Art Composition Techniques

noun a straight line that is sloping and not horizontal or vertical

adjective slanting or oblique; not horizontal or vertical

• The architect drew a diagonal line to represent the slope of the roof.
• She cut the cake into diagonal slices for easy serving.
• I saw him take a diagonal shortcut through the park.
• Their relationship took a diagonal turn when they started working together.

noun a particular detail, aspect, or element

verb to emphasize or highlight something

• The professor used a laser pointer to point up at the graph on the screen.
• Can you point up at the sign so I can see what it says?
• Yo, point up at that cool graffiti on the wall!
• His hard work and dedication really point up to his success in the company.

noun a square or rectangular area

verb to make square or rectangular

adjective square or rectangular in shape

• The biologist studied the quadrate bone in the skull of the animal.
• I heard that the quadrate bone is important for jaw movement.
• Check out the quadrate on that dude, it's massive!
• Her ability to multitask is like a quadrate puzzle, fitting everything together perfectly.

adjective describing a shape with four straight sides and four right angles, like a rectangle

• The architect designed a new building with a series of rectangular windows.
• I bought a new rectangular dining table for the kitchen.
• Check out that rectangular pizza box, it's huge!
• Her face was a perfect rectangular shape, with sharp angles.

noun a closed plane figure having three sides and three angles

adjective relating to or shaped like a triangle

• The architect used a compass and ruler to accurately draw a triangle on the blueprint.
• I can never seem to draw a perfect triangle freehand.
• That guy's haircut makes his head look like a triangle.
• The love triangle between the three coworkers caused tension in the office.