed colors - red , yellow and blue, which are considered primaries in this case, are put in three equally spaced points, and the rest of the colors are determined accordingly - mixtures of the primary colors in betweent them, mixtures between the primaries and secondaries between those, etc,etc.

Complementary colors

Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors (like orange and blue). The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation.

Composition

Organization or arrangement of the visual elements in an attempt to develop a unity in the total work of art. There are different classic composition types, like rule of thirds, centre composition, symmetrical composition, frame within a frame, rule of odds, etc.

Compositional movement

Compositional movement is the movement of the viewer’s eye through a given composition. Compositional movement can be either static or dynamic. Static movement jumps between isolated parts of a composition. Dynamic movement flows smoothly from one part of the composition to another.

The value of what's displayed in the artwork - sensory, psychological and emotional properties that the significance and aesthetic value conveys to the perceiver.

The circumstances in which a work of art is produced and interpreted. 3 areas are addressed: the artist; the setting in which it was produced; the interpretive mode of the audience

Contour lines

Lines that surround and define the edges of a subject, giving volume and shape,separate from the objects outline.

The difference between two things: light/dark, inside/outside, colors, warm/cool, curvy/angular, differing subject matter.

Convergence

The visual illusion of apparent parallel lines meeting at a central point in infinite space.

Greens, blues, and violets, associated with water, sky, spring, foliage. Calming.

Cool colors are usually described by blues, greens, purples. They can calm and soothe. Where warm colors remind you of heat and sunshine, cool colors remind you of water and sky, even ice and snow. Unlike warm colors, cool colors look as though they recede, letting you use them as a tool that conveys a feeling of bigger space.

Law. The legal right granted to creator, publisher, or distributor to exclusively publish, produce, sell, or distribute an artistic, literary, theatrical, or musical work. Fair Use and Public Domain are issues that are important in the copyright discussion. The © symbol along with the year declared, and the name of the owner (artist) signify Copyright.

It is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to make copies of any creative work, usually for a limited time. ‍ Copyright is intended to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself. A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States.

Some jurisdictions require "fixing" copyrighted works in a tangible form. It is often shared among multiple authors, each of whom holds a set of rights to use or license the work, and who are commonly referred to as rights holders. These rights frequently include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution.

Copyrights can be granted by public law and are in that case considered "territorial rights". This means that copyrights granted by the law of a certain state, do not extend beyond the territory of that specific jurisdiction. Copyrights of this type vary by country; many countries, and sometimes a large group of countries, have made agreements with other countries on procedures applicable when works "cross" national borders or national rights are inconsistent.

Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 50 to 100 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities to establish copyright, others recognize copyright in any completed work, without a formal registration.

Craftsmanship

The quality of what a person does as they create with technical skill, manual dexterity, by hand, with or without tools.

Review / statement / that is given by an individual or a group of people (that are hopefully, in most cases, more experienced) about the work that's done by someone who requires critique for that specific work, in some cases all of their work combined in general. Critique is given in order to help the person grow and tackle their issues faster, so ultimately they would improve that specific piece, and also, gain experience that will inevitably be applied to their further work.  

Cross-hatching

Refer to hatching.

A person in charge of a project where a collection of art pieces come at play, or a person who organizes and arranges a presentation of art pieces.

Curvilinear

contained by or consisting of a curved line or lines. Common in Gothic and Art Nouveau ornament

Deadline (or due date)

The time or date by which something must be completed - due dates for art projects. In business world, can result in damaged reputation, loss of income or career.

A plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or any other object before it is made. Organization or skilled arrangement of the elements of art into a unified composition or work of art.

Digital art

Electronic artistic work or practice; images composed of bits and bytes of computer memory, created on a computer using software and in some cases hardware. Digital sources come from scans, photos, downloads, or drawing tablets. With software, images are manipulated and / or created, and then used either digitally, or there's physical copies made, depending on the purpose of the piece.

Digital artist

An artist who creates artwork fully or at least partly digitally (refer to digital art)

Digital print

The hard-copy of your digital artwork

Painting on two associated artworks which may be closed like a book. Digitally - collection of two images that are supposed to be viewed together, not separately. Sometimes done on the same digital canvas.

DPI - dots per inch

Measure of resolution of printers or scanners. Number of dots that fit a linear inch, not per square inch. Computer monitor resolution is either 72 or 96 pixels per inch.

The early drawings or sketches of a design. Sometimes called a rough draft. An unfinished work. To draft is the act of making that initial design. ]drawing-depiction of imagery achieved by means of lines. The basis of all pictorial representation.Where most artists begin.

Depiction of imagery achieved by means of lines. The basis of all pictorial representation.Where most artists begin.

Drawing tablet

(Refer to - graphics tablet)

Expressive line

Quality of line that appears to relate to emotions. Curvilinear, angular, thinness or thickness, lightness or darkness, direction, formality, implied lines are related to emotions.

From the Fair Use Provision of the Copyright Act:

Fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include -1. the purpose & character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;2 . the nature of the copyrighted work;3 . the amount & substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;4 . the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors. From the Fair Use Provision of the Copyright Act.

Because the above definition is a little hard to digest - for our purposes as artists, copyright infringement is when a piece of art uses someone elese's copyrighted material and is too similar to the original material; fair use is when copyrighted material has been used, but the art has altered it enough for it to not be considered infringement. When something is altered in this way, it is often referred to as 'transformative', as in the original material has been 'transformed' enough to be considered new material.

What is a “transformative” use? The lawmakers who created fair use did not want to limit its definition, so it has an expansive meaning that is fairly open to interpretation.  This means that things like fan-art walk a very fine line, and the laws around it may change in the future as the definition of fair use evolves.

Fill function

In the Edit drop-down menu in Photoshop, one can find the Fill function which will allow the artist to change colors, put new colors in selected areas. There are numerous ways to fill selections in Photoshop.

Fill Tool is used to pour large areas of paint on to the Canvas that expand until they find a border they cannot flow over. If you want to create large areas of solid color, gradients, or patterns the Fill Tool is the tool to use.

Digitally, filters are layers that alter the look of an image.

Photoshop images are built in layers. When a work of digital art is completed, the artist saves the document & flattens layers together. When the document is reopened, it cannot revert to layers.

Focal point

Portion of a composition which draws the viewer's attention. Structural lines of the drawing may direct the eye to that point. Emphasis.

Foreshortening

A way of depicting an object to create an illusion of depth. That which is closer is larger — but exaggerated.

Structure of something. Art elements are part of form & formal structure, also referring to 3D shapes.

Drawn by hand without the use of mechanical devices like straight edges, compass, protractor, computer equipment, etc. Also without tracing. Opposite of mechanical drawing.

Room building, or digital site where artworks are exhibited and often sold.

Any shape or volume having more mathematic than organic design. Typically made of straight lines from geometry: circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, quadrilateral, polygon, sphere,cone, cylinder, tetrahedron, pyramid, cube, and other polyhedrons.

Giclée print

French for “sprayed ink” printing process. A continuous tone process called an iris print. High quality, permanent image with deep saturated color. Should be printed on fabric or archival paper with water soluble ink finished with a transparent coating for permanence.

Golden Mean or Golden Section

Ratio obtained by dividing a line so the short part : long part :: longpart : whole. Produces eurhythmy found in nature and in a variety of works of art and design. The dimensions of the Golden Mean have been determined to be aesthetically appealing.

In art - transition between colours and values.

Graphic art

A format in visual art that is linear in character (drawing, engraving, lithography, silkscreen, photography and even digital design). Arts of reproduction.

Graphic design

Art for commercial purposes like logos, letterheads, packaging, ads, posters, books,signs, web pages, and other publications. Arts for printing and online reproduction.

Graphic novel

A novel or story in comic-strip format.

Graphics tablet

Also known as drawing tablet, drawing pad, pen tablet - digital input device that joined with a personal computer enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. The device consists of a flat surface upon which the user may "draw" on using the attached stylus, a pen-like drawing apparatus. The image is displayed on the computer monitor, or on the graphic tablet itself, if it is a display graphic tablet.

These tablets may also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper which is taped or otherwise secured to the tablet surface. Capturing data in this way, by tracing or entering the corners of linear poly-lines or shapes, is called digitising.

A range of neutral values or shades of gray in an image.

A printed version on physical paper of data held in a computer. A print of a digital image.

A principle of design uniting compatible components. A way of combining elements of art to emphasize similarities & blend the parts into a whole through repetition & simplicity.

An artistic technique that creates value gradation by use of closely spaced lines, closer for darker, wider spacing for lighter. The different types of hatching are parallel hatching, contour hatching, cross-hatching and basket (or woven) hatching.

Parallel hatching - the simplest hatching technique that uses only parallel lines.

Contour hatching - In contour hatching lines follow the contour of the subject, instead of being only parallel. Using this allows the artist to enhance the sense of volume.

Crosshatching - hatching using criss cross lines, used to effectively convey very dark values.

Basket hatching - small sets of parallel lines that stand adjacent to another set of parallel lines, but facing in almost perpendicular direction, used to give more graphic feel.

The area of an object represented in art that receives the greatest amount of direct light.

The name of a color.

Iconography

The signs and symbols in a work of art, that usually has history and / or deeper meaning behind it. Literally - picture ( icon ) writing ( grafos ). Sometimes refers to iconology, the study of iconography.

Illustration

A design, decoration, interpretation, visual explanation of a text, concept or a process, a story, created by an illustrator. Something that's providing an example in visual form.

Image tools

In Photoshop, a drop down menu of tools to manipulate the digital image which includes color modes, adjustments, sizing, and other options

Implied line

A line that is suggested or inferred rather than directly drawn. Arrows, dotted lines, are examples of implied lines

Implied shape

A compositional device where figures or objects are arranged in invisible shapes triangle, pyramid, s-curve, c-curve.

Integration

How an artistic composition of individual fragments of a piece is organized and interwoven to make a harmonious whole.

Brightness or dullness of a hue or color.

A point where two systems meet and interact

How an artist manipulates the elements and principles into a harmonious composition where layers and lines seem to interlace or intertwine.

In the selection menu, converting or deselecting a selected area to select the unselected area.

Under Image Adjustments, changing an image to its color complement. Positive to negative. In some programs, flipping an image upside down / rotating it 180 degrees.

Joint Photographics Experts Group. Graphic file format for compressing digital images.

Type of art piece that displays a view of scenery in nature. Seascape or city-scales are some of the examples of landscapes.

One of the tools in most digital painting software. Most common types of lasso tool are Lasso, Polygonal Lasso and Magnetic Lasso. Lasso tool essentially allows you to mark a particular bit of your layer as a selection, isolating it from the rest of the painting, so you can do the adjustments planned only in that part of the piece.

Digital work areas that are stacked on one another. They can be individually manipulated through raster or vector functions in Photoshop. One can hide or move the layers to allow other layers to be revealed.

There are different layer types that each serve a specific function: 

Main layers / layer masks Layer mask lets you edit / hide part of the layer.

Image layers Very straightforward - when importing

Adjustment layers A layer that allows you to apply changes on the original layer, without actually changing it.

Fill layers Lets you fill a layer with a solid color / gradient, etc.

Type layers Very straightforward - just layers where you can use typing tool to use different pre-installed fonts to add text to your image.

The arrangements of elements of art using the principles of design. Organizing or setting out images and/or text on a page. It is a plan

Light value

An element of art dealing with the lightness or darkness of an image area.

Line character / line quality

Refers to expressive character of a line.

Linear perspective

System where an artist creates an illusion of 3D space on a flat surface. Uses vanishing point(s), orthogonals, & horizon line.

The liquify filter lets you push, pull, rotate, reflect, pucker, and bloat any area of an image.

Local color

The true or natural color of an object or subject in a work of art seen in daylight.

Lossless compression

Process to reduce storage space for image files without losing pixel information.When decompressed, a lossless file will revert to its original size and quality. .tiff, psd are lossless.

Lossy compression

A process of reducing the size of image files. If decompressed, information will be lost, though it may not initially be readable to the naked eye. .jpg is a lossy format.

One of the digital software tools who's function allows artists to select defined adjacent areas related by color for copying, pasting, deleting, or manipulating within a digital composition.

Japanese comics / graphic novels that have a distinct style. In most cases they are black and white for various reasons, one of them being that the style has developed in a way that color can actually distract from the linework impact. While manga originates in Japan, lately the term has been blurred, as there's many mangakas (artists creating manga) that are not Japanese but are widely accepted.

Manipulation

Using hands-on or computer skills, changing or altering shapes, color, and other elements to make new imagery.

A border or edge of an area. Could be paper, wood, digital document. Wide or narrow.

Tool in most digital software that allows the artist to define and select a rectangular, elliptical,or circular area to be copied, inserted, moved, or deleted within a digital work area.

Matte painting

Painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. Usually this technique uses cutouts of actual imagery and then the artist manipulates them and paints over them till the finished landscape looks realistic.

Material, sometimes technique, used to make a work of art. Digital art is seen as a medium of art.

Monochromatic

Use of a single hue or color with all its tints or shades in a composition.

A repetitions figure or design in decorative pattern, used a central focus or thematic variations in a work of art.

in Photoshop, a Toolbox choice of crossed arrows that, when active, allows a digital artist to move images around the computer screen with the mouse

Principle of design where implied lines or shape, or repetitious elements cause the eye to move around the surface of the work creating visual movement. In kinetic art, the object actually moved though wind action, manual or motor action.

The approach to art in which the forms used by the artist are essentially descriptive of things that the artist sees.

Negative space

In 2D or 3D work of art, a void or empty space.

Neutral (talking about colour)

Color not associated with a hue on the color wheel, includes browns, blacks, grays, & whites.

Noise (filter)

Filter that applies random pixels to an image, giving it a speckled, grainy look.

Observation

In art, the study and analysis of works of art for subject, style, content, and media. Observation skills are a very vital part for artists, to be able to study the different aspects in the reference, like proportions, scale, values and other.

One point perspective

Point-of-view in a work of art where all lines move from the foreground to a single vanishing point on the horizon line in what appears to be the distance in the picture plane.

Opaque (Opacity)

Impenetrable to the passage of light.

Open composition

Image where the lines or shapes appear to go off the edges of the picture plane.

An irregular or regular shape without angles. Very prominent in nature, plants, animals, etc.

First of its kind. An authentic work by the artist‟s own hand.

A single line that defines the perimeter of a flat, 2D shape.

Overlapping

Stacking or placing things on top of each other. In art, overlapping different subjects of the painting gives it a more natural and realistic feeling.

Portable Document Format

Portable Network Graphic. Bitmapped graphics file format endorsed by WWW Consortium.

Extension for a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation.

PhotoShop Document

The application of pigment in binder to a surface. In digital art in most cases referring to using the brush tools that allow you to replicate traditional painting as close as possible.

Traditionally - a piece of flat material on which paints and their colors may be mixed to achieve color for painting. In digital art, usually referring to the artist's choice of the colors in the art piece. Most digital painting software have tools that let you save a set of colours, a.k.a. a palette, imitating the traditional approach.

A design where subjects of art, e.g. lines, colours, shapes, etc, are repeated.

Principle of design

Repeated colors, shapes, lines, or motifs in a design. 10 classes of patterns include both natural and human made: spirals, mosaics, lattices, symmetry, waves, fractals,meanders, polyhedral, branching, and spheres.

Primary colors

The sets of colors that, when mixed, create a new range of colours, and that cannot be created by mixing any other colour. There's two sets of primary colours, depending on the colour mixing type. In subtractive colour mixing the primary colours are Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. In additive colour mixing the primary colours are Red, Green and Blue. (Refer to subtractive and additive colour mixing to learn more)

Pen pressure

In a lot of styluses (and this also needs to be compatible with the digital painting software you're using) they have the option of using pen pressure. Pen pressure can be used to control how the brush tool behaves and applies settings like size, opacity, angle, jitter, etc.

In digital painting software, a much more precise selection tool. Allows the artist to create paths and shapes in order to manipulate them and duplicate them, creating very complex selections, etc.

Perspective

A system of lines, horizon line, and vanishing point to achieve a 3D look on a flat surface.

Perspective tool

A digital painting software tool that allows you to set up the perspective of your painting very quickly, without you needing to create a perspective grid on your own.

A software program made by Adobe that allows for image manipulation and art making.

Short for picture element. The dot of color on a monitor. Color is depicted in pixels digitally.

(picture element) is the smallest item of information in an image

A multi-panel work of art. A collection of art pieces consisting of more than three artworks that are supposed to be viewed together.

A hard-copy folder of artworks or a digital collection in artists personal website or art social media websites, that contain representative examples of an artist's work.

Likeness of a specific person, drawn, painted, photographed in full face frontal / three quarter view / profile, full length / half-length / shoulders. Not a self-portrait.

Positive space

All the space in artwork that has any of the subjects in it.

Posterization

A high contrast treatment of light and shadow. It renders very detailed gradients to only a few blocks of color.

PPI-pixels per inch

Affects the quality and size of an image.

Principles of design

Ideas applied to the organization of the elements of art in a composition. Can include unity, variety, repetition, rhythm, scale, proportion, pattern, balance, harmony, contrast,emphasis, movement, time, anomaly, focal point.

Primary color

The three colors in additive color mixing model that cannot be achieved by mixing any other color - red, green and blue. There is also a second colour mixing model called subtractive colour mixing model where the primary colours are cyan, magenta and yellow. Refer to color / RGB / CMYK for further details.

Proportions

The relation of two things in size, number, amount, or degree. It is the relationship in scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of its parts. Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and depth.

Puppet warp

An option in some of the digital painting software, that works similarly to Liquify (see here). It lets you put pins anywhere on the mesh on your chosen field, and then lets you adjust it to how you see fit.

(to) Rasterize

Image or bitmap is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium. Raster is a rectangular pattern of parallel scanning lines followed by the electron beam on a television screen or computer monitor. To rasterise - to convert into pixels for screen output; convert into a raster image.

In digital art rasterising is used to convert vector layers into normal layers.

Natural representation of people, places, or things in a work of art. Not idealized.

An object or image of an object that the artist uses to be able to more successfully replicate the said object in their artwork.

The process of drawing / painting in order to convey 3D shapes on a 2D surface, finishing the artwork.

A copy. Used more often in traditional than digital art.

Representation

An artist‟s depiction of what is seen. May be abstracted. Word "representational" describes work depicting what is seen realistically or abstractly.

This is also used in context of a specific artwork being a representation of the artist's overall style.

Reference to scaling the dimensions of a digital image for reproduction, projection, or sending via email.

The visual quality of a digital image expressed in ppi (pixels per inch) on screen or dpi (dots per inch) in printing. PPI and DPI however are often used interchangeably, although they technically are different.

Principle of art that refers to regular placement or repetition of elements of art to create a sense of movement in a work of art. A continuance, a flow, or a feeling of movement achieved by the repetition of regulated visual information.

Rotate / turn around an axis.

An option in most of the digital painting software that allows you to change the orientation of your canvas or selected object.

Rough/rough draft

The early drawings or sketches of a design. Sometimes called a rough draft. An unfinished work. To draft means making that initial design.

Rule of thirds

One of the more popular composition types, that follow the rule of primary elements needing to be off center to make the composition more interesting. You can apply the rule of thirds to canvas of any shape, just splitting it into equal parts of three vertically and horizontally, and then placing the objects of interest on the lines and especially on the points where vertical and horizontal split crosses.

Saturation describes the intensity of the color - the amount / proportion of the hue in the color. A vivid color is of high intensity, a dull color - of low intensity. You reduce saturation of the color by adding grey to it.

Principle of art or design having to do with size. The actual size of something is full-scale

Secondary color

Color made by mixing together 2 primary colors. In the additive color mixing model where red, yellow and blue are the primary colors, the secondary colours are violet, yellow and green.

Selection tools

In most digital painting software, (for example in Photoshop - the Marquee, Magic Wand, Lasso, Move, and Crop Tools) selection tools allow the artist to choose what area of an image to isolate in order to edit.

Self-portrait

A likeness that an artist creates using themselves as subject. Self-portraits are very individual for obvious reasons, and can be done in a very literal way, or as abstract as the artist wants.

Serial imagery

Sequential works of art in which one specific object / color / specific characteristic of the image etc. repeats throughout all of the artworks involved.

A collection of multiple artworks that are all connected in a specific way that artist intended. It can range from a specific character to just overlapping theme.

Art technique that uses very very soft and cloudy edges of shapes and colours, creating light smoky / cloudy effect, sometimes used to make things appear out of focus.

Shade (color)

In color theory, a variety of a colour achieved by mixing the colour of your choice and black.

Shade (volume)

Value gradation on a 2D shape that gives the effect of a 3D volume on a 2D surface.

The darker value on the portion of a form’s surface that is turned away from the light source. When shading a form when it comes to shadow specifically you would think about form shadow, cast shadow, occlusion shadow and halftones.

Element of art that refers to geometric or organic forms in 2D and 3D. Circle, sphere, square,cube. 3D shapes are sometimes referred to as volumes or forms.

Keystrokes or key combinations that allow an artist to quickly complete repeated digital painting software functions that are built in the software by default or the artist has set up themselves.

A quick drawing that captures the appearance or action of a place or situation. Preparation drawings for a potentially larger scale work.

Function in some of the digital painting software that allows you to apply horizontal or vertical slant to the image or selection.

Related to stasis. Lack of movement. Complete stillness. In art talking about compositions with vertical lines or figures.

Stabilization (setting)

An optional setting that you can apply to your brush tools that make the movement of the brush, therefore, the brushstroke way more steady and smooth.

Drawn method of shading (similar to hatching) that uses dots rather than lines.

Collection of visual images that show the planned visual narrative of an animation.

A mark an artist makes with a drawing tool, brush, knife, stylus, etc.

An artist's manner and character of their visual expression. While there are very known art styles like impressionism, surrealism, rococo etc., this can also mean the art style of the individual artist and the specific nuances and character in their work, that makes their work very representative of itself and lets everyone know who's the artist upon seeing the piece.

To alter shapes, forms, colors, or textures to make an image in a preset style or manner.

The tool used on a digital drawing tablet, that imitates the traditional pen / pencil. It functions like the computer mouse, and artists use them in junction with digital software programs to replicate different types of pencils, brushes, pens, etc.

Subject matter

This term, in a descriptive style of art, refers to the persons or things represented in a work. In abstract and nonobjective forms of art, it refers to the basic character of all the visual signs employed by the artist. In this case, it has little to do with anything as experienced in the natural environment.

Subtractive color

Color mixing model in which instead of adding up perceived colors (like in the additive colour mixing model) you illuminate "color filters" (partially light absorbing media) with white light, instead of mixing. Commonly used subtractive primary colors are cyan, magenta and yellow (read CMYK for more), and overlapping them equally, the subtracted light creates black. This is mostly used in practice when we talk about color printing and photography.

Symmetrical composition

A form of composition achieved by the use of identically balanced compositional units on either side of an axis within the picture plane.

Tagged Image / Interchange File Format. Flexible file storage format for handling images and data in and between files. Considered an industry standard. Good for saving original images. A lossless format.

The manner and skill in which the artist uses tools and materials to achieve a specific expressive effect.

Art in real time, that has a temporary lifespan (the lifespan of the medium it's made in).

Tenebrism (tenebroso)

Tenebroso is the Italian word for dark, gloomy, mysterious. Tenebrism is also called dramatic illumination - it's a painting style that uses more extreme contrasts between light and dark than chiaroscuro, but the dark parts dominate the painting.

Tertiary colors

Also called intermediate colour, they stand between the primary and the secondary colours in the colour circle - they are mixes of the adjacent primary and secondary colours, and just like primary and secondary colours, they differ in each of the colour models. Taking additive color model as an example , because it's used in traditional painting - the primary colours being red, blue and yellow; secondary colours being violet, green and orange - an example of a tertiary colour would be red-orange (vermillion) or yellow-orange (amber)

An element of art referring to surface quality or the feel of an object (smooth, rough, soft, etc.) In painting conveying different textures on a 2D surface lets the painting be more realistic, as the distinction between materials isn't left only to context, etc.

Three-dimensional

Having or appearing to have height, width and depth. Achieved through shading,perspective, value gradation.thumbnail-small, loose drawing. Digitally, a small image derived from a larger one for a browsing icon.

Three point perspective

A type of perspective that uses 3 vanishing points (2 on horizon, third one above or below). In art used frequently to convey very extreme landscapes.

In color theory, a variety of a colour achieved by mixing the colour of your choice and white.

In color theory, a variety of a colour that is achieved by mixing the colour of your choice and gray (or tinting and shading the color, meaning, adding white and black).

Tonal correction

Tonal correction is a tool in most digital painting software that allows you to edit brightness, hue, saturation, luminosity, and gradient of your selection / layer, etc.

Copying already existing artwork / image focusing on the lines and contours.

Transformation tool

Tool in most digital painting software that allows you to edit your specific selection's shape by rotating, skewing, flipping, and others.

Translucency

A property of an object - how much light can travel through the object (it's material). Translucent objects let through only a limited amount of light, therefore making it different from transparent. You describe the material as translucent, when you can still see the material itself.

Transparency

A property of an object - how much light can travel through the object (it's material). Object that doesn't let through any light is called not-transparent (opaque). If the transparency of the object is higher, that means more light is able to travel through it, so looking through something transparent, you would be able to see through it (the more transparent the object - the clearer you can see). Not an equivalent to translucent, as transparent objects can be completely transparent (glass), meaning that 100% transparent material will let 100% of the light pass through.

Triadic color scheme

A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Triadic color harmonies tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues.

A set of three associated paintings intended to be appreciated together. Digitally - collection of three images that are supposed to be viewed together, not separately. Sometimes done on the same digital canvas.

Trompe l’oeil

A technique involving the copying of real three-dimensional forms with such exactitude that the subject depicted can be mistaken for natural forms.

Two-dimensional

Flat, having height and width but no depth.

Two-point perspective

Application of linear perspective in which all lines meet at either of two points on the horizon line, creating an illusion of deep space.

An element of art. Refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, monochromatic, or gray scale image. In drawing is often achieved by hatching, cross-hatching, or stippling, patterns, texture, or value scale. Value variation helps the artist achieve a three-dimensional visual effect.

Value scale/gradation

A series of spaces or a scale, starting with white or lightest color tint on one end and ending with black or the darkest color shade on the other end.

Vanishing point

In linear perspective, the point on the horizon line where lines appear to converge.

A type of still-life. A collection of objects symbolizing death to show the shortness of life and the temporary nature of earthly pleasures and achievement (use of skulls, mirrors, broken pottery,glass, wine, maps, etc.)

The use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics

Vector layer

In a digital painting software - a layer that uses vectors instead of pixels. Vector layers are usually very great for line art, as changing the resolution of the vector layer will not be detrimental to the quality of the image, because the vectors are going to adjust with the help of mathematical equations.

The space within a form. In 2D, the use of shading to create the optical illusion of a 3D appearance.

Warm colors are usually described by reds, oranges and yellows. Often reminds you of fire, warmth, sunlight, heat. Warm colours (just like dark) usually make you feel like they are closer to you, therefore they convey the feeling of coziness, an enveloping feeling.

One of the transformation tools in most digital painting software. Allows an image or selection to be distorted using a grid.

Hey, I’m Christopher

I started making digital art in 2009, became a full-time freelance artist in 2016, and now I’m able to work on my own schedule from anywhere in the world.

I created this blog to help other artists make the same journey.

Apr 19, 2024

Mastering Term Papers: The Essential Guide From Start to Finish

Forget those groans and sighs whenever a term paper is assigned. Think of them as an incredible opportunity to take a deep dive into a topic you find fascinating, flex your research skills, and produce a piece of work that truly showcases your academic growth. 

This guide will walk you through every step of the process, simplifying term papers and empowering you to achieve your best possible results.

Understanding Term Papers

Term papers are a cornerstone of academic life, but are they the same as research papers? Not quite! While both involve research and writing, term papers hold a specific weight in your academic journey.

What is a Term Paper?

A term paper, also known as a course paper, is an extended research essay assigned towards the end of a term. It goes deeper than a typical essay, requiring you to present a comprehensive grasp of the course material.

Unlike a book report that summarizes information, a term paper demands critical analysis, where you explore a specific topic within the course framework. It's your chance to not just regurgitate facts, but to engage with the subject, form an argument, and support it with credible evidence.

Key Elements of a Term Paper: Building a Strong Foundation

Every successful term paper rests on a solid foundation. Here are the essential components you'll need to master:

Thesis Statement: This is the central argument of your paper, acting as a roadmap for your reader. A strong thesis statement is clear, concise, and directly addresses the prompt or topic.

Argument Structure: Think of your paper as a well-constructed building. Your arguments act as the supporting beams, holding your thesis statement aloft. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that strengthens your overall argument.

Evidence Base: Facts, statistics, and expert opinions are the bricks and mortar of your argument. Ensure your evidence comes from credible sources, such as academic journals, scholarly books, and reputable websites. Don't forget to properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.

Differentiating Term Papers from Other Academic Works

While different academic assignments share similarities, each has a unique flavor. Let's unravel how term papers differ from their scholarly cousins:

Term Paper vs. Research Paper: They overlap significantly, yet depth is the key differentiator. Term papers focus on demonstrating knowledge acquired during a course. Research papers delve deeper, expecting original research, analysis, and a novel contribution to the field.

Term Paper vs. Dissertation: Dissertations are doctoral-level behemoths compared to the smaller-scale term paper. Dissertations involve far more extensive original research, with broader implications across a discipline. Term papers often build the research muscle needed for such larger projects.

Term Paper vs. Essay: Think of essays as sprints, while term papers are marathons. Essays are shorter, with a more focused thesis and narrower argument. Term papers require you to sustain a thesis over a greater length and offer more comprehensive analysis.

Choosing a Topic for Your Term Paper

Selecting the right topic is like finding the right key to unlock the door of a compelling term paper. Here's your toolkit:

Brainstorming with Bounds: Start by mind-mapping concepts covered in your course. Remember, your instructor wants to see your grasp of the material, so stay within those parameters.

Finding Your Passion: What intrigued you in class discussions or readings? A passion for the topic fuels your research and makes the writing process more enjoyable.

Scope Matters: Be realistic about the time and resources you have. Choose a topic that is narrow enough to research thoroughly but broad enough to support a substantial argument.

The Goldilocks Zone: Your topic shouldn't be so general that you drown in information, nor so specific that research hits a dead end. Find that perfect "just right" balance.

Get Feedback Early: Run your topic ideas by your instructor. Their insights can save you from a path strewn with frustration.

Research Strategies for Term Papers

A well-researched term paper stands out. Here's how to navigate the ocean of information for that academic treasure:

Library Power: Your campus library is your ally! Librarians are masters at guiding you to the best databases, books, and journals for your field. Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Digital Databases: Academic databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar are goldmines of peer-reviewed articles, essential for credible research.

Beyond Textbooks: Expand your worldview! Consider primary sources (e.g., interviews, archival documents), government reports, and credible news websites to add depth.

Notes Are Your Lifeline: Effective note-taking isn't just copying information. Summarize key points in your own words, note the source and page number for easy referencing, and tag information based on how it fits your argument.

Organization is Key: Create an outline or mind map to see the big picture of your research. Digital tools like Evernote or OneNote can be lifesavers for managing a large project.

The Importance of Originality and Plagiarism Avoidance

Your unique insights are what make your term paper valuable. Here's how to safeguard your work and reputation:

The Art of Attribution: Whenever you use someone else's ideas or words, credit them through citations. Use the citation style required by your instructor (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

Paraphrase with Care: Even if you rephrase an idea in your own words, it still needs citation. Aim to primarily express your original thoughts and analysis.

When in Doubt, Cite: It's far better to over-cite than accidentally slip into plagiarism.

Is It Necessary to Use Plagiarism Detection Software for Every Term Paper?

Plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin or Grammarly are your failsafe. They help identify unintentional plagiarism, such as missed citations or poorly paraphrased passages. Consider it a step in ensuring your hard work reflects your originality and understanding.

Important Note: These tools are not foolproof, and should not replace your own careful citation practices. Use them as part of your editing process, not as a shortcut.

Selecting a Topic

Choosing a compelling topic is the first step to a successful term paper. Here's where originality and research scope become your guiding lights.

We already outlined how you can select the best topic for your term paper (see above), but you can also look for connections between your ideas and the broader themes in your field to make this process easier. This can create a deeper understanding and even pave the way for future research, like a dissertation or capstone project, that explores the topic in greater detail.

Can Any Topic Be Suitable for a Term Paper as Long as It's Well-Researched?

While thorough research is essential, topic suitability plays a crucial role. Here's why:

Alignment Matters: Your topic should align with the course objectives and the professor's expectations. Check the assignment guidelines carefully to ensure your chosen subject fits the scope of the course.

Finding the Sweet Spot: Consider research availability. Can you find enough credible sources to support a comprehensive analysis? Conversely, is the topic so narrow that locating sufficient information becomes a challenge?

Term Paper Format

Term papers have a specific format that ensures clarity and professionalism. Here's a breakdown with practical tips to set you apart:

Title Page: This is your first impression, so make it count! Include the title of your paper, your name, your instructor's name, course number, and the due date.

Abstract (Optional): A concise summary (100-200 words) highlighting your thesis statement, key arguments, and main points.

Introduction: Hook your reader with a captivating introduction that introduces the topic, presents the research question, and outlines your thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your overall argument. Use clear transitions to connect your ideas and integrate evidence effectively. Remember to properly cite your sources according to the required style guide (e.g., APA, MLA).

Conclusion: Summarize your main points, restate your thesis in a new way, and leave the reader with a lasting impression.

References: This is where you meticulously list all the sources you used in your paper. Formatting should be consistent with the chosen style guide. ( Tip: Use a reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley to streamline this process!)

Research Papers

Term papers and research papers share some similarities, but also have distinct purposes and structures:

Term Papers: Focus on demonstrating your understanding of course material through critical analysis and synthesis of existing research.

Research Papers: Delve deeper, often requiring original research, a more complex argument, and a contribution to a specific field of study.

The skills you hone while writing term papers, like crafting a strong thesis statement, conducting effective research, and properly citing sources, are invaluable for tackling research papers later in your academic journey.

Writing Process: Transforming Ideas into a Polished Paper

A term paper isn't born overnight. Here's a step-by-step journey to guide you through the process:

Research and Exploration: Dive deep into your sources, take meticulous notes, and organize your findings around your potential thesis statement.

Outlining: Create a skeleton of your paper, mapping out your introduction, body paragraphs (each with clear topic sentences), and conclusion. This helps with structure and avoids wandering arguments.

Drafting the Rough Cut: Let the words flow! Focus on getting your main ideas on paper. Don't worry about perfection at this stage; focus on the big picture of your argument.

Revision – Part 1: The Big Picture. Step back for a few hours (or even a day!) then reread your draft with a critical eye. Does the structure flow? Are there areas that need better evidence? Does your thesis shine through clearly?

Revision – Part 2: The Nitty Gritty. Focus on sentence structure, clarity, and word choice. Read out loud to catch awkward phrasing. Double-check your citations to ensure accuracy.

Proofreading with a Fresh Eye: Enlist a classmate or use a tool like Grammarly for a final polish. Look for typos, grammatical errors, and clarity issues.

Position Papers: Term Papers as a Foundation

The skills you develop in drafting a term paper translate directly to persuasive writing formats like position papers :

Building a Strong Argument: In both term papers and position papers, your ability to develop a clear thesis and support it with evidence is essential.

Organization is Key: Both formats demand a structured presentation, with clear introductions, supporting paragraphs, and impactful conclusions.

Power of Persuasive Language: Term papers help you sharpen your writing for impact. Apply that skill in position papers to convince readers of your perspective.

Crafting an Effective Outline: The Blueprint for Your Paper

A robust outline is like your term paper's compass. Here's how to create one that'll steer you towards a polished final product:

Start Simple, Get Detailed: Begin with your thesis statement at the very top. Then, list your main points (think Roman numerals - I, II, III). Under each main point, break down supporting arguments or evidence (using capital letters - A, B, C).

Flexibility is Key: Outlines are fluid! As your research progresses, add more supporting points or rearrange them as your understanding of the topic solidifies.

Digital Tools to the Rescue: Consider apps like OneNote, Evernote, or even good old Google Docs to easily rearrange sections, add notes, and keep your outline dynamic.

Does an Outline Need to Include Every Detail That Will Appear in the Term Paper?

Your outline should not be a word-for-word preview of your term paper. It's a roadmap, highlighting the major points, supporting arguments, and overall structure. Including every tiny detail leads to a cumbersome outline that hinders your writing flow.

Understanding the Purpose of an Outline: Benefits Beyond Structure

Outlining does more than organize your thoughts. Here's why it's worth the effort:

Early Warning System: A well-made outline can reveal gaps in your research early on. Did you find enough evidence to support Point III? Time to hit the library again!

Time Saver: A clear outline makes the writing process smoother. You know what to write about next, reducing time spent staring at a blank screen.

Combats Overwhelm: Seeing your term paper broken down into smaller chunks makes the entire project seem less daunting.

A Living Document: Don't be afraid to revisit and revise your outline as you research and your ideas evolve.

Components of a Term Paper Outline

A well-structured outline is the backbone of a successful term paper. Here's a breakdown of its key components:

Thesis Statement: This is the foundation of your entire paper, so prominently position it at the top of your outline. It should be a concise and clear statement of your central argument.

Introduction: Briefly outline the key points you'll cover in the introduction, such as background information, the research question, and a preview of your thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs: This is the heart of your outline. Break down each body paragraph by:

Main Topic: Identify the main point you'll address in each paragraph.

Key Arguments: List the sub-points or arguments that will support your main topic.

Evidence: Briefly mention the sources (e.g., author, publication) that you'll use to substantiate your arguments. Don't worry about full citations here, just enough detail to jog your memory.

Conclusion: Outline the key takeaways you'll emphasize in your conclusion, including a restatement of your thesis in a new way and the significance of your findings.

Selecting Main Topics and Subtopics

Choosing strong main topics and subtopics is crucial for a clear and coherent outline. Here's how to navigate this step:

Brainstorming Power: Start by listing all the relevant points you want to cover in your paper. Group related points together to form potential main topics.

Prioritization is Key: Order your main topics logically, ensuring they flow smoothly from one point to the next and build towards your thesis.

Subtopics – Your Supporting Cast: Each main topic needs strong subtopics to develop your arguments. Ensure they directly connect back to your main topic and provide specific evidence for your claims.

Integrating Research and Sources

Your outline should reflect how you'll use research to support your arguments. Here are some tips:

Source Integration: As you identify relevant sources, jot down brief notes about their main points and how they align with your subtopics.

Avoid Information Overload: Don't try to list every detail from your sources. Focus on how they support specific arguments you'll make in the body paragraphs.

Credibility Check: Briefly evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source as you incorporate it into your outline.

Should You Cite Every Source You Consult During Your Research Process?

Yes, you should develop a comprehensive reference list that includes all the sources you consult during your research, even if you don't directly quote them in your paper. Here's why:

Credit Where Credit is Due: Citing all your sources acknowledges the work of others and avoids plagiarism.

Evaluation Matters: Consulting a variety of sources demonstrates a thorough investigation of the topic. However, use your critical thinking skills to evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source before incorporating it into your paper.

Tip: Use a reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley to keep track of your sources and streamline the citation process!

Outline Formatting and Styles

The right outline format helps bring clarity and organization to your term paper. Here's a look at common styles and when to use them:

Alphanumeric Format: This classic format uses a combination of Roman numerals, letters, and numbers to create a hierarchy.

I. Introduction

A. Background

B. Thesis Statement

Decimal Format: A purely numerical system that creates a clear visual outline. Ideal for complex papers with many subtopics.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Thesis Statement

Choosing the Right Style:

Complexity: For straightforward term papers, alphanumeric may suffice. If multiple levels of supporting points are necessary, the decimal format keeps things organized.

Instructor Preference: Always check with your professor for any specific requirements or guidelines they may have.

Revision and Refinement of the Outline

Your initial outline may not be perfect. Here's how to refine it throughout your writing journey:

Research-Driven Refinement: As you delve into your sources, you may discover new subtopics or need to rearrange sections. Continuously adapt your outline to reflect your evolving understanding.

Feedback Loop: Submit your outline to your professor early for valuable feedback. Their guidance can steer you in the right direction from the start.

Don't Be Afraid to Reorganize: If a particular section isn't flowing well, try restructuring it in your outline. Experiment until you find a logical and persuasive argument flow.

Capstone Project

The rigorous research and organizational skills you hone with term papers directly translate to the grand culmination of your academic program – the capstone project . Here's how:

Research Base: Capstones demand in-depth, original research. Your term paper experience will help you effectively navigate scholarly sources and synthesize information.

Time Management: Large projects benefit from strong planning. Outlining skills developed through term papers aid in structuring a capstone's complex timeline.

Writing Foundation: Capstones require clear, persuasive writing – something you've practiced consistently in term papers.

Critical Thinking: Term papers teach you to analyze and interpret information. This skill is vital when tackling the complex, real-world issues often addressed in capstone projects.

Advanced Academic Writing Techniques

While term papers lay a solid foundation, advanced academic writing techniques elevate your work to a new level. Let's explore strategies that can be applied across various academic papers:

Nuances of Argumentation: Go beyond simply stating your argument. Anticipate counterarguments and address them head-on, demonstrating a well-rounded understanding of the topic.

Evidentiary Strength: Proof matters! Utilize a variety of credible sources, from peer-reviewed journals to primary sources when applicable, to support your claims and add depth to your analysis.

Coherence is Key: Ensure a seamless flow of ideas. Transitions between paragraphs and sections should be clear and logical, guiding the reader through your argument effortlessly.

Engaging with the Conversation: Don't write in a vacuum. Reference and engage with the works of scholars in your field. Show how your work contributes to the ongoing academic dialogue.

Are Advanced Writing Techniques Essential for the Success of an Undergraduate Term Paper?

While not strictly mandatory, advanced writing techniques can improve your term paper. Here's how:

Stronger Arguments: Anticipating counterarguments demonstrates critical thinking and strengthens the overall persuasiveness of your work.

Impressing Your Professor: Professors appreciate well-researched and well-argued papers. Advanced techniques showcase your dedication and understanding of the subject matter.

Standing Out from the Crowd: A well-crafted term paper with advanced elements can distinguish you from your peers, especially in competitive programs.

Dissertations or Thesis: Building on Your Expertise

The skills you refine with term papers become the cornerstone for tackling more complex projects like dissertations or theses . Here's how your experience translates:

Research Prowess: Term papers hone your research skills, preparing you for the more intensive research required for dissertations or theses.

Organizational Mastery: Outlining and structuring term papers prepare you for the even more intricate planning involved in a dissertation or thesis.

Critical Thinking Powerhouse: Analyzing and synthesizing information is a core skill practiced in term papers, essential for dissecting complex issues in a dissertation or thesis.

Academic Papers: A Spectrum of Skills in Action

The skills you develop through term papers are valuable across a range of academic writing formats :

Research Papers: Term papers build a strong foundation for research papers, which delve deeper into a specific topic and often require original research.

Literature Reviews: Analyzing and synthesizing sources in term papers translates directly to the comprehensive literature review process required for many academic endeavors.

Grant Proposals: Clear and persuasive writing, honed through term papers, is essential for crafting compelling grant proposals to secure research funding.

Securing Academic Success Through Effective Term Paper Writing

Term papers, while sometimes daunting, are powerful tools in your academic arsenal. Mastering the art of crafting a compelling term paper increases your grades and opens a broader gateway to scholarly achievement.

Remember these key takeaways:

Originality Matters: Developing your unique voice, analyzing sources critically, and avoiding plagiarism set your work apart and demonstrate your understanding of the material.

Research is Your Foundation: Dedicating time to exploring high-quality sources elevates your arguments by adding depth and credibility.

Structure Brings Clarity: A well-organized outline and clear writing guide your reader through your thought process and make your arguments more impactful.

By prioritizing these strategies, you'll create term papers that meet the requirements and demonstrate a commitment to learning and understanding. This dedication pays off – the skills acquired in term paper writing translate directly to improved performance in future academic pursuits, whether that be in research papers, capstone projects, or even graduate-level dissertations.

Start Writing With Jenni Today!

Sign up for a free Jenni AI account today. Unlock your research potential and experience the difference for yourself. Your journey to academic excellence starts here.

Try Jenni for free today

Create your first piece of content with Jenni today and never look back

We are undergoing site maintenance and are not accepting orders. Please contact your local distributor to check availability and place orders. Find a Distributor

• Shop by Brand
• CLASSIC® Papers
• NEENAH® Folding Board Papers
• NEENAH® Pearl Papers
• The Design Collection
• ROYAL SUNDANCE® Papers
• ENVIRONMENT® Papers
• More Neenah Brands
• Explore Paper
• Custom Solutions
• Inspiration Gallery
• Swatchbooks
• Design Resources
• Shop Packaging
• Folding Board
• Paper Card Carriers
• Paper Cards
• Explore Packaging
• Packaging Case Studies
• Packaging Inspiration Gallery
• Shop Wide Format
• Display Graphics
• Decorative Graphics
• Rigid Board
• Explore Wide Format
• Printer Resources
• Wide Format Calculator
• Find Resources
• Daily Stock Finder
• Neenah Swatch Pro
• Adobe Swatch Exchange Files
• Dielines & Templates
• Envelope Dielines
• Holiday Dielines
• Pocket Folder Dielines
• Short-Run Dielines
• Printing Tips
• Paper Conditioning
• Production Tips
• Wide Format Guides
• Wide Format Printer Profiles
• Green Enviro Calculator
• Green Certifications
• Forest Stewardship Council
• Green Seal Certified
• Recycling Symbol
• Processed Chlorine Free
• Alternative Fiber Choices
• Environmental Calculator Symbols
• Calculators
• Weight Conversion
• EnviroCalculator
• Setup Boxes
• Wide Format
• Find a Distributor
• Glossary of Terms
• Basis Weights
• International Sizes
• Types of Paper
• Types of Envelopes
• Mailing Guidelines
• Business Reply Mail
• Direct Mail
• Private Watermarks
• Neenah Blog
• The Idea Shop

• Neenah Paper Swatchbooks
• Production Tips By Brand
• Conservation Efforts
• Responsible Fiber Sourcing
• Recyclability
• Enviro Calculator
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Sustainability at Neenah
• Paper Math Calculator
• Weight Conversion Calculator
• Environmental Calculator
• Folding Board Calculator
• Hang Tags Calculator
• Label Calculator
• Paper Bags Calculator
• Setup Boxes Calculator
• Find Distributor
• Against The Grain

Glossary of Paper Terms

Abrasion resistance.

The level at which paper can withstand continuous scuffing or rubbing.

The properties within paper that cause it to absorb liquids (inks, water, etc.) which come in contact with it.

Accordion Fold

A binding term describing a method of folding paper. When unfolded it looks like the folds of an accordion.

Acetate Proof

A transparent, acetate printing proof used to reproduce anticipated print colors on a transparent acetate sheet. Also called color overleaf proof.

Paper made in a neutral pH system, usually buffered with calcium carbonate. This increases the longevity of the paper.

Degree of acid found in a given paper substance measured by pH level. From 0 to 7 is classified acid as opposed to 7 to 14, which is classified alkaline.

Against the Grain

A right angle to which the fiber direction of a piece of paper lies. Folding with, not against, the grain is recommended.

Airdried Paper

Paper that is dried by circulating hot air around it with little or no tension or restraint on the paper. This gives the paper a hard cockle finish typical of bond papers.

Alcohol/Alcohol Substitutes

Liquids added to the fountain solution of a printing press to reduce the surface tension of water.

Aluminum Plate

A metal press plate used for moderate to long runs in offset lithography to carry the image.

Announcement Cards

Cards of paper with matching envelopes generally used for social stationery, announcements, weddings, greetings, etc.

Antique Finish

A paper finish, usually used in book and cover papers, that has a tactile surface. Usually used in natural white or creamwhite colors.

Extra space at the binding edge of a foldout, usually on a French fold, which allows folding and tipping without interfering with the copy

Acid free or neutral paper that includes a minimum of 2% calcium carbonate to increase the longevity of the paper.

Artificial Parchment

Paper produced with poorly formed formation.

A general term used to describe materials prepared and readied for print.

The tops of lower case letters such as: b, d, h and t.

Back Cylinder Pressure

Additional pressure applied through the impression cylinder assisting the image transfer to the press sheet.

The back of a bound book; also called the spine.

Printing the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one side.

(1) A strip of paper, printed or unprinted, that wraps around loose sheets (in lieu of binding with a cover) or assembled pieces. (2) The operation of putting a paper band around loose sheets or assembled pieces. (3) Metal straps wrapped around skids of cartons or materials wrapped in waterproof paper, to secure the contents to the skid for shipment.

Barium Sulfate

Substance used as a standard for white, in lieu of the availability of a practical 100 percent reflecting diffuser.

Baronial Envelope

An envelope generally used with announcements.

A first color used as a background on which other colors are printed.

Manufactured paper that will be further processed as laminated, Duplex Cover, Bristol Cover, or off machine embossed papers.

In typesetting, the invisible line on which letters and numbers set.

The standard sheet size of a given grade.

Basis Weight

The weight in pounds per ream of paper cut to its basic size in inches. A metric system is used outside of North America.

Blender type machine used to pulverize pulp and for mixing additives and color to the stock.

Beater Sized

Process of adding sizing material to the pulp in the beater.

A process of perforating, folding, trimming and eventually binding a printed piece.

(1) Attaching sheets into a single unit by adhesives, sewing, stitching, metal prongs, snaps, etc. The operations that comprise collating, perforating, and folding the elements of a form into the finished product. (2) That portion or edge of a book of forms which is bound.

Binding Edge

The edge where the binding will be done.

Black Printer

In fourcolor process printing, the black plate made to give definition to neutral tones and detail.

In offset lithography, the rubbercoated fabric clamped around the blanket cylinder, which transfers the image from plate to paper.

Blanket Contamination

Unwanted matter that becomes attached to the offset blanket and interferes with print quality.

Blanket Creep

Movement of the blanket surface that comes in contact with the printing plate or paper.

Blanket Cylinder

The printing press cylinder on which the blanket is mounted.

Blanket Pull

The tack between blanket and paper.

Chemical, usually chlorine, used to whiten pulp.

Chemical treatment to brighten, whiten, purify, refine, and balance pulp fiber.

(1) In printing, printed image that runs off the edges of a page. (2) The migration of ink into unwanted areas.

Blind Embossing

A printing technique in which a design is pushed forward without foil or ink.

The sticking of piled printed sheets caused by wet ink.

Blocking Out

Eliminating portions of negatives by opaquing the image.

Enlargement from the original size.

In printing, a type of photoprint used as a proof. It can be folded to show how the finished printed product will look.

Thicker, visually heavier type vs. thin visually light type. Darker type.

Strong, durable writing paper, consisting of wood, cotton, or both, most commonly used for letterheads, stationery, business forms, etc…

Bonding Strength

The strength of the paper fibers to resistance of picking or tearing during offset printing.

A general term used to define papers that are most suitable for book manufacture.

A printed piece bound together, containing a few pages.

A technical measurement of the light reflected back from a paper.

Bristol Board

A high quality heavy weight paper, sometimes made with cotton fiber prepared or glued together, usually with a caliper thickness of 0.006" and up.

Machine trim or undesirable paper that is returned to the beaters.

Broken Carton

An open carton of paper with some of its contents removed.

Sheet thickness. High bulk sheets have fewer sheets per inch than low bulk.

Bulking Dummy

Unprinted sheets of actual paper folded in the signature size and signature number of a given job, to determine bulk.

Bursting Strength

The point to which paper can withstand pressure without rupturing.

Butted Joint

Joining two webs of paper, placing them end-to-end and pasting a strip over and under to make a continuous sheet without overlapping.

When printing, the spots of ink pigments on printing plates or press rollers, due to the vehicle carrying the ink not being able to hold the pigment in suspension.

Calcium Carbonate, CaCO 3

Chemical used as a filler.

Calender Stacks

A vertical series of steel rolls at the end of the paper machine to increase the smoothness of the paper.

Calendering

To impart a smooth finish on paper by passing the web of paper between polished metal rolls to increase gloss and smoothness.

The thickness of a sheet paper, in thousandths of an inch (points or mils).

A book bound with a hard, cover.

For paper manufacturing, the primary component of the cell walls of wood fibers.

Cellulose fiber

The fiber remaining after bleaching and pulping of wood used in making paper.

Center spread

The facing pages in the center of a bound signature.

Chain lines

The lines on laid paper parallel with the grain; also referred to as "chain marks".

Improper drying of ink. Ink vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper leaving a dry, weak pigment layer which dusts easily.

A type fonts letter, number, symbol or a blank space in typesetting.

Character count

The number of characters in a line of text, page or group of text.

Chemical Ghosting

A light duplication of a printed image on the other side of the same sheet, created by chemical reaction by the ink during the drying stages; also referred to as "Gas ghosting".

Chemical Pulp

Wood fiber cooked using chemicals producing a pulp used to manufacture numerous printing papers and paperboard products. Papers manufactured with chemical pulp are called "free-sheet" papers.

An inexpensive thick one-ply cardboard, typically made from recycled paper stock.

Chlorine and its compounds were commonly used to bleach fibers. This has been mostly eliminated. Virgin fibers are generally ECF, meaning no elemental chlorine or TCF meaning the bleaching is done with hydrogen peroxide, oxygen or ozone. Recycled fibers are generally PCF, meaning they were put back into the paper without the use of any chlorine or its compounds.

Clear Formation

Describes paper fibers that are uniformly dispersed within a sheet of paper -a characteristic of quality paper.

Close Formation

Uniform density in a sheet of paper.

Cloudy Formation

Same as cloud effect; cloudy. Opposite of close formation. Indicates unevenness and lack of uniformity of fiber structure.

Cockle Finish

A rough, uneven, hard paper finish. Most frequently manufactured in bond papers.

A color on the bluish side.

In binding, gathering sections (signatures) in sequence for binding.

Printed bars of ink colors used to monitor a print image. These bars show the amount of ink to be applied by the press, the registration, and the densities across the press sheet.

A mockup of a proposed layout used for presentations.

Color Correction

Any method to improve color rendition.

Color Fastness

The ability of dyed paper to maintain in the presence of exposure to light, heat etc.

Color Guide

Instructions attached to artwork or disc with the location, percentage, and type of color required.

Color Process Printing

Printing done using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks, each requiring its own negative and plate. Also called process color or four-color process.

Color Proofs

Initial printed pieces pulled off the press for final approval.

Color Scanner (electronic scanner)

A scanner that makes the color separation required in full color processing printing.

Color Separation

The method used in breaking down the primary colors needed to prepare plates for printing color work.

Commercial Match

Paper manufactured to within acceptable tolerances of a sample provided to the mill.

Commodity Papers

A classification of low-quality bond and offset papers.

Composite Image

Multiple pictures images placed together to form a single, combined picture.

Comprehensive Layout

A simulation of a layout by a designer to show how the finished art work would appear.

Comprehensive Proof

Final proof presented in the format the printed piece will take.

Condensed Face or Condensed Type

A particular typeface that allows more print per line, as though the letters were squashed at their sides.

Conditioning

Allowing paper to adjust itself to the temperature and humidity of the printing plant prior to use.

Conservation

The preservation and responsible use of our natural resources to ensure they endure.

Continuous Tone

Tonal gradation without use of halftone dots.

Company that converts paper from its original form to usable products such as envelopes, label stock, announcements etc.

Correspondence Papers

Writing papers in attractive finishes, weights or colors.

Cotton Content Paper

Papers utilizing cotton linters. Today most cotton content papers are made for letterhead applications. Papers made with cotton range from 25% to 100% cotton content.

Cotton Linters

The cotton fibers that adhere to the cottonseed used to produce pulp for cotton fiber papers. As a byproduct of the cotton industry, EPA recognizes it as recovered fiber.

On a paper making machine the equipment that helps remove excess water from the moving web of paper prior to the wet press section of a paper machine.

Cover Paper

Durable, heavier weight papers, available in a variety of finishes and colors, used for the cover of pamphlets, annual reports, business cards, etc…

Specifically placed marks attached to artwork that show the area to be printed.

Resizing original photographs or illustrations to a different size.

Cross Direction

The opposite direction of the grain of the paper.

Cross Grain Fold

A fold at a right angle to the direction of the grain in the paper.

Cross Machine Direction

A line perpendicular to the direction the paper travels through the papermaking machine. Also referred to as Cross direction or Cross grain.

Undesirable distortion or waviness occurring to the paper due to the presence of excess moisture or humidity.

Papers cut 8 ½ x 11, 8 ½ x 14, or any other size 11 x 17 or smaller.

Cut to Register

Term used for watermarked letterhead papers to indicate the watermark will be cut to appear in a predetermined position on the finished sheet. Also referred to as a localized watermark.

Cutter Dust

Paper dust resulting from cutting or trimming the paper which can transfer to printing blankets causing problems during a press run.

Cyan (process blue)

One of the four-process colors.

Double-thick" describes a sheet of paper made by bonding two thicknesses of paper together resulting in an extra-stiff sheet.

Damp Streaks

Streaks caused by uneven pressing of drying during paper manufacturing.

In lithography, cloth covered, parchment paper or rubber rollers that distribute the dampening to the press plate.

Water, gum buffered acid, and various types of etches used to keep the non-image areas of the plate moist, and preventing them from accepting ink, in the lithographic printing process; also called fountain solution.

(1) A plain roll situated above the wet web of the paper to provide a smoothing action to the top surface of the paper as it passes under the roll. (2) A watermarking dandy roll is a roll of skeletal structure, sheathed in a wire cloth that has designs, letters or figures affixed to it. As the wet paper web passes under the turning watermark dandy the designs are impressed into the paper and a permanent watermark is left in the sheet.

Trade name for inks and papers containing fluorescent pigments.

The process in which the image is recessed into the paper.

On the wet end of the paper machine the straps or deckle rulers that prevent the fiber from overflowing the sides of the machine. The deckle determines how wide the paper on a particular machine will be.

Deckle Edge

Refers to the feathered edge on paper produced when fibers flow against the deckle or edge of the web. Deliberately produced for aesthetic purposes, a deckle edge is found especially on formal stationery and announcements. A deckle edge can be created by an air jet, or also by a stream of water.

A device on a web press or sheeter used to remove paper curl.

A paper decurling station on a sheeter or web press, used to remove paper curl.

A process which removes ink, toner, coatings and most fillers from recovered paper. The environmental priority is to make this process TCF, totally chlorine free.

The average amount of dirt in a specific size of paper area. Both virgin and recycled sheets have "dirt," although recycled paper has significantly higher dirt counts. The dirt should always be small enough not to interfere with the quality of the finished printed piece.

Delamination

A separation of the paper's surface.

Area of the originating press where the freshly printed sheets are piled as they leave the impression section.

Densitometer

Reflection instrument measuring the density of colored ink to determine its consistency throughout a press run.

Identifies the weight of paper compared to the volume; it is directly related to the paper's absorbency, stiffness, and opacity.

The parts of lower case letters that extend below the baseline.

A design, letters, or pattern cut in metal for stamping, embossing or for diecutting.

Die-Cutting

Male and female dies are used to cut out paper or board in desired shapes.

Pressure vessel in which wood chips are cooked to separate fibers from each other and to remove detrimental particles.

Dimensional Stability

Characteristic of paper to retain its dimensions in all directions under the stress of production and adverse changes in humidity.

Dirt in paper consists of any imbedded foreign matter or specks, which contrast in color to the remainder of the sheet.

Concave rather than flat pile of paper. Also refers to roll ends of paper that are not flat.

Distributor

Company which purchases paper from mill for resale to printers and end-users. Usually a distributor has protected or franchised product lines and territories. Inventory, warehousing, distribution and transportation of product are among the many services offered to paper buyers. Also called a merchant.

Tabbed sheets of index or other heavy stock, used to identify and separate specific sections of a book; used in loose-leaf and bound books.

Individual element of a halftone printing plate.

Dot Etching

Handwork on engravings and lithographic screened (halftone) negatives for correcting tonal values in either black-and-white or color work.

Dot Slurring

Smearing or elongation at the trailing edges of halftone dots.

When halftone dots print larger than they were supposed to print.

Dots, Halftone

The individual subdivisions of a printed surface created with a halftone screen.

Double Burning

Combining the images on two or more films onto a single film to create a single image.

Double Varnish

Two applications of press varnish.

Double-Black Halftone Printing

A means of extending the range of density available with printing ink by printing twice with black ink, using two specially prepared halftone negatives. Also called double-black duotone.

Double-Deckle Paper

A paper having parallel deckle edges.

Double-Dot Halftone

Two halftone negatives combined onto one printing plate, having greater tonal range than a conventional halftone negatives. One negative reproduces highlight and shadows, the other middle tones. This is not to be confused with duotone or double-black printing.

Double-Thick Cover Stock

A cover stock composed of two sheets of cover stock laminated together.

(1) In printing, a press problem that generally occurs when sheets make contact with the blanket twice, once just before the impression point and the second time at the impression point, resulting in a double image. At times, with certain papers, the feeder will feed two sheets instead of one, and when pressures are extreme or out of balance, the blanket may slip at the pressure point, resulting in a slur or double image. (2) In stamping, a double impression in which the second impression or "hit" does not register perfectly over the first one.

Doughnut Hickey

A printing defect consisting of a solid printed area surrounded by an unprinted area.

Duration of an unscheduled stoppage of machines or equipment (printing presses, papermaking machines, typesetting equipment, etc.), usually caused by malfunction.

Register trouble when the dot is enlarged toward the back (nongripper edge) of the sheet. See Slur.

A term used to describe an ink chemist's method of roughly determining coating or ink. The application (by a blade or a bar) of a thin film of coating or ink to a piece of paper.

Any substance used to hasten drying of ink on paper.

Wet paper passes through these large cylindrical steam heated rolls that dry paper webs. The dry-end of the paper machine.

Piercing of stacks of papers in a precision manner with round hollow drills at high speeds. Loose-leaf notebook paper is an example of drilled paper.

In printing, halftone with no screen dots in the highlights or background. Also, color not sensed by optical reading devices. Also, ink colors which will not image a photographic plate.

The color change which occurs when ink dries.

On the paper machine, it is the section where the dryers, cutters, slitters and reels are located.

Dryer (drying oven)

Oven on web offset press through which the web of printed paper passes after it leaves the final printing unit. The drying process, standard when heat-set inks are used, heats the web to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Either gas or electricity dries the vehicles and air blasts drive off the volatile gases.

Drying Time

The time it takes for an ink to become rub- or tack-free.

Page or set of pages assembled in the exact position, form and style desired for the finished piece of printed work. Used as a model or sample for the printer.

Two-color halftone reproduction from black-and-white original.

Laminated paper having a different color or finish on each side.

The accumulation of loose particles from the paper on the nonimage areas of the blanket. Particles are of very small size.

An ink colorant that is soluble in vehicle or solvent.

Dye Transfer

Similar in appearance to a color photograph but different in the important respect that it is produced from a transparency by printing continuous tones of color dyes.

A stable print specially sensitized on two-sided papers for proofing.

ECF Elemental Chlorine Free

Pulp bleached without the use of elemental chlorine. Generally this is virgin fiber bleached with chlorine dioxide.

E.C.H. Will Sheeter

Continuous automatic cut-size sheeter, ream wrapper, ream labeler, ream accumulator, case packer, lidder, bander and palletizer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which publishes guidelines for minimum recycled product content for use by federal agencies for purchasing standards. Many state and local governments and businesses have voluntarily adopted these. The EPA is charged with most of the environmental responsibility for guidance, direction, monitoring and enforcement in the United States.

Electronic Color Scanner

High speed computer, which instantly calculates the necessary color correction by measuring the original copy.

Electronic Printing

In digital printing, any technology that reproduces pages without the use of traditional ink, water or chemistry.

Electrostatic Copying

Process using an intermediary plate or drum (like Xerography) or coated take-off sheet (like Electrofax ™ ) which is electrically charged to attract powder or liquid developer only to the image area.

Elliptical Dot

In halftone photography, elongated dots, which give improved gradation of tones particularly in middle tomes and vignettes - also called chain dots.

In composition, a unit of measurement exactly as wide and high as the point sizes being set. So named because the letter "M" in early fonts was usually cast on a square body.

Embossed Finish

A finish imparted to a web of paper through an embossing machine. The paper will take on a raised or depressed surface resembling wood, cloth, leather, or other pattern.

Impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface; either over printing or on a blank paper (called blind embossing).

In composition, one-half the width of an em.

Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)

In digital prepress, a file format used to transfer graphic images within compatible applications. A file containing structured PostScript code, comments and a screen display image.

End-Leaf Paper

Strong, fine quality papers, either plain or coated and sometimes colored or marbled used at both ends of a book. Also called sheets.

Printing by the intaglio process. Ink is applied to the paper under extreme pressure resulting in a printed surface being raised. Used for fine letterheads, wedding invitations, etc.

Fadeout Halftone

A general reduction in the overall contrast of a halftone, to allow type to be easily readable when printed over it.

Fake Duotone

A two-color reproduction, using single halftone negative, usually blank, and a halftone screen tint for the background, usually in color.

Continuous multiple ply form manufactured from a single wide web which is folded longitudinally.

In printing, distortion of paper on the press due to waviness in the paper caused by absorption of moisture at the edges of the paper, particularly across the grain.

Fast-Drying Ink

An ink that dries soon after printing.

Tendency of an ink image to spread with a fuzzy, "feather like" edge.

Feed Rollers

On a printing press, the rubber wheels that move the sheets of paper from the feed pile to the grippers.

The section of a printing press that separates the sheets and feeds them into position for printing.

Term expressing an individual’s impression of a paper’s finish and stiffness or suppleness.

Feet-Per-Minute

Abbreviated FPM, this term refers usually to the speed of a papermaking machine in terms of how many feet per minute the forming web of paper traverses the length of the machine.

Felt Finish

A finish applied to the paper at the wet end of the paper machine by using felts of a distinctive weave rather than standard or regular wove felts.

Top side of the paper, opposite from the wire side or underneath. The "right side of the paper".

Woven, endless belt made of wool, cotton or synthetic materials used to transport the paper web on the paper machine, during manufacture. Felts act as a conveyor while at the same time removing water from paper as it progresses through the paper machine.

Fiber Orientation

Refers to the alignment of the fibers in the sheet. The degree of alignment can be controlled in the paper making process.

The small strands of wood, cotton or other cellulose product that is used to make the paper. In the premium paper market all of the fiber is lignin free. Fiber before it is made into the finished product us referred to as pulp.

String-like elements that are loosened from the paper fibers during the beating process. They aid in the bonding processes when paper is being manufactured.

Fibrillation

Act of loosening the fibrillae during the mechanical process of beating the fibers in preparation for papermaking.

Minerals, such as clay and other white pigments, added to pulp to improve the opacity, smoothness, brightness, and printing capabilities of paper.

A condition in offset lithography where ink fills the area between the halftone dots or plugs up the type; also known as plugging or filling up.

Maximum width of paper that can be made on any given paper machine.

Fine Papers

Types of premium papers used for writing, printing, and cultural purposes.

The physical look and feel of the paper’s surface. These include smooth, felt, laid, linen and others.

Finishing Broke

Discarded paper resulting from any finishing operation.

First Color Down

The first color printed as the sheet passes through the press.

A strip of paper protruding from a roll or skid of paper. May be used to mark a splice in a roll of paper or used to mark off reams in a skid.

Flash Exposure

In halftone photography, the supplementary exposure given to strengthen the dots in the shadow areas of negatives.

Printing two or more colors without overlaying color dots (i.e. without color trap); individual color matching. This differs from process color, which is a blending of four colors to produce a broad range of colors.

Flatbed Press

A press on which plates are positioned along a flat metal bed against which the paper is pressed by the impression cylinder, as compared to a rotary press which prints from curved plates.

Flatbed Scanner

A device that scans images in a manner similar to a photocopy machine; the original art is positioned face down on a glass plate.

Flexography

Letterpress printing using a form of relief printing ; formally called aniline printing. Synthetic or rubber relief plates, special inks, presses procedures.

To reverse a negative or positive, to bring the underside out on top. A negative that must be flopped has emulsion on the wrong side.

The property of ink which causes it to level out when still a liquid; "short" inks have poor flow, and "long" inks have good flow.

Fluorescent Inks

Extremely brilliant inks containing fluorescent pigments.

Flush Cover

Cover of a book that has been trimmed to the same dimensions as the text papers.

Unprinted page that is part of a printed signature. It also can be a synonym for end-leaf.

An undesirable neutral density in the clear areas of a photographic film or paper, in which the image is either locally or entirely veiled by a deposit of silver. Fog may be due to flare, unsafe darkroom illumination, age, or processing conditions.

A tissue-like material in sheet or roll form covered on one side with a metallic coloring used for stamping.

Folding Endurance

A paper test which measures the number of double (back and forth) folds that can be made on a sheet of paper under tension, before it breaks.

A page that exceeds the dimensions of a single page. It is folded to page size and included in the book, sometimes bound in and sometimes tipped in (pasted).

Refers to sheet size 17x22 or larger. Also, page numbers.

The bottom of a page of printed information.

Refers to the uniformity or lack of it in the distribution of the fibers when manufacturing paper; can be observed by looking through the sheet; a good formation is uniform or "Close", while a poor formation is not.

Fountain Solution

In lithography, a solution of water, a natural or synthetic gum and other chemicals used to dampen the plate and keep non-printing areas from accepting ink.

The unit on a press that contains ink to be fed to the distributing system, and the part that feeds the fountain solution to the dampening system.

Four-Color Process

The four basic colors of ink (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black), which reproduce full-color photographs or art.

Fourdrinier

A paper machine developed by Louis Robert and financed by Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier that produces a continuous web of paper; also the term for the section of the paper machine, which is a continuous "wire" or belt screen, through which the first removal of water occurs. The point of formation.

Four-Sided Trim (trim 4)

After the job is printed and folded, a trim will be taken off all four sides to remove any reference or registration marks and give a clean edge to the pile of sheets.

For Position Only (FPO)

In digital imaging, typically a low-resolution image positioned in a document to be replaced later with a higher resolution version of the same image.

Paper made with pulp created in a kraft process that has removed the lignin. Freesheet paper has more longevity than groundwood which contains lignin.(Newspaper is made with groundwood)

French Fold

A sheet printed on one side and folded first vertically and then horizontally to produce a four-page folder.

The mixture of fiber and other materials that is blended in the water suspension, or slurry, from which paper or board is made; usually about 1% solid material with 99% or the balance being water.

FSC - Forest Stewardship Council

An independent, international, environmentally and socially oriented forest certification organization. It trains, accredits and monitors third-party certifiers around the world and works to establish international forest management standards.

Fuzz (fluff)

Loose fibers projecting from a paper's surface.

Gang Printing

Grouping related jobs using same paper and inks. Grouping more than one job on a single plate.

A four-page insert, having foldouts on either side of the center spread.

Graphic Arts Technical Foundation

Collating folded signatures in consecutive order.

Gray Component Replacement

Gear Streaks

In printing, parallel streaks appearing across the printed sheet at same interval as gear teeth on the cylinder.

Each succeeding stage in reproduction from original copy.

Genuine Watermark

Watermark made with a dandy roll.

Ghost Halftone

A light halftone that may be overprinted with solid copy.

Ghost images are unwanted images that reduce print value. Mechanical ghosting develops during the delivery of the printed sheet and is traceable to on-press conditions, ink starvation, form layout, and even to the blanket itself. Chemical ghosting, which occurs during the drying process of ink on paper, is especially bothersome because the condition cannot be detected until the job has been completed.

To cover the trimmed edges of a book with gold or other metallic leaf.

Brief or magnifying glass.

An ink containing an extra quantity of varnish, which gives a glossy appearance when dry.

Glued-On Cover

A cover fastened to the text with glue.

The process of applying glue to the spine of a book to be casebound, after sewing and smashing, and before trimming.

The classification given to paper due to its unique characteristics, which includes brightness, opacity, cotton content, etc…

Grain Direction

The direction of the fibers in paper.

Term used to designate that the grain of the paper is parallel to the longest measurement of a sheet of paper. The fibers are aligned parallel to the length of the sheet.

Grain Short

Opposite of grain long. Grain of the paper runs at the right angles to the longest dimension of the sheet. Fiber alignment in grain short paper parallels the sheet’s shortest dimension.

Grainy Printing

Printing characterized by unevenness, particularly of halftones.

The basis weight of paper stated in metric terms of grams per square meter and expressed as g/m 2 . Thus a sheet of paper 17 x 22 with a basis weight of 20 lbs. For 500 sheets would be expressed metrically as 75 g/m 2 . To convert from basis weight to grams per square meter (g/m 2 ), multiply basis weight by 1406.5 (a constant factor) and divide by the number of square inches in base sheet.

Graphic Designer

A person in the graphic arts who puts together art, text, and other visuals to produce professional printed results.

An intaglio printing process in which the image area is etched below the surface of the printing plate and is transferred directly to the paper by means of pressure.

Gray Balance

The dot values or densities of cyan, magenta, and yellow that produce a neutral gray.

The number of gray values that can be distinguished by a color separation filter-usually 2 8 or 256.

A strip of standard gray tones, ranging from white to black, placed at the side of original copy during photography to measure tonal range and contrast (gamma) obtained.

A row of clips that holds a sheet of paper as it speeds through the press.

Gripper Edge

Leading edge of a sheet of paper as it passes through the printing press.

Gripper Margin

Unprintable back edge of a sheet of paper on which grippers bear, usually ½ inch or less.

Paper made from pulp created in one of several processes that use virtually the whole tree. Sometimes chemical and heating process are used in the pulping. Groundwood paper retains the lignin from the trees, which causes the paper to yellow and deteriorate relatively quickly.

Gross Weight

The total weight of merchandise and shipping container.

The edge of a printed sheet at right angles to the gripper edge, which travels along a guide on the press or folder. This edge, like the gripper edge, should never be altered or mutilated between the printing and folding operations. It is the shorter edge of the sheet.

Guide Marks

A method of using crossline marks on the offset press plate to indicate trim, centering of the sheet, centering of the plate, etc.; these are sometimes called register marks .

Guide Roller

Sometimes called a cocking roller. Located on the roll stand between the roll of paper and the dancer roll . Can be cocked to compensate for certain paper roll conditions.

The side the press uses to guide the sheet to the exact side toward the operator; also known as operator or control side.

Device that is used to cut or trim stacks of paper to the desired size.

Gum Streaks

Streaks, particularly in halftones, produced by uneven gumming of plates which partially desensitizes the image.

In platemaking, the process of applying a thin coating of gum to the non-printing areas of a lithographic plate.

The blank space or inner margin on a press sheet from printing area to binding.

Hairline Register

Register within ± ½ row of dots.

In photography, a blurred effect, resembling a halo, usually occurring in the highlight areas or around bright objects.

Half Binding

A style of binding wherein the shelf-back and the corners are bound in a different material from that used on the sides.

Halftone Negative Artwork (screened negative)

The negative film produced when continuous-tone artwork is shot through a halftone screen.

Halftone Positive Artwork (screened positive)

A photographic positive containing a halftone image.

Halftone Screen

An engraved glass through which continuous tone copy is photographed and reduced to a series of dots for halftone printing.

The reprographic technique that simulates continuous tone imagery through the use of dots, varying either in size or in spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect. "Halftone" can also be used to refer specifically to the image that is produced by this process.

Handmade Finish

Paper with a rough finish resembling handmade paper.

A halftone dot characterized by a sharp, clean cut edge.

Another term for casebound.

Hardcover (casebound, edition binding)

Nonflexible book binding made of thick, glazed board.

Paper that has been treated with a large amount of size to increase its resistance to moisture. Slack-sized is the opposite.

Wood from deciduous trees having short fibers.

The amount allowed for the top trim.

A small strip of silk or cotton used for decoration at the top of a book between the sheets and the cover. In hand binding, a real tape to which the signatures are sewn.

On a paper machine, the box that dispenses the appropriate amount of furnish (pulp) into the papermaking process.

The top of a page of text which can be a chapter heading, title line, etc…

Head-to-Head Imposition

An imposition which requires that pages be laid out with the top of a page (head) positioned across the top of the page (head) opposite it on the form.

Head-to-Tail Imposition

An imposition which requires that pages be laid out with the top of a page (head) positioned across the from the bottom (tail) of the page opposite on the form.

Heat-Set Inks

Inks used in high-speed web offset. They set rapidly under heat and are quickly chilled.

In offset, spots or imperfections in the printed image traceable to such things as dirt on the press, dried ink skin, paper particles, dust, etc…

A paper (normally book paper) specifically manufactured to retain a thickness not found in papers of the same basis weight. Frequently used to give thickness to a book with minimal amount of pages.

High Contrast

In photography, describes a reproduction in which the difference in darkness between neighboring areas is greater than in the original.

High Finish

A term referring to a paper that has a smooth, hard finish applied through calendering or other processes.

High Key Picture

A continuous tone photo made up of predominantly highlight (white) areas.

Highlight Halftone

The lightest or whitest parts in a photograph represented in a halftone reproduction by the smallest dots or the absence of all dots.

High-Speed Printer

Computer which prints in excess of 300 lines per minute.

The flexible joint where the covers of a hardbound book meet the spine, permitting the covers to open without breaking the spine of the book or breaking the signatures apart.

An impression from a stamping die.

A term referring to papers that retain much of the resinous ink components on the surface of the sheet rather than absorbing them into a fiber network. Papers with too much holdout cause problems with setoff.

In color, the main attribute of a color which distinguishes it from other colors. See Chroma.

Moisture condition of the air. Relative humidity is the percent of moisture relative to the actual amount which air at any given temperature can retain without precipitation.

Hydra Pulper

Vat with a special type of agitator used to hydrate and prepare pulp for papermaking.

A papermaking process that involves beating the pulp so as to increase its ability to hold water and produce a paper with the proper moisture content.

Hydrophilic

Describes paper with an affinity for water.

Hydrophobic

Describes paper that tends to be water repellent.

Hygroscopic

Describes paper that readily absorbs moisture.

Imitation Parchment

Paper made with irregular distribution of fibers.

In digital imaging, an imagesetter capable of outputting a film flat with 4, 8 or more pages in imposed position.

Impression Cylinder

In printing, the cylinder on a printing press against which the paper picks up the impression from the inked plate in direct printing, or the blanket in offset printing.

Pressure of type of blanket as it comes in contact with paper.

To print other information on a previously printed piece by running it through a press again.

An auxiliary printing unit, usually employing rubber letterpress plates; imprints copy on top side of web and permits imprint copy to be changed while press is running at full speed.

Mailing permit imprints that are preprinted on envelopes, mailing cartons, etc.

Ink Absorption

Extent of ink penetration into paper.

The degree with which paper will absorb ink.

Ink Dot Scum

On aluminum plates, a type of oxidation scum characterized by scattered pits that print sharp, dense dots.

A metal drum, either solid or cored; a part of an inking mechanism; used to break down the ink and transfer it to the form rollers.

Ink Fountain

In printing presses, the device which stores and supplies ink to the inking rollers.

Ink Holdout

An important printing paper quality - the ability to keep ink on top of the paper's surface. An inked image printed on paper with a high degree of ink holdout will dry by oxidation rather than absorption.

Ink Jet Printing

In digital printing, a plateless printing system that produces images directly on paper from digital data using streams of very fine drops of dyes which are controlled by digital signals to produce images on paper.

Ink Receptive

Having the property of being wet by greasy ink, in preference to water.

Ink Resistance

Resistance to the penetration of the ink vehicle; also called ink hold-out.

Inking Mechanism

On a printing press, the ink fountain and all the parts used to meter, transfer, break down, distribute, cool or heat, and supply the ink to the printing members. Also called inking system.

Denotes a production line of machinery, as required for the more or less complete manufacturing of a given product.

A printed piece prepared for insertion into a publication or another printed piece.

Type or design etched into a metal plate as opposed to raised letters as in letterpress.

The extreme strength, degree or amount of ink.

Interleaves (slip sheets)

Paper inserted between sheets as they come off the printing press to prevent transfer of wet ink from one to the other. Also, accessory sheets between parts in a form.

To align sheets of paper into a compact pile.

The flexible hinge where the cover of a casebound book meets the spine, permitting the cover to open without breaking the spine of the book or breaking apart the signatures; also called a hinge.

Proper name for the beater on the paper machine. In the Jordan, the pulp is pulverized, causing the pulp and water to mix in a uniform manner.

Junior Carton

A package of reamed sealed, cut size paper packed 8 to 10 reams per carton.

Fitting a line of type to both margins.

A method in composition of changing the spacing between type; brings the type closer together.

In color printing, the plate used as a guide for the register of other colors. It normally contains the most detail.

In artwork, an outline drawing of finished art to indicate the exact shape, position and size for such elements as halftones, line sketches, etc…

Kiss Impression

Printing performed with only slight pressure. The normal procedure for quality printing.

Kiss Pressure

The minimum pressure at which proper ink transfer is possible.

Partial cut through.

Kraft Process

A chemical pulping process that cooks down the tree to remove lignin, retaining the fibers for paper making. Free sheet papers are made in the kraft process.

Label Paper

Paper used for labeling applications. It may or may not have pressure sensitive adhesive backing added to the sheet.

Laid Dandy Roll

A dandy roll made for the purpose of imparting a laid finish to paper. It is composed of wires running parallel to the roll’s axis and attached to the frame by evenly spaced chain wires that encircle the circumference of the roll. The laid wires are affixed on top of the transverse chain wires, rather than being wove over and under them.

Term describes the finish imparted by a dandy roll which features wires parallel to its axis that impress the paper during manufacture to produce a permanent watermark. The wires which produce the laid effect are situated parallel on the dandy roll and are not interwoven with the traverse chain wires which encircle the dandy roll’s circumference, meaning the cross direction.

Paper that is developed by fusing one or more layers of paper together to the desired thickness and quality.

The slightly extended areas of printing surfaces in color plates, which make for easier registration of color.

Lap Register

A register achieved by overlaying a narrow strip of the second color over the first color, at the points of joining.

Last Color Down

The last color printed.

The drawing or sketch of a proposed printed piece. In platemaking, a sheet indicating the settings for a step-and-repeat machine.

Layout Sheet

The imposition form; it indicates the sequence and positioning of negatives on the flat, which corresponds to printed pages on the press sheet. Once the sheet is folded, pages will be in consecutive order.

In composition, rows of dashes or dots to guide the eye across the page. Used in tabular work, programs, tables of contents, etc…

The ability of an ink to flow.

Letterpress Printing

Also known as relief typographic printing, letterpress printing employs the use of type or designs cast or engraved in relief (raised) on a variety of surfaces which can include metal, rubber, and wood. Opposite of intaglio printing, in letterpress printing the ink is applied to the raised printing surface. Non-printing areas or spaces are recessed. Impressions are made in various ways. On a platen press the impressions are made by pressure against a flat area of type or plate. Flat-bed cylinder press printing uses the pressure of a cylinder rolling across a flat area of type or plate to create the impression. A rotary web press uses a plate that has been stereotyped (molded into a curved form) which presses against another cylinder carrying the paper.

The evenness of a paper determined by the fiber distribution.

Library Binding

A book bound in accordance with the standards of the American Library Association, having strong endpapers , muslin-reinforced end signatures, sewing with four-cord thread, cotton flannel backlining, and covers of Caxton buckram cloth, with round corners.

Maximum number of sheets handled by operator of guillotine cutting machine or by paper handler loading paper for printing.

Lightfastness

The degree to which a paper or printed piece will resist a change in color when exposed to light.

The "glue" that binds the cells of the tree and creates its structure. This product is removed in the kraft process. Approximately one third of the tree is lignin.

Likesidedness

Noticeably similar side-to-side color and finish of a sheet of paper.

Any copy suitable for reproduction without using a halftone screen.

Line Drawing

A drawing containing no grays or middle tones. In general, any drawing that can be reproduced without the use of halftone techniques.

Line Negative

A negative made from line copy.

Linear Paper

A watermarked sheet with lines to guide the user.

Linen Finish Paper

A paper embossed to have a surface resembling linen cloth.

The material which is pasted down on the backbone (spine) of a book to be casebound, after it has been sewn, glued off, and then rounded. It reinforces the glue and helps hold signatures together.

Small fuzzy particles in paper.

The allowance for overlap of one-half of the open side edge of a folded section, needed for sewn and saddlestitch binding, for feeding the sections; also called lap.

Lithographic Image

An ink-receptive image on the lithographic press plate; the design or drawing on stone or a metal plate.

Lithographic Papers

See offset papers

Lithography

A generic term for any printing process in which the image area and the nonimage area exist on the same plane (plate) and are separated by chemical repulsion.

Localized Watermark

Achieved by arranging the design on the dandy roll to leave a watermark at a predetermined place on the sheet.

A mark or symbol created for an individual, company, or product that translates the impression of the body it is representing into a graphic image.

Paper made with the machine direction in the longest sheet dimension.

An ink that has good flow on ink rollers of a press. If the ink is too long, it breaks up into filaments on the press, and causes flying as on a newspaper press.

Degree of permanence.

To fold a sheet lengthwise in the direction of the grain.

A popular style of binding, in which the spine binding material is not glued to the binding edge of the sheets.

Loose Register

Color that fits "loosely"; positioning (register) is not critical.

Refers to papers somewhat thinner than the usual papers of the same weight, having a smooth surface, and which is a "thin" sheet.

Low-Key Picture

A continuous tone photo made up of predominantly shadow areas of the same tone.

Symbol in the paper industry designating 1,000. Usually used to designate 1,000 sheets or two reams of fine paper.

Machine Direction

Establishes the grain direction, which is always parallel with the travel of the paper over the wire.

Machine Dried

Process of drying paper on the paper machine as opposed to air drying the paper after removal from the machine.

Machine Finish

Finish that is obtained while the paper is on the paper machine. Expressed as M.F. Different finishes are obtained by the number of times paper is passed through the rollers, either dry or wet.

Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It reflects or transmits blue and red light and absorbs green light.

Magenta Screen

A dyed contact screen, used for making halftones.

In printing presses, all work done prior to running; adjusting the feeder, grippers, side guide, putting ink in the fountain, etc. Also, in letterpress, the building up of the press form, so that the heavy and light areas print with the correct impression.

Making Order

A paper that is not available off the supplier’s shelf, but they will produce it when ordered. Making orders for special sizes, colors and weights of paper are subject to small minimums.

The unprinted area around the edges of a page. The margins as designated in book specifications refer to the remaining margins after the book has been trimmed.

In color separation photography, an intermediate photographic negative or positive used in color correction. In offset lithography, opaque material used to protect open or selected areas of a printing plate during exposure.

Mechanical Pulp

In papermaking, groundwood pulp produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. It is used mainly for newsprint and as an ingredient of base stock for lower grade publication papers.

Metallic Inks

Ink containing metal substances, used to produce special printed output.

The tonal range between highlights and shadows of a photograph or reproduction.

Paper which is brand-named by the manufacturer as opposed to the merchant house, which is known as a "private brand".

Mixed Office Waste

Wastepaper generated from offices, such as letters, memos, invoices, etc. which are collected and sorted for paper qualities. This is the major source of post consumer fiber used in recycled papers.

Geometric pattern caused when two screened images are superimposed at certain angles. Occurs when making a halftone from a halftone image.

Moisture Content

Refers to the amount of moisture found in a sheet of paper. Average amount ranges from 5 to 8%. This figure varies from sheet to sheet since paper will emit or absorb moisture according to the condition of the surrounding atmosphere. Moisture loss is realized in the form of shrinkage, which begins at the edges of the paper and moves across the grain causing the sheet to tighten and curl.

Printed in one color only.

In Artwork, several photographs combined to form a composite illustration.

Mottled Finish

Finish, which exhibits high and low spots, or glossy and dull areas on the printed sheet.

Mullen Tester

Device that measures the bursting strength of paper. Sometimes referred to as the pop test or pop tester.

In photography, film containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas in the subject appear light on the film and vice versa.

Offset papers manufactured with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0 on a scale of .0 to 14.0. Neutral pH factors are built into paper as a minimum value, to increase stability and improve permanence for use in printing of archival records.

Nominal Weight

Refers to the basis weight of the paper. Unless otherwise stipulated by the mill and customer, a tolerance of plus or minus 5% is allowed when calculating the nominal weight.

Non-Impact Printers

Forms an image without impact.

In binding, a booklet bound on the short dimension.

Pertaining to equipment not under direct control of the central processing unit.

Off-Press Proofs

Proofs made by photomechanical or digital means in less time and at lower cost than press proofs.

See set-off. In printing, the process of using an intermediate blanket cylinder to transfer an image from the image carrier to the substrate. Short for offset lithography.

Offset Lithography (photolithography, offset)

The most common form of lithographic printing in which the image area and the nonimage area exist on the same plane (plate), separated by chemical repulsion. To print, the ink is "offset" (transferred) from the plate onto a rubber blanket and then to the paper.

Offset Paper

Coated or uncoated paper specifically for offset printing.

Offset Press (sheet fed)

Indirect rotary press with plate cylinder, blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder.

Offset Printing

Process of printing utilizing a lithographic plate on which the images or designs are ink receptive while the remainder of the plate is water receptive. Ink is transferred from the plate to a rubber blanket on the printing press and this rubber blanket transfers the image to paper. It is sometimes referred to as offset lithography or photo-offset.

One-Up, Two-Up, etc

Printing one (two, three, etc.) impressions of a job at a time.

A lightweight, cockle finish paper used for making copies of correspondence.

Pertaining to equipment under direct control of the central processing unit of a computer.

The amount of "show through" in a sheet from one side to the other. The higher the opacity the less likely that the printing on one side will be visible from the other side.

The more opaque a sheet of paper is, the less transparent it is. High opacity in printing papers is a good characteristic as print from the other side of a printed leaf has less "show-through".

An ink that conceals all color beneath it.

Open End Envelope

An envelope that opens on the short dimension.

Optical Brightness

Optical brighteners or fluorescent dyes are extensively used to make high, bright blue-white papers. They absorb invisible ultraviolet light and convert to visible light, falling into the blue to violet portion of the spectrum, which is then reflected back to our eyes.

Optical Whitener

A dye that is added to the fiber stock or applied to the paper surface at the size press to enhance its brightness.

Orange Peel

A granular surface on coated or printed paper that looks like orange peel.

Out-of-Register

(1) Descriptive of pages on both sides of the sheet which do not back up accurately. (2) Two or more colors are not in the proper position when printed; register does not "match."

Out-of-Round Rolls

Paper rolls that are not suitable for the web offset press because they are not perfectly round and will cause uneven feeding tension.

Out-of-Square

Refers to paper that has been trimmed improperly thus causing the corners to be less or more than 90 degrees. This leads to difficulty during the printing process and often results in misregister of the printed piece. Also called off-square.

Outline Halftone (silhouette halftone)

A halftone image which is outlined by removing the dots that surround it.

Overhang Cover

A cover larger in size than the pages it encloses.

Describes printing when too much ink has been used, resulting in heavy print that tends to blur toward the back of the press sheet.

Overpacking

Packing the plate or blanket to a level that is excessively above the level of the cylinder bearer.

Overpressure

Too much pressure, causing ink to tend to plug letters, especially halftone dots.

Overprinting

Double printing; printing over an area that already has been printed.

Quantity of paper that is manufactured beyond the quantity specified. In printing, copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.

A chemical reaction which hardens the ink vehicle and makes the film of ink reasonably rub-proof . The process of combining with oxygen.

In printing presses, the paper or other material used to underlay a press blanket or plate, to bring the surface to the desired height; the method of adjusting squeeze pressure.

Packing Gauge

a device for determining the relationship between the height of the plate or blanket, and the cylinder bearers.

Padding Glue

A flexible glue used in padding loose sheets.

The number of flexes a book page can withstand before loosening from the binding.

Page Makeup

In stripping, assembly of all elements to make up a page. In digital imaging, the electronic assembly of page elements to compose a complete page with all elements in place on a video display terminal and on film or plate.

Page Proofs

Initial impression of a page pulled for checking purposes before the entire job is run.

Pages-Per-Inch (ppi)

In book production, the number of pages contained in a one-inch stack of paper.

In computerized typesetting, the process of performing page makeup automatically.

The collection of colors or shades available to a graphic system or program.

A wooden platform with stringers wide enough to allow a fork lift to drive into it and lift; used to pack cartons for shipment, if specified by the customer. Pallets are usually not reusable.

Pantone Matching System

Paper machine.

Machine on which paper is manufactured, dried, wound on rolls and slit to appropriate lengths.

Paper Surface Efficiency

Measure of the printability of a sheet of paper which is dependent upon the amount of ink the paper absorbs, the smoothness of its surface, and the evenness of its caliper.

A paper-covered book; also called paperback or soft cover.

A paper used for greeting cards, stationery, etc…which is distinctive from regular stock in that special watermarks and embossing may be used.

Paraded Watermark

(See watermark).

Parallel Fold

Any series of folds in sequence, made in parallel fashion.

Paste Drier

In inkmaking, a type of dryer, usually a combination of drying compounds.

Pasted grades are those grades of paper or paperboard made up of layers pasted together. The process is machine operation used to combine sheets of the same or different papers into a single thickness.

PCF - Process Chlorine Free

Our 100% post consumer recycled papers are manufactured from sustainable raw materials and are processed using chlorine-free practices.

Quick-Set Inks

Those inks that set-up faster and dry faster, usually from top to bottom. These inks are used when sheets have to be sent back through the press faster than normal drying time will allow.

Printing with four half-tone images at different screen angles using four different colors. Usually the four colors would have a color slant or cast towards a selected tone or color; for example a sepia-tone or overall brown slant or cast.

Quarter Tone

In printing, a printing dot that has a percentage that is close to the 25% printing dot size.

Today it is usually referred to as cotton fiber paper. It is made from cotton cuttings and linters.

Pulp made by disintegrating new or old cotton or linen rags and cleaning and bleaching fibers.

Random Watermark

Five hundred sheets of printing paper.

Ream Marked

Pile of paper is ream marked by the insertion of small slips of paper or "ream markers" at intervals of every 500 sheets.

Ream Marker

Piece of rectangular shaped paper used to mark off the reams in a stack of paper.

Ream Weight

Weight of a given ream of paper.

Ream Wrapped

Paper which has been separated into reams and individually packaged or wrapped.

Scrap paper collected for remanufacturing into recycled paper. EPA’s definition for recovered is the most widely accepted and does not include scrap paper created in the initial papermaking process, but does include scrap created in a mill after the paper comes off the paper machine. Printing waste and envelope trip are also recovered fiber.

Recycleable

This means the product can be recycled. This applies to most paper even if it is coated, waxed or other wise treated.

Paper made at least in part from recovered fibers. There is no universally acceptable definition so requirements vary by specific circumstances. EPA requires post consumer content in recycled papers purchased by federal agencies. But the FTC does not require post-consumer content in papers labeled recycled. Most US governments and companies use the EPA standards, but there is no requirement. In Canada most companies use the terra-choice definition for recycle which does require minimum levels of post-consumer fiber.

In printing inks, varnishes, solvents, oily or greasy compounds used to reduce the consistency for printing. In photography, chemicals used to reduce the density of negative or positive images or the size of halftone dots (dot etching).

The mechanical treatment of pulp fibers to develop their papermaking properties.

Reflection Copy

In photography, illustrative copy that is viewed and must be photographed by light reflected from its surface. Examples are photographs, drawings, etc…

In printing, register is the placement of two or more images on the same paper in such a manner as to make them in perfect alignment with each other. When a printing job is in exact register succeeding forms or colors can be printed in the correct position relative to the images already printed on the sheet.

Register Mark

Mark placed on a form to assist in proper positioning of after-printing operations. Two short lines at right angles are called an angle mark. Also, bulls-eye marks placed on camera-ready copy to assist in registration of subsequent operations.

Registration

Alignment of one element of a form in relation to another. Also, alignment of printed images upon the same sheet of paper.

Relative Humidity (RH)

The amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere expressed as a percentage of the maximum that could be present at the same temperature.

Repeatability

The ability to keep photo film and the images thereon in proper register. Repeatability is usually measured in micrometers.

A term referring to printing again from standing negatives.

Chemicals that slow setting time of printing inks.

When the background is completely printed, and the design area is left unprinted.

Equipment which slits and rewinds paper webs into smaller rolls.

Right Side of Paper

The felt side of a sheet, also the side on which the watermark, if any, may be read.

Right-Angle Fold

Term used for two or more folds that are at 90 degree angles to each other.

Right-Read Image

Image similar to the original or intended final copy.

Stiffness, resistance to bending.

Web of paper. Paper wound around a core or shaft to form a continuous roll or web of paper.

Roller Stripping

In lithography, a term denoting that the ink does not adhere to the metal ink rollers on a press.

A size added to paper to make it water resistant.

Rotary Press

Printing press in which the plate is wrapped around a cylinder. There are two types, direct and indirect. Direct presses print with a plate cylinder and an impression cylinder. Indirect rotary presses (sheet-fed offset presses) combine a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder and an impression cylinder.

Rotogravure

Intaglio process. The image is below the surface of the plate. (Letterhead image is raised the offset image is flat)

1) Ink on printed sheets, after sufficient drying, which smears or comes off on the fingers when handled. (2) Ink that comes off the cover during shipment and transfers to other covers or to the shipping carton or mailer; also called Scuffing.

In printing, an ink that has reached maximum dryness and does not mar with normal abrasion.

Rule Weight

Thickness of lines; hairline rule; medium rule (½ point); heavy rule (1 point).

Runnability

Paper’s performance on a press and its ability to withstand the stresses of a running press unaltered. Not the same as printability.

Saddle Stitch

Binding process for pamphlets or booklets, which works by stapling through the middle fold of the sheets (saddle wire).

Saddle Wire Binding

To fasten a booklet by wiring the middle fold of the printed sheets of paper.

Absence of the short cross line at the ends of the stroke of a Roman letter.

Optical scanner, also electric device used in making color separation.

Point-by-Point electronic scanning of color separations under computer control.

Schopper's Tester

An instrument for testing the folding endurance of paper.

Score/Scoring

The process and the resulting line or crease mechanically impressed in the paper to facilitate folding while guarding against cracking of paper and board. Scoring is essential when heavyweight papers are to be folded.

The ruling used to determine the dots per unit area in developing tonal values in the printed piece. Screens from which letterpress halftones of photographs are made range from 60 lines-per-inch for printing on newsprint to 300 lines for printing on coated paper and premium uncoated paper. Offset halftones for printing on most surfaces range from 133 lines to 200 lines.

Screen Angles

In color reproduction, angles at which the halftone screens are placed with relation to one another, to avoid undesirable moire patterns. A set of angles often used is: black 45°, magenta 75°, yellow 90°, cyan 105°.

Screen Process Printing

This printing process uses a screen of fine-mesh silk (thus the common name silk screen printing) taughtly stretched across a frame. A squeegee drawn across the screen forces ink through the open image areas which are cut-out by hand using lacquered tissue prior to its adherence to the silk. Special photographic negatives are adhered to the screen when faithful reproduction of intricate designs are sought.

Screen Range

The density difference between the highlight and shadow areas of copy that a halftone screen can reproduce without a flash exposure.

Screen Ruling

The number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.

Screened Print

A print made from continuous-tone copy that was screened during exposure.

A halftone film having a uniform dot size over its area, and rated by its approximate printing dot size value, such as 20 percent, 50 percent, etc.; also called screen tint.

See rub-off, The disrupted appearance of an ink film as a result of abrasion to either the wet or dry ink film.

A term referring to the press plate picking up ink in the nonprinting areas for a variety of reasons, basically due to spots or areas not remaining desensitized.

Term often applied to cut size sheets which are packaged "ream sealed", 500 sheets to the package.

Process of allowing paper to adjust to atmospheric conditions of the plant in which it will be used.

Secondary Fiber

A term used for wastepaper, also referred to as paper stock.

A cover that matches the inside text pages.

Semi-Concealed Cover

A cover for mechanical binding that is a single piece scored and slotted or punched for combining with the mechanical binding device, formatting a closed backbone on bound units.

Sensitivity Guide

A narrow, calibrated continuous tone gray scale with each tone scale numbered.

Short cross line at the ends of the stroke of a Roman letter.

In platemaking, the distance from the front edge of the press plate to the image area, to allow for clamping to the cylinder and also for the gripper margin.

The undesirable transfer of ink from freshly printed sheets of paper to another. (Also called off-set).

Set-Up Sheet

A sheet drawn in Plate Prep on the Craftsman table from computer specifications; used as a master for the layout and positioning of pages on the job for which it was drawn.

A popular style of bookbinding; in which the signatures are gathered in sequence and then sewn individually in 8s, 16s, or 32s. The sewing threads are visible at the center of each signature.

Sewn-On Tapes

Strips of reinforcing cloth sewn to the spine of the book sections and extending slightly past the edge of the spine; used to strengthen the binding of a casebound book.

The darkest parts in a photograph, represented in a halftone by the largest dots.

To decrease in color strength, as when halftone dots become smaller; opposite of dot spread or dot gain.

A photographic term for perfectly defined detail in an original, negative and reproduction.

To cut a slight trim from bound books or paper, printed or blank.

Term which may be applied to a single sheet, a grade of paper, or a description of paper, i.e. coated, uncoated, offset, letterpress, etc.

Sheet Delamination

Directly related to poor surface strength in that if the sheet has poor surface strength, delamination will occur in the printing process. Sheet delamination could also create a problem of a blanket smash. If the delamination is large enough and thick enough, as the press continues to run, it will create a depression in the blanket, so that when the delamination buildup is removed from the blanket the depression will remain, rendering the blanket unusable. These defects pertain to both sheet-fed and web-fed equipment.

In paper manufacture, rotary unit over which the web of paper passes to be cut into sheets. In printing, rotary knife at the delivery end of web press that slices press lengths.

Any printing press requiring paper in a sheet form as opposed to printing in rolls.

The process of cutting a roll or web of paper into sheets.

To print one side of a sheet of paper with one plate, then turn the sheet over and print the other side with another plate using same gripper and opposite side guide.

(1) A slip case for holding bound volumes of a set. (2) The copper (or nickel) duplicate of type or engravings produced in the plating tanks on impressions in wax or other molding mediums.

Sheridan Saddle Stitcher-Trimmer

A machine used to gather, cover, stitch, and trim saddle stitch books.

Undercooked wood particles that are removed from the pulp before manufacture of paper begins. Sometimes shives will appear as imperfections in the finished sheets.

Short-Grained Paper

Paper in which the predominant fiber orientation is parallel to the shortest sheet dimension.

Show-Through

In printing, the undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of a sheet can be seen through the sheet under normal lighting conditions.

Decrease in the dimensions of a sheet of paper or loss incurred in weight between the amount of pulp used and paper produced.

On sheet-fed presses, a guide on the feed board to position the sheet sideways as it feeds into the front guides before entering the impression cylinder.

A method of binding in which the folded signatures or cut sheets are stitched with wire along and through the side, close to the gutter margin. Pages cannot be fully opened to a flat position; also called side wire.

Section of book obtained by folding a single sheet of printed paper in 8, 12, 16 or 32 pages.

Halftones from which the screen around any part of the image has been removed.

Silk-Screen

Print from a stencil image maker where the ink is applied by squeegee through a silk screen.

Silk-Screen Printing

Another name for screen process printing

Size or Sizing

Additive substances applied to the paper either internally through the beater or as a coating that improves printing qualities and resistance to liquids. Commonly used sizes are starch and latex.

Part of the paper machine, near the end, where sizing agents are added.

Container holding sizing material during the tub sizing process.

(1)A reusable platform support, made of wood, on which sheets of paper are delivered, and on which printed sheets or folded sections are stacked. Also used to ship materials, usually in cartons which have been strapped (banded) to the skid. (2)A quantity of paper, usually about 3000 lbs., skid-packed.

A paper that is slightly sized and therefore will be somewhat water resistant.

Slip-Sheeting

Placing pieces of paper between folded sections prior to trimming four sides, to separate completed books.

A sharp disk which cuts a paper into pre-determined widths.

Cutting printed sheets into two or more sections by means of cutting wheels on a folder.

Slur-Gauge (The GATF Slur Gauge)

A combination dot gain and slur indicator supplied in positive or negative form. It is a quality control device that shows at a glance dot gain or dot loss. It also demonstrates whether the gain or the loss occurs in contacting, platemaking, proofing or on the press.

The smearing or elongation of halftone dots or type and line images at their trailing edges.

Watery suspension of pigments, etc…which is used in coating or papermaking.

Smashed or Weak Blanket

An area of a blanket that is no longer firm and resilient, and that gives a light impression in the center of a well printed area. Usually caused by physical damage of the blanket at impression.

Smashing (nipping, compressing)

The binding operation following sewing in which the folded and sewn sheets are compressed to tighten the fold free of air to make the front and back of the sheets the same thickness.

A press condition in which the impression is slurred and unclear, because too much ink was used or sheets were handled or rubbed before the ink was dry.

Smooth Finish

A finish on paper that has been made smooth by passing through various rollers.

Smoothing Press

Prior to reaching the driers, the paper web is smoothed, if necessary, by two rolls working together.

The flatness of a sheet of paper, which generally determines the crispness of the image printed upon it.

Smyth Sewing

A method of fastening side-by-side signatures so that each is linked with thread to its neighbor, as well as saddlesewn through its own centerfold. Smyth-sewn books open flat. The stitching is on the back of the fold.

A camera term describing halation or fringe around the edge of a dot which is excessive and almost equals the area of the dot itself.

A term that describes the consistency of lithographic inks.

Another term for paperback or paperbound books.

Wood from coniferous trees having long fibers.

An area completely covered with ink, or the use of 100% of a given color. In composition, type set without space ( leading ) between the lines.

Intervals between lines of type.

Spec'd (specified)

Spec'd copy gives details of items such as paper, bindery techniques, type, etc., which have been determined for a given job.

Specialty Papers or Boards

Paper or board that is manufactured, or subsequently converted, for a specific use. These grades usually cannot be used for anything other than their intended special purpose.

The designer or printing production worker who determines the types of paper to be used under various circumstances.

Spectrophotometer

Sophisticated instrument that measures color across a visible spectrum and produces data describing the color of a given sample in terms of the three parameters in color space.

The complete range of colors in the rainbow, from short wavelengths (blue) to long wavelengths (red).

Backbone of a book.

Spiral Binding

Wires in a spiral form inserted through specially punched holes along the binding edge.

An overlapping joint used to join the ends of webs together.

Tab or marker giving the location of a splice.

Split Fountain

A technique for simultaneously printing two colors from the same ink fountain.

Smallest visible point that can be displayed or printed. The smallest diameter of light that a scanner can detect, or an image-setter or printer can image. Dot should not be confused with spot.

Spot Varnish

Press varnish applied to a portion of the sheet, as opposed to an overall application of the varnish.

Spotting Out

Fine opaquing such as in removing pinholes or other small transparent defects in a negative; also called Opaquing.

Spray Powder

A powder used at press to prevent setoff (offset) of wet ink; also called anti-offset spray.

Square Halftone (square-finish halftone)

A halftone whose four sides are straight and perpendicular to one another.

Square Sheet

A sheet which is equally strong and tear resistant with and against the grain.

A term used to describe paper that has been seasoned so that the moisture content is the same as the air surrounding it.

Device attached to delivery conveyor to collate, compress and bundle signatures.

Pressing a design onto a book cover using metal foil, colored foil, or ink, applied with metal dies.

Standards (paper)

Terms used to indicate the manufactured specifications of a paper. Includes color, basis weight, sheet dimensions, and grain direction.

Material used as a sizing agent for paper. Usually made from corn.

Static Electricity

An electrical charge frequently found in paper which is too dry or which has been affected by local atmospheric conditions.

Static Neutralizer

In printing presses , an attachment designed to remove the static electricity from the paper to avoid ink setoff and trouble with feeding the paper.

Steel Engraving

An engraved plate used in relief printing.

Step-and-Repeat

Technique of affixing multiple images on a film or plate to extremely close tolerances.

In multiple imposition on a lithographic press plate, the procedure of repeating the exposure of a flat by stepping it along the gripper edge; side-by-side exposure.

In multiple imposition on a lithographic press plate, the procedure of repeating the exposure of a flat by stepping it back from the gripper edge of the plate; up-and-down exposure.

An ink with too much body.

Property of paper and paperboard to resist bending.

Stitched Book

A popular method of sewing the signatures of a book together by stitching all the sheets at one time, either through the center of the inserted sheets or side-stitched from front to back. A very strong style of binding but not flexible as compared with sewing.

Use of wire fastenings as a permanent fastening for continuous forms.

Stochastic Screening

A digital screening process that converts images into very small dots (14-40 microns) of equal size and variable spacing. Second order screened images have variable size dots and variable spacing. Also called Frequency Modulated (FM) screening.

General term with many meanings. (1) Paper or board that is on hand in inventory. (2) Paper or board that has been designated for a particular use and only awaits the printing or converting process. (3) Pulp which has been processed to a state where dilution is the only step necessary for it to be made into paper or board. (4) At any stage in manufacture wet pulp is referred to as stock. (5) Wastepaper.

Stock Sizes

Standard sizes of paper or board.

Stock Weights

Weights of papers stocked by mills and merchants.

Stocking Items

Papers manufactured in popular sizes, weights, colors, etc. on a regular basis to maintain adequately stocked inventories in mill warehouses.

Stocking Merchant

Paper distributor that stocks in his own warehouse facilities enough paper to immediately fill anticipated orders in the market. This eliminates the delay of ordering from the paper manufacturer, taking delivery, and delivering to the customer.

Stopping Out

An application of opaque to photographic negatives; also the application of special lacquer to protect areas in positives in dot etching; staging of halftone plates during relief etching; protecting certain areas of deep-etched plates so that no ink will be deposited on the protected areas.

Stream Feeder

A type of press feeder that keeps several sheets of paper, overlapping each other, moving toward the grippers.

Describes the "give" of a sheet of paper when it is subjected to tensile pressure.

Stretch Resistance

Stretch properties are essential for paper to fold well and to resist stress in use. Stretch resistance is measured on tensile testing instruments.

Penetration of printing ink into a sheet of paper.

Strike-Through

Penetration of printing ink through a sheet of paper.

String and Button Envelope

An envelope made with two reinforced paper buttons, one on the flap and the other on the back of the envelope. To close, a string which is locked under the flap button is wound alternately around the two buttons.

Substance Weight

Same as basis weight .

A rubber suction cup on machine feeding devices.

Suction Box

Device that removes water from the paper machine by a suction action located beneath the wire at the wet end.

Suction Feed

A term applied to suction grippers which feed paper.

Alkaline process of cooking pulp also known as the kraft process. Wood chips are cooked to a high brightness without fiber degradation in a substance of sodium sulfate and sodium sulfide.

Acid process of cooking pulp. Wood chips are cooked in a solution of bisulphite.

Super Calender

Off machine calender rolls that heat and iron paper to provide a high gloss finish.

Super Calendering

Alternating rolls of highly polished steel and compressed cotton in a stack. During the process the paper is subjected to the heated steel rolls and "ironed" by the compressed cotton rolls. It imparts a high, gloss finish to the paper. Super calender stacks are not an inherent part of the paper machine whereas the calender rolls are.

Surface Plate

One of the two basic types of lithographic press plates; a colloid image is formed on the light-sensitized metal plate by the action of actinic light passing through photographic negatives.

Surface Sized

Term applied to paper that has been sized by applying a sizing agent when the web of paper is partially dry. Purpose is to increase resistance to ink penetration.

Surface Texture

The relative roughness, smoothness or unevenness of the paper surface.

An additional printing over the design areas of previously printed matter to produce such overprints as "Sale," "$1.98" "Sample," etc. Also called overprint.

Same as sample book. A grouping of papers, usually in bound form, that displays the weights, colors, finishes and other particulars of a collection of papers to aid in the selection of grades.

Abbreviation indicating that the paper has been guillotine trimmed on all four sides. Literal translation: trimmed four sides.

During binding, the cutting or adhering of tabs on the edges of pages.

The pulling power or separation force of ink causing picking or splitting of weak papers.

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)

A file format for graphics suited for representing scanned images and other large bitmaps. TIFF is a neutral format designed for compatibility with all applications. TIFF was created specifically for storing grayscale images, and it is the standard format for scanned images such as photographs-now called TIFF/IT.

A test to determine the tearing resistance of paper.

TCF - Totally Chlorine Free

Includes both virgin and post-consumer fibers that are bleached without any chlorine containing compounds.

Tearing Strength

The ability of a paper to resist tearing when subjected to rigorous production demands of manufacturing, printing, binding and its conversion from flat sheets into envelopes, packaging materials, etc.

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength relates to the stress and strain to which paper is subjected in its many end use applications. It is defined as the maximum force required to break a paper strip of a given width under prescribed laboratory conditions. Tensile strength is usually defined as pounds-per-inch width of the testing strip, or as kilograms per 15-millimeter width. Tensile strength is measured in both the grain and cross-grain directions, however, it is always greater in the grain direction.

A general term applied to various grades of printing paper designed for deluxe printed booklets, programs, announcements and advertising.

Thermography

Letterpress printing in which a special ink, while still wet, is dusted with a resinous powder. Then the sheets are baked fusing the powder with the ink, giving it a raised effect.

Thermomechanical Pulp

Made by steaming wood chips prior to and during refining, producing a higher yield and stronger pulp than regular groundwood.

Measurement in thousandths of an inch.

Shading of an area in a form.

Printing plate with customized surfaces to print solid colors or patterns, stipple line or dot arrangements in tints of inks. Tint blocks are also used to deepen colors in an illustration.

An all-over color tint on the press sheet in the nonimage area of the sheet, caused by ink pigment dissolving in the dampening solution.

Titanium Dioxide

Chemical substance used as loading or coating material to increase the whiteness and brightness of a sheet and contribute to its opacity.

Permissible degree of variation from a pre-set standard.

Characteristic of paper. A slightly rough paper which permits acceptance of ink readily.

Designates the felt side of a sheet of paper. The top side of a sheet is the side not against the wire during manufacture. (2) In paperboard, the top is the side that exhibits the best quality.

Tub sizing of paper which has previously been beater sized.

Translucency

Allowing light, but not detailed shapes, to pass through; semitransparent.

Translucent Papers

Papers that will allow information to be seen through them but not totally clear like acetate.

Transparency

Photographic positive mounted in a clear or transparent image.

Transparent Ink

A printing ink which does not conceal the color beneath. Process inks are transparent so that they will blend to form other colors.

The ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink. Dry trapping is printing wet ink on dry paper or over dry ink. Wet trapping is printing wet ink over previously printed wet ink.

Excess of the paper allowed a printed sheet for gripper and bleed.

Trim Margin

The margin of the open side, away from the bind; also called thumb, face or outside margin.

In printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page where to cut or trim.

The final size of a printed piece after trimming.

Trimmed Size

The final size of a printed piece after all bleeds and folds have been cut off.

Machine equipped with a guillotine blade that can cut paper to the desired size.

Tub-Sized (surface-sized)

Sizing added to the surface of paper by passing a web through a tub or bath of sizing, removing the excess, and drying.

Head to foot printing.

Twin-Wire Machine

A paper machine with two wires instead of one producing paper with less two-sidedness.

Two-Sheet Detector

In printing presses, a device for stopping or tripping the press when more than one sheet attempts to feed into the grippers.

Two-Sidedness

In paper, the property denoting difference in appearance and printability between its top (felt) and bottom (wire) sides.

Printing the same page or group of pages from two sets of plates, thereby producing two impressions of the same matter at one time.

Two-Up Binding

Printing and binding in such a way that two books are bound as one, then cut apart into separate books.

A design of letters of the alphabet intended to be used in combination.

Paper not treated to bleaching; it has a light brown hue.

Paper that has not been coated.

Undercolor Removal

To improve trapping and reduce ink costs in the process color web printing, color separation films are reduced in color in areas where all three colors overprint and the black film is increased an equivalent amount in these areas.

Term refers to an order produced or delivered that is less than the quantity specified by the customer. Allowances are permitted in trade practices for under-runs.

Undertrimmed

Trimmed to a size smaller than the specified trim size.

Being uniform in the structure of the paper, the color and finish.

Refers to the combination of inking, plate and impression operations to print each color. A 4-color press has 4 printing units each with its own inking, plate and impression functions.

Ultra Violet radiation method of drying process color inks on high-speed multicolor offset presses.

The drying of UV inks by a light reaction, rather than by heat and/or oxidation.

In printing, solventless inks that are cured by UV radiation. They are used extensively in screen printing, narrow web letterpress and flexographic printing.

Thin, protective coating applied to a printed sheet of paper for protection or improved appearance.

The liquid part of an ink that gives it flow, enabling it to be applied to a surface.

Term usually applied to a paper finish that exhibits a toothy surface which is very similar to eggshell or antique finishes. A vellum finish is relatively absorbent to provide good ink penetration.

Vellum Paper

Very strong, good quality cream colored or natural paper made to impersonate calfskin parchment. Also, the term is often applied to the finish of paper rather than a grade of paper. Stationery is often referred to as vellum. Also, translucent paper used by architects and artists are often referred to as Velum.

Halftone whose background gradually fades away to blend with the surface of the paper.

Paper made from the fibers in their first use, usually from wood pulp.

Virkotyping

Another name for thermography or raised printing.

Broad term that encompasses the properties of tack and flow as applied to inks.

Deterioration of part of image area on plate during printing.

Color of ink falling in the red-orange-yellow family.

Operation between ink/color changes. Time required between ink color changes.

Water Ball Roller

A roller which runs in the fountain solution pan.

Water Fountain

The metal trough on a lithographic press which holds the dampening solution.

Water in Ink

A press condition of too much water, which breaks down ink.

Water Resistance

Quality of a sheet of paper to resist penetration by water from one surface to the other.

Waterless Plate

In platemaking, printing on a press using special waterless plates and no dampening system.

A term referring to the impression of a design, pattern or symbol in a sheet while it is being formed on the paper machine wire. It appears in the finished sheet as either a lighter or darker area than the rest of the paper. Two types of watermarks are available. A shaded watermark is produced by a dandy roll located at or near the suction box on the Fourdrinier. The desired design is pressed into the wire covering the surface of the dandy roll similar to an intaglio engraving. As the wet pulp moves along the web the dandy roll presses down and creates an accumulation of fibers, thus the watermark is seen as being darker than the rest of the sheet.   The second type of watermark, called a wire mark, is accomplished by impressing a dandy roll with a raised surface pattern into the moving paper web in a similar manner to the shaded mark. This creates an area with less fiber making it lighter and more translucent.   Watermarks come in a variety of placement styles. Random, the least expensive to create, is a watermark that appears repetitively throughout the sheet in no particular order. A localized watermark is one that appears in a predetermined position on each sheet. Paraded watermarks appear in a line, either vertically or horizontally on each sheet. A staggered watermark pattern consists of several watermarks on each sheet in a predetermined fashion. (See dandy roll)

Characteristic of a pile of sheets when the outer edges retain more moisture from the air than the center does or when the center retains more moisture then the outer edges do. It is a form of paper curl.

A warping, "wave like" effect in paper which is the result of the edges of the sheet having picked up moisture and expanded to a larger size.

Roll of paper used in web or rotary presses and most often folded, pasted and converted in one continuous form. Also a ribbon of paper as it unwinds from a roll and threads through the press.

Break in a roll of paper while it is on the machine during manufacturing or while on the printing press during production.

Web Offset Paper

Paper that is made to be printed in a continuous manner from a roll. It can be coated or uncoated and must be strong enough to withstand the rigors of web offset printing at high speeds.

An offset press that uses web paper as opposed to sheet fed paper.

Web Tension

Amount of pull applied in direction of the travel of a web of paper by the action of a web-fed press.

Weight Tolerance

Acceptable degree of variation in a paper's shipped weight, usually within 5 percent of the paper's nominal weight.

Well-Closed Formation

Bonding of fibers in a sheet that provides an overall uniformity. Opposite of wild.

Hard sized.

Water or dampness on the edge of the roll can weld or bond the paper together, which will then break on the infeed, a problem easily determined by the press crew.

Wet Rub Test

A test of the moisture resistance of paper.

Wet Strength

The strength retained by a sheet when completely wetted with water; generally, tensile strength.

The beginning of a paper machine that involves a slurry of fibers, fillers, and other additives and is most likely the most critical process area for successful production of the high quality and consistent end product.

Wet-End Finish

Category of finishes such as antique, eggshell, vellum applied to the wet paper web by machine rolls and the presses at the wet end of the papermaking machine.

Wet-Strength

Wet strength is measured most accurately as the percentage ratio of wet-tensile strength to dry-tensile strength. Example: a paper containing 30% wet strength actually possesses 30% of its original dry-tensile strength.

Wet-Strength Papers

Once wet, ordinary papers lose most of their original dry-strength properties. Wet strength papers possess properties that resist disintegration and rupture when saturated with water. Papers are classified wet strength when they retain 15% or more of their dry-tensile strength. Superior quality wet strength papers may retain as much as 50% or more dry strength following immersing in water. Wet strength papers range in weight from tissue to paperboard.

Wetting Agent

A material capable of lowering the surface tension of water and water solutions and increasing their wetting powers.

Whiteness of pulp and paper is generally indicated by its brightness.

Water that has been used in the papermaking process that is milky in color.

(See Distributor)

Unit at the end of the paper machine that takes the paper web from the reel, trims it, winds it into rolls and slits it to make smaller rolls if desired.

At the wet end of the paper machine, a copper, bronze or synthetic screen that receives the suspension of water and fiber from the head-box. The wire moves the suspension along to the dry end of the machine. The wire terminates at the couch roll at which point the paper web is 90% water and can be transferred to the wet felt. In business forms, to stitch or fasten sheets to form a book or fastened set; may be side or saddle wired.

Wire Binding

A continuous double series of wire loops running through punched slots along the binding side of a booklet.

On the bottom or wire side of the paper, these are impressed traces of the machine wire.

Opposite of felt side, this is the side of the paper that was against the wire during manufacture. A watermark will read backward from this side of the sheet.

With the Grain

Parallel to the direction in which the paper fibers lie.

Woodfree Pulp

Chemical pulp.

Work and Turn

To print one side of a sheet of paper then turn the sheet over from left to right and print the second side. The same gripper and plate are used for both sides.

Work and Tumble

To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it over from gripper to back using the same side guide and plate to print the second side.

Finish characterized by the impressions of a felt dandy roll covered in woven wire and without laid lines.

A dandy roll without a watermarked design.

(1) Creases in paper occurring during printing or folding. (2) In inks, the uneven surface formed during drying.

Writing Paper

A general term applied to papers used for writing purposes.

Wrong-Read Image

A mirror image such as that appearing on the blanket in offset printing.

Copying process that uses a selenium surface and electrostatic forces to form an image.

Yankee Dryer

A device that dries paper as it comes off the wet end of the papermaking machine by pressing one side against a cylinder that steam-heats it and imparts a glazed finish at the same time.

Hue off a subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It reflects red and green light and absorbs blue light.

Describes a transformation inherent to all vegetable fibers which is caused by aging. Paper made of vegetable fibers will turn various degrees of yellow as its environment couples with aging to produce this phenomenon. Yellowing is very evident in groundwood papers and only a few hours in direct sunlight is enough to yellow newspaper.

Zig-Zag Folding

Folding used with continuous forms with alternating position (head and foot). Commonly used to convert roll paper to easily managed flat-back.

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction
• History of origami

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Art in Context - What is Origami? - Learn the Ancient Art of Paper Folding
• The Spruce Crafts - A Brief History of Origami
• Encyclopedia of Japan - Origami
• Table Of Contents

origami , art of folding objects out of paper to create both two-dimensional and three-dimensional subjects. The word origami (from Japanese oru [“to fold”] and kami [“paper”]) has become the generic description of this art form, although some European historians feel it places undue weight on the Japanese origins of an art that may well have developed independently around the world.

While cutting was traditionally a part of origami, most modern practitioners—often called “folders”—eschew cutting (although it continues to be used in the Rokoan style of connected cranes). Most origami is folded from square paper and from a single sheet. However, rectangles and other nonsquare sheets may also be used, and the composite and modular styles of origami use multiple sheets (even hundreds of sheets may be used in a single artwork).

Making models from paper can require very few resources and take mere minutes (or even seconds) to execute. Complex designs, on the other hand, can take hours to complete. Some folders prefer almost cartoonlike renderings of their subjects, utilizing simple folding sequences, while others strive for highly accurate representations, requiring advanced techniques. The use of diagramming signs, symbols, and arrows allows for the folding sequences to be accurately described and thereby duplicated, meaning this art form can be learned independent of language.

Folders generally do not compete with each other except in terms of achieving new heights of creativity. Creative competitions involve varying degrees of competitiveness. Enthusiasts usually share their work freely, although the time involved in creating diagrams for each creation means that folders can easily amass large backlogs of un-diagrammed work. In light of the commercial use of origami, copyright law has been exercised to protect the rights of creators.

Origami, like other art forms, has many styles. The more common ones include:

1. Realistic : Creations that exhibit the main features of the subject, often resulting in complex designs with many steps.

2. Minimal : Creations that capture the essence of the subject with minimal folds and with an emphasis on simplicity.

3. Modular : Multiple geometric "units" made from multiple sheets of paper whose flaps and pockets tuck into each other to form polygons or polyhedra. Typically, all sheets are folded in the same way or in a small number of ways.

4. Composite : As with modular origami, multiple sheets of paper are used, but in this style each sheet is folded differently to realize a different part of the subject. Composite origami was one of the most common styles in the 1950s and ’60s but is relatively uncommon today.

5. Practical : Models that have a real-life application, such as for use as envelopes, boxes, cups, dishes, etc.

6. Pureland : A concept suggested by John Smith of England, who proposed a composition system using only square paper and “mountain” and “valley” folds, resulting in models that are easy to duplicate.

7. Tessellations : A geometric folding technique in which the image is created by the pattern of folded edges across the paper. Tessellations are often periodic (repeating) and may be flat or three-dimensional, and many of them exhibit further structure when held up to the light. Not surprisingly, many of the leading practitioners of this technique have been mathematicians.

8. Wet folding : A technique invented by Akira Yoshizawa in which the paper contains a water-soluble glue (known as sizing) and is dampened slightly before folding. The dampness permits the paper to be folded into soft curves, which then harden in durability as the paper dries.

9. Crumpled : A technique created by Paul Jackson and developed by Vincent Floderer that involves the crumpling of the paper before folding. This technique can produce highly realistic organic forms.

The economy would fare badly in a second Trump term

Anyone who thinks the former president’s autocratic appetites are acceptable because he knows how to manage the economy are not paying attention to his absurd policy proposals..

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks about the economy during a campaign event at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Sept. 12, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona.

Justin Sullivan/Getty

Following the “Eating Pets” imbroglio, one would think that undecided voters would have their doubts quelled about how to vote in November. What more is there to say?

This sociopath stood by while his violent mob smashed their way into the Capitol searching for the vice president in order to lynch him for disloyalty. When asked about this later, Trump didn’t deny encouraging the attempted murder. He justified the mob.

This would-be autocrat has called for military tribunals to try his critics, promised pardons for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and cannot focus sufficiently to remember at the end of a sentence what he started to say at the beginning.

Though his supporters perceive him to be strong, he is in fact a weakling looking for approval from the thugs of the world. He will abandon Ukraine to suck up to Vladimir Putin, which will end the war all right, but by a method no American should countenance — surrender.

Kamala Harris, by contrast, is a sane, somewhat-left-of-center Democrat who is making a bid for centrist voters by deep-sixing her Medicare for All dalliance and other 2019 bids for progressive credibility. On the matters over which presidents have the most sway, foreign policy, she is more “conservative” than Trump in that she promises unflinching support of NATO, Ukraine and vigorous U.S. world leadership.

On matters over which she has the least scope of action, domestic policy, she is likely to be thwarted by Republicans in Congress. And this is key: She will not attempt to overrule domestic opposition by unconstitutional means.

Presidents can do little against inflation

A June Washington Post survey found that 61% of undecided voters rate the economy as the most important issue in the election, and 50% of Americans rated inflation as the top concern for the nation.

It’s worth bearing in mind that inflation has cooled dramatically since its post-pandemic spike to 9.1% in June of 2022. In August, the Consumer Price Index dropped to 2.5%, low enough that the Federal Reserve cut interest rates this week. This soft landing is an accomplishment.

It’s also true — though the number of voters who believe this can meet in a closet — that presidents have little ability to bring down inflation. Together with Congress, presidents can contribute to inflation, and both Joe Biden and Donald Trump arguably did that. The massive COVID relief bills passed under Trump and Biden flooded the country with cash.

But the relief packages were thoroughly bipartisan efforts, and who’s to say they were even wrong? While some of us thought the American Rescue Plan was too much stimulus considering all that had already been passed, one cannot reasonably argue that providing a backstop to the economy in the face of a 100-year health emergency was an example of wasteful spending.

By 52% to 48%, voters think Trump is better positioned to handle the economy as president.

Well, that’s bonkers. This is where Trump’s gross misbehavior may serve him well. His opponents spend so much time responding to his flagrant lies, unprecedented threats, invitations to violence and crude sexual innuendos that we have little bandwidth to deal with his completely fantastical and absurd policy proposals.

Asked about child care costs, he proposes huge new tariffs (anywhere from 20% to 100% tariffs), claiming they would generate so much free money that it would obliterate the federal deficit and have enough left over to pay for everyone’s child care. If a high school debater said something like that, he’d be laughed off the stage.

While presidents can do little to bring down inflation, one thing that pretty much all economists agree upon is that presidents can goose inflation by imposing tariffs. The kind of import taxes Trump envisions, according to the Peterson Institute, would cost the average American household an additional $2,600 a year. Tariffs are taxes (repeat three times).

Harris would be better positioned to make this case if Biden had not maintained so many of the Trump-era tariffs, but at least she isn’t proposing a blanket 10% tax on imports as Trump is (though sometimes he says 20%, or 60% for China’s goods and 100% on countries that abandon the dollar).

Another Trump idea is to deport millions of illegal immigrants. How would this work? At present, ICE has 20,000 employees, and it is believed this number is inadequate even to cope with border-crossers. How many more ICE agents would be required to hunt down, arrest and deport millions of illegal immigrants?

Leaving aside the cruelty of this proposal — the American-citizen children whose parents would be deported, the hardship for people who’ve grown up here and know no other nation/language, the fear and insecurity legal immigrants would suffer — the costs would be astronomical. Prices of food, hotel stays, restaurant meals and new homes would rise. Plus, the taxes they now pay (including to Social Security and Medicare) would be lost.

Trump’s most dangerous tendencies concern flouting the law and using the power of the state against his opponents. But those who think his autocratic appetites are acceptable because he knows how to manage the economy are not paying attention to what he’s actually saying.

Mona Charen is policy editor of The Bulwark and host of the “Beg to Differ” podcast.

The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. See our guidelines .

Get Opinions content delivered to your inbox.