Artistic Techniques And Concepts

noun a radiant light around the head or body of a representation of a sacred personage

• The painting depicted the saint with a radiant aureole around his head.
• The artist made sure to include a glowing aureole in the portrait.
• That halo thing around his head is called an aureole, pretty cool right?
• Her kindness seemed to create an aureole of positivity around her.

noun a thing that is created skillfully and inventively to serve a particular purpose

adjective contrived

• The contrivance of the new machine resulted in increased efficiency in the production process.
• His contrivance to get out of doing chores was clever but ultimately unsuccessful.
• She used a contrivance to sneak into the concert without a ticket.
• His contrivance to win her over involved a lot of charm and flattery.

verb to distort or change the shape or form of something

• The accident caused the metal to deform and lose its original shape.
• I accidentally sat on my glasses and now they're all deformed.
• She didn't like how the dress fit her so she decided to deform it to make it more stylish.
• The scandal has the potential to deform his reputation beyond repair.

verb to mar the appearance or surface of something

• The acid attack left her face disfigured beyond recognition.
• That scar really disfigures his otherwise handsome face.
• Dude, those tattoos totally disfigure your arms.
• The scandal has the potential to disfigure his reputation forever.

verb to spoil the appearance of something or someone

adjective having the appearance of being damaged or deformed

• The victim was left disfigured after the brutal attack.
• She looked disfigured after the surgery.
• That car crash left him totally disfigured.
• His reputation was disfigured by the scandal.

verb to completely cover or surround something

adjective having been completely covered or surrounded

• The building was enveloped in a thick fog, making it difficult to see from a distance.
• I was enveloped in a warm hug from my friend when I saw them after a long time.
• The party was so wild, I felt like I was enveloped in a cloud of smoke the whole time.
• Her heart was enveloped in sadness after hearing the news of her friend's passing.

noun a knotty protuberance on a tree or in wood

verb to twist or distort, especially with a contorted or knotted appearance

• The gnarl in the tree trunk indicated its age and resilience.
• I tripped over a gnarl in the sidewalk and nearly fell.
• That skateboarder pulled off an impressive trick on the gnarl in the park.
• The gnarl of emotions within her made it difficult to express how she truly felt.

noun the act of completely destroying or wiping out something

adjective obliterative (having the quality of causing obliteration)

• The city faced complete obliteration after the devastating earthquake.
• The party was a total obliteration, everyone had a great time.
• That team's performance was an absolute obliteration, they dominated the game.
• Her anger was like a storm of obliteration, leaving nothing in its wake.

noun the state of being unknown, inconspicuous, or unclear

• The author's work remained in obscurity until it was discovered posthumously.
• The band's first album languished in obscurity until they gained popularity.
• I'm tired of living in obscurity, I want to make a name for myself.
• The truth was hidden in the shadows of obscurity, waiting to be uncovered.

noun a slow flow or seepage of a liquid

verb to flow or seep slowly

• The oil spill caused the toxic substance to ooze into the nearby river.
• I accidentally squeezed the ketchup bottle too hard and it started to ooze out.
• The cheese on this pizza is supposed to ooze when you take a bite.
• Her confidence seemed to ooze out of her as she stood in front of the crowd.

verb to make someone so frightened that they are unable to move or think

• The sight of the snake petrified the hikers, causing them to freeze in fear.
• I was petrified when I heard a loud bang in the middle of the night.
• The horror movie was so scary, it petrified me!
• The thought of public speaking used to petrify me, but now I've overcome my fear.

adjective not having a definite or distinct shape or form; shapeless or formless

• The artist stared at the unformed block of marble, envisioning the masterpiece it would soon become.
• I have so many unformed ideas floating around in my head, I need to start organizing them.
• His plan was still unformed, so we decided to just go with the flow and see what happens.
• Her unformed opinions on the matter quickly solidified after hearing all sides of the argument.

noun the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern

• Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon where the mind perceives a familiar pattern where none actually exists.
• Some people experience pareidolia when they see shapes in clouds or faces in inanimate objects.
• I swear I saw a pareidolia of a cat in that stain on the wall.
• His pareidolia caused him to believe he saw a hidden message in the random arrangement of leaves on the ground.

adverb in a manner that is not focused on the present moment or surroundings

• She sat at her desk, staring out the window abstractedly as she contemplated the meaning of the research findings.
• He doodled on his notebook abstractedly while waiting for the meeting to start.
• She scrolled through her phone abstractedly, not really paying attention to anything.
• His mind wandered abstractedly, drifting through memories of the past.