KS2 Language of Art | Which Words are used to Describe it

Art and Design Quiz - The Language of Art (Questions)

Learn the language of art, line, shape, colour, tone, pattern, and texture, so you can describe artworks clearly and make smarter choices in your own drawings and paintings.

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Fascinating Fact:

Texture can be real, meaning you can feel it, or visual, meaning it looks textured. Artists can create texture with marks, patterns, and materials.

In KS2 Art and Design, the language of art helps you explain what you can see and why it works. You learn how artists use visual elements to show movement, mood, and focus, and you practise using these ideas in your own artwork.

Key Terms

Line: A mark that can be thick, thin, straight, or curved, used to outline shapes, show direction, or add detail.
Tone: How light or dark something is, which can help show form, shadows, and where the light is coming from.
Composition: The way parts of an artwork are arranged, including what is placed where, and what your eye notices first.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are the elements of art in KS2?

In KS2, the elements of art are the building blocks artists use, such as line, shape, colour, tone, pattern, texture, and space, to create and describe artwork.

What does tone mean in art for children?

Tone means how light or dark an area is. Artists use tone to make drawings look more realistic, show shadows, and help objects look three-dimensional.

How do artists use composition to guide your eyes?

Artists use composition by placing important shapes or colours where they stand out, repeating patterns, and leaving space, so your eyes move around the picture in a planned way.

Try These Related Quizzes

There are two ways of describing the orientation of a standard canvas. What are they?

[ ]	Upside-down and back to front
[ ]	Sideways and longways
[ ]	Portrait and landscape
[ ]	Inside and outside

Primary, secondary, complementary and contrasting all refer to what?

[ ]	Colours
[ ]	Schools
[ ]	Conversations
[ ]	Eye tests

Works of art which are not life-like or realistic are sometimes referred to as what?

[ ]	Abseil
[ ]	Absence
[ ]	Abound
[ ]	Abstract

Before creating artwork, what do most artists make first?

[ ]	'Phone calls
[ ]	Cakes
[ ]	Cabinets
[ ]	Sketches

What is the process in which artists decide where elements will go in a piece of work?

[ ]	Considering the evidence
[ ]	Considering the rules
[ ]	Considering the composition
[ ]	Considering the dreams

Art is wide and varied and artists use a huge amount of different what?

[ ]	Different materials
[ ]	Different glue sticks
[ ]	Different corners
[ ]	Different pebbles

To create darker areas in a piece, an artist may use pencils or charcoal to do what?

[ ]	Outline
[ ]	Shade
[ ]	Erase
[ ]	Undo

Artists working mainly in three-dimensional materials are usually called what?

[ ]	Sculptors
[ ]	Makers
[ ]	Movers
[ ]	Shakers

People who make and design clothing or other items made from fabric are said to be what kind of artists?

[ ]	Understanding
[ ]	Fake
[ ]	Material
[ ]	Textile

10.

What could be created with a printing block which is used over and over again?

[ ]	A pretty big mess
[ ]	A repeating pattern
[ ]	A lot of hard work
[ ]	An unusual scene

Art and Design Quiz - The Language of Art (Answers)

There are two ways of describing the orientation of a standard canvas. What are they?

[ ]	Upside-down and back to front
[ ]	Sideways and longways
[x]	Portrait and landscape
[ ]	Inside and outside

Portraits are usually painted on canvasses which have the short side at the bottom, while landscapes are usually painted on canvasses which have the long side at the bottom

Primary, secondary, complementary and contrasting all refer to what?

[x]	Colours
[ ]	Schools
[ ]	Conversations
[ ]	Eye tests

Understanding colours and how they can be mixed to create other colours is an important skill for artists

Works of art which are not life-like or realistic are sometimes referred to as what?

[ ]	Abseil
[ ]	Absence
[ ]	Abound
[x]	Abstract

Abstract art is always interesting to look at and talk about!

Before creating artwork, what do most artists make first?

[ ]	'Phone calls
[ ]	Cakes
[ ]	Cabinets
[x]	Sketches

Sketches help to form ideas and test techniques to be used in the main piece

What is the process in which artists decide where elements will go in a piece of work?

[ ]	Considering the evidence
[ ]	Considering the rules
[x]	Considering the composition
[ ]	Considering the dreams

Good composition has a pleasing effect on the finished work

Art is wide and varied and artists use a huge amount of different what?

[x]	Different materials
[ ]	Different glue sticks
[ ]	Different corners
[ ]	Different pebbles

Any material you can think of has probably been used in an artwork at some point!

To create darker areas in a piece, an artist may use pencils or charcoal to do what?

[ ]	Outline
[x]	Shade
[ ]	Erase
[ ]	Undo

Shading can help objects appear more realistic and three-dimensional

Artists working mainly in three-dimensional materials are usually called what?

[x]	Sculptors
[ ]	Makers
[ ]	Movers
[ ]	Shakers

Sculptors work with lots of different materials - ice, sand, clay, glass, metal and wood are just a few