Here are terms you may come across when browsing our free coloring pages and art tutorials.
Click the links below to jump to a specific section of definitions:
🎨 Drawing and Coloring Techniques
🎨 Art Concepts and Composition
Color Theory and Properties
Achromatic: Colors lacking hue; black, white, and grays
Analogous: Colors next to each other on the color wheel
Chromatic: Relating to colors or color
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black): A color model used in color printing
Color Harmony: A pleasing arrangement of colors
Color Palette: A selected range of colors used in design for a specific purpose
Color Temperature: The warmth or coolness of a color (e.g., blue is cool, red is warm)
Color Wheel: A circular diagram of colors arranged by their chromatic relationship
Complementary: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel
Duotone: The use of two colors or two shades of the same color
Gradient (aka color gradient): Gradual transition between colors
Hue Shift: Changing the hue of a color, often to show light or shadow
Iridescent: Showing luminous colors that seem to change when seen from different angles
Metallic: Colors that simulate the effect of metals (e.g., gold, silver, bronze)
Monochromatic: Utilizing one color in different shades and tints
Muted Colors: Colors that have been dulled or desaturated
Neutral Colors: Black, White, Gray, Brown (often used as balancing colors)
Opacity: The measure of transparency or translucency of a color
Pigment: The substance that gives color to paint, ink, etc.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue): A color model used for digital color representation
Saturation: The intensity or purity of a color, indicating its degree of hue
Shade: A color darkened with black
Split-Complementary: A color scheme using one base color and two secondary colors
Tetradic: A color scheme using four colors, two complementary pairs
Tint: A color lightened with white
Tone: A color altered by adding gray
Triadic: A color scheme involving three equally spaced colors on the color wheel
Value: The lightness or darkness of a color
Vibrant Colors: Bright, intense colors
Warm Colors: Red, Orange, Yellow (associated with warmth, energy)
Drawing and Coloring Techniques
Blending: The technique of smoothly transitioning between different colors or shades
Blocking In: The process of drawing basic shapes to represent the major components of a composition before adding detail
Chiaroscuro: The use of strong contrasts between light and dark to give the illusion of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects and figures
Contour Drawing: A method where the artist sketches the outline of a subject, capturing the visible edges and essential shape
Cross-Hatching: A technique where fine parallel lines are drawn closely together to create shading and texture
Dry Brush: A technique where a brush is relatively dry but still holds paint, used to achieve a specific texture
Foreshortening: A technique used in perspective to create the illusion of an object receding strongly into the distance or background
Gesture Drawing: A quick drawing capturing the essence of a subject's movement, posture, and overall feel, often used as a warm-up exercise
Layering: Applying multiple layers of color or medium to build up depth and intensity in coloring
Scumbling: A coloring technique involving the layering of irregular, overlapping pencil strokes to build up texture and color depth
Sfumato: A technique used to blend colors and tones, primarily associated with oil painting but also applicable in drawing, to create a soft, gradual transition between shades
Stippling: A technique of coloring using small dots to create gradients and textures
Underdrawing: An initial sketch laid out as a guide before the final drawing is made
Wash: A thin, translucent layer of color, particularly used in watercolor techniques
Art Concepts and Composition
Composition: The arrangement of elements within a work of art to create a harmonious and balanced whole
Horizon Line: In drawing, a physical/visual boundary where sky separates from land or water, and a key element in perspective drawing
Negative Space: The empty space around and between the subjects of an image; an important element in the composition of a drawing
Perspective: The technique used to represent three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface in a way that looks natural and realistic
Proportion: The relationship of sizes between different parts of a work
Scale: The size of an object in relation to another object within the same drawing
Symmetry and Asymmetry: Balancing elements in a drawing either symmetrically (equal on both sides) or asymmetrically (unequal but balanced)
Texture: The perceived surface quality of a drawing, created through various shading techniques
Value Scale: A range of shades from light to dark that helps in creating the illusion of depth and volume
Vanishing Point: A point in perspective drawing where parallel lines appear to converge, typically on the horizon line
Artistic Mediums and Tools
Acrylic Paints: A fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion, known for its versatility and bright colors
Charcoal: A drawing medium made from charred wood, used for creating rich, dark lines and shading
Colored Chalk: Chalk made with color pigments, used for drawing on rough surfaces like sidewalks and blackboards
Colored Pencils: Pencils containing pigments for color, used for creating detailed and colorful drawings
Crayons: A stick of colored wax, clay, or chalk, used for drawing and coloring
Eraser: An object, often made of rubber or a similar material, used for removing pencil or sometimes ink marks from paper
Gel Pens: Pens that use a water-based gel ink, providing a smooth writing experience and often available in various colors and effects
Glitter Pens: Pens that dispense ink infused with glitter, used for adding sparkling decorative elements to art and crafts
Gouache: An opaque watercolor paint that dries to a matte finish, offering strong color and coverage
Graphite: A common drawing material used in pencils, known for its range of hardness and ability to create detailed lines
Ink: A liquid or paste used with pens or brushes, often for line drawing or calligraphy
Markers: A pen-like tool that contains ink which is applied to a surface for writing or coloring; can be permanent or non-permanent
Medium: The material used to create a drawing (e.g., graphite, charcoal, pastel)
Paintbrush: A brush used for applying paint or sometimes other mediums to surfaces, with bristles made from various materials and coming in different shapes and sizes
Palette Knife: A tool used to mix or apply paint, with a flexible steel blade, useful in certain painting techniques
Pencil Sharpener: A device used to sharpen the writing point of pencils by shaving away its worn surface
Sketchbook: A book or pad of paper used for sketching and practicing drawing techniques
Stylus: A tool used in digital drawing, typically with a tablet, for making lines and shading
Watercolor: A paint medium in which the colors are suspended in a water-soluble base, known for its transparent and fluid characteristics
Drawing and Coloring Forms
Bleedthrough: When ink or paint seeps through paper, affecting the other side or the surface beneath
Coloring Book: A book containing line art for people to add color to
Digital Coloring: The process of adding color to images digitally, often using software like Photoshop or Procreate
Doodles: Simple, unfocused drawings made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied, often created without a specific intention or end design in mind
Line Art: A drawing consisting only of lines without any shading or fill, commonly used as the basis for coloring pages
Mandala: A geometric configuration of symbols, often circular in form, used in various spiritual traditions as a tool for meditation and symbolizing the universe or wholeness
Non-reproducible Blue: A specific shade of blue used in sketching that does not appear in photocopies or scans, useful for initial outlines on coloring pages
Paper Weight: The measure of the heaviness and quality of paper, important for various coloring mediums
Printable Coloring Page: A digital line art image designed to be printed and colored. Learn how to print coloring pages.
Thumbnail Sketch: A small, rough sketch used to quickly explore composition and layout ideas before the final work is started
Zentangle: An artistic method of creating structured patterns through drawing, often used for relaxation or mindfulness, characterized by repetitive, simple shapes and lines