WORDS TO DESCRIBE ART

Natural, clear, compatible, distinctive, lively, stimulating, subtle, sympathetic

Artificial, clashing, depressing, discordant, garish, gaudy, jarring, unfriendly, violent

Bright, brilliant, deep, earthy, harmonious, intense, rich, saturated, strong, vibrant, vivid

Dull, flat, insipid, pale, mellow, muted, subdued, quiet, weak

Cool, cold, warm, hot, light, dark

Blended, broken, mixed, muddled, muddied, pure

Complementary, contrasting, harmonious

Flat, polished, smooth

Raised, rough, coarse

Cut, incised, pitted, scratched, uneven

Hairy, sticky

Soft, hard

Shiny, glossy, reflective

Semigloss, satin, silk, frosted, matte

Calm, content, peaceful, relaxed, tranquil

Cheerful, happy, joyful, romantic

Depressed, gloomy, miserable, sad, somber, tearful, unhappy

Aggressive, angry, chilling, dark, distressing, frightening, violent

Energetic, exciting, stimulating, thought-provoking

Boring, dull, lifeless, insipid

Backlit, front lit, side lit, top lit

Having indirect light, reflected light, no directional light source

Natural, artificial

Cool, blue, gray

Warm, yellow, red

Dim, faint, gentle, gloomy, low, minimal, muted, soft

Clear, brilliant, bright, glowing, fiery, harsh, intense, sharp

Abstract

Cityscape, buildings, man-made, urban, industrial

Fantasy, imaginary, invented, mythological

Figurative (figures), portraits

Interiors, domestic

Landscape, seascape

Still life

Realism, photorealism

Cubism, surrealism

Impressionism

Modernism, expressionism

Chinese, Japanese, or Indian style

Plein air

Mural

Miniature

Triptych

Arrangement, layout, structure, position

Landscape format, portrait format, square format, circular, triangular

Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, angled

Foreground, background, middle ground

Centered, asymmetrical, symmetrical, balanced, unbalanced, lopsided, off-center

Overlapping, cluttered, chaotic

Separate, spacious, empty

Free, flowing, fragmented

Formal, rigid, upright, confined

Negative space, positive space

Visible, impasto, blended, smooth

Thick, thin

Bold, timid

Heavy, light

Edgy, smooth

Exhibiting glazes, washes, scumbling, dry brushing, stippling, hatching, splatters

Layered, flat

Precise, refined, regular, straight, systematic

Quick, sketchy, uneven, irregular, vigorous

Regular, patterned

Exhibiting marks made with a knife, brush

2-D, flat, abstracted, simplified, stylized

3-D, realistic, natural sense of depth and space

Sharp, detailed

Blurred, obscured, overlapping, indistinct

Distorted, exaggerated, geometric

Linear, long, narrow

Hard-edged, soft-edged

Front, side, three-quarters, profile, rear (from behind)

Close up, far away, life-size, bird's eye view

Upward, downward, sideways

Standing, sitting, lying down, bending

Gesturing, moving, resting, static

Antique, battered, damaged, dusty, old, worn

New, clean, shiny

Functional, decorative, fancy

Domestic, humble

Commercial, industrial

Oil, tempera

Acrylics

Pastel, chalk, charcoal

Mixed media, collage

Watercolor, gouache

Ink

Fresco

Spray paint

Wood panels, canvas, glass

Dark, light, mid (middle)

Flat, uniform, unvarying, smooth, plain

Varied, broken

Constant, changing

Graduated, contrasting

Monochromatic