List of art vocabulary words for elementary students with meanings from A to Z. Explain the meaning of each word simply. It is easy for children to understand. The words are organized alphabetically from A to Z. It covers a wide range of art terms.
Table of Contents
ToggleArt vocabulary words with meaning
The following is the Art vocabulary for elementary students with meaning from A to Z:
A
- Abstract: Art that doesn’t look exactly like real things
- Acrylic: A type of paint that dries quickly
- Artist: A person who creates art
- Artwork: Something made by an artist
- Apron: A piece of clothing worn to protect clothes while making art
B
- Brush: A tool used to apply paint
- Blend: To mix colors smoothly
- Background: The part of a picture that appears to be farthest away
- Blueprint: A plan or design for something to be made
- Bright: Colors that are strong and bold
C
- Canvas: A special cloth that artists paint on
- Collage: Art made by sticking different materials together
- Color wheel: A circle showing how colors relate to each other
- Crayon: A stick of colored wax used for drawing
- Craft: Making things with your hands
D
- Draw: To make a picture using lines and shapes
- Design: A plan or pattern for making something
- Doodle: To draw without overthinking about it
- Decorate: To make something look pretty or special
- Dimensions: The size or shape of something (like length, width, height)
E
- Easel: A stand that holds a canvas while an artist paints
- Erase: To remove marks or mistakes
- Exhibit: To show art in a gallery or museum
- Emboss: To create raised designs on paper or other materials
- Expression: Showing feelings or ideas through art
F
- Form: The 3D shape of an object in art
- Fringe: Decorative edge made of loose threads or strips
- Foreground: The part of a picture that appears closest to the viewer
- Frame: A border put around a picture
- Felt: A soft material used in crafts
G
- Glue: A sticky substance used to attach things
- Gallery: A place where art is shown
- Graffiti: Art painted on walls or buildings
- Glitter: Tiny, shiny pieces used to decorate
- Gradient: A smooth change from one color to another
H
- Hue: The name of a color (like red, blue, or yellow)
- Highlight: The brightest part of a drawing or painting
- Handmade: Something made by hand, not by machine
- Horizon: The line where the sky seems to meet the ground
- Harmonious: Colors that look good together
I
- Illustration: A picture that explains or decorates something
- Ink: Colored liquid used for writing or drawing
- Inspiration: An idea that makes you want to create something
- Imagination: Using your mind to think of new ideas
- Impressionism: A style of art that uses small brush strokes
J
- Jigsaw: A puzzle made of interlocking pieces
- Journal: A book for writing or sketching ideas
- Jewelry: Decorative items worn on the body
- Jutting: Sticking out or projecting
- Juxtapose: To place different things side by side
K
- Kiln: A special oven used to heat clay and ceramics
- Knead: To work and squeeze clay with your hands
- Kaleidoscope: A tube that shows colorful, changing patterns
- Kinetic art: Art that moves
- Kneaded eraser: A soft eraser that can be shaped
L
- Landscape: A picture of outdoor scenery
- Layer: To put one thing on top of another
- Line: A mark that goes from one point to another
- Loom: A tool used for weaving
- Lacquer: A shiny coating put on artwork
M
- Mural: A large painting on a wall
- Mosaic: Picture made from small pieces of colored glass or tile
- Marker: A pen with a thick tip for coloring
- Medium: The materials an artist uses (like paint or clay)
- Miniature: A tiny version of something
N
- Negative space: The space around and between objects in art
- Neon: Very bright, glowing colors
- Neutral: Colors like black, white, gray, and brown
- Nature: The outdoor world, often used as inspiration in art
- Notebook: A book for writing or sketching ideas
O
- Origami: The Japanese art of paper folding
- Outline: A line that goes around the edge of a shape
- Oil paint: A slow-drying paint made with oil
- Ornament: Something used to make something else look prettier
- Optical illusion: A picture that tricks your eyes
P
- Paint: Colored liquid used to cover surfaces
- Palette: A flat surface for mixing colors
- Pattern: A design that repeats
- Portrait: A picture of a person
- Pencil: A writing or drawing tool with a lead center
Q
- Quilt: A blanket made of pieces of fabric sewn together
- Quill: A feather used as an old-fashioned pen
- Quick sketch: A fast, simple drawing
- Quantity: How much of something there is
- Quality: How good something is
R
- Recycle: To use old things to make new art
- Rainbow: An arch of colors in the sky
- Realism: Art that looks very much like real-life
- Ruler: A tool used to draw straight lines
- Relief: A type of sculpture that stands out from a flat surface
S
- Sculpture: 3D art you can see from all sides
- Sketch: A quick, rough drawing
- Shade: To make something darker
- Stencil: A thin sheet with a design cut out of it
- Symmetry: When both sides of something look the same
T
- Texture: How something feels when you touch it
- Tint: A color mixed with white to make it lighter
- Tools: Things used to make art (like brushes or scissors)
- Tracing: Drawing over lines to copy a picture
- Three-dimensional (3D): Having height, width, and depth
U
- Undercoat: The first layer of paint put on something
- Unique: One of a kind, unlike anything else
- Utensil: A tool used for a specific purpose in art
- Unity: How all parts of an artwork fit together
- Undertone: A faint or barely seen color
V
- Varnish: A clear, shiny coating put on the finished artwork
- Vibrant: Bright, strong colors
- Visual: Something you can see
- Volume: The amount of space a 3D object takes up
- Vertical: Up and down (like a standing person)
W
- Watercolor: Paint that is mixed with water
- Weave: To make fabric by crossing threads over and under
- Warm colors: Reds, oranges, and yellows
- Wax resist: Using wax to keep paint from sticking to paper
- Workshop: A place where artists work or learn
X
- X-ray art: Art that shows the inside of things
- Xylography: The art of engraving on wood
- X-acto knife: A sharp knife used for cutting in art
- Xenial: Art that’s friendly to all cultures
- Xanthic: A yellowish color
Y
- Yellow: A primary color
- Yarn: Thick thread used in weaving and crafts
- Yonic: Art inspired by feminine shapes
- Yield: The amount of art materials produced
- Ylem: The first substance of the universe (used in some modern art)
Z
- Zigzag: A pattern of sharp turns back and forth
- Zone: An area in a piece of art
- Zentangle: A way of creating images from repetitive patterns
- Zero point perspective: A type of drawing with no vanishing point
- Zest: Energy or enthusiasm in creating art
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