International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Group 6: The Arts (Visual Arts) Syllabus

What is the difference between warm and cool colors and their typical visual effect?

Warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) tend to advance and feel energetic. Cool colors (blues, greens, violets) tend to recede and feel calm, useful for creating depth.

What is the relief printmaking process, and name two examples?

In relief printing, the raised (uncut) surface of a block is inked and printed while cut-away areas stay blank. Examples: woodcut/woodblock and linocut (linoleum cut).

What is intaglio printmaking, and name two techniques within it?

Intaglio prints from lines or areas incised BELOW a plate's surface that hold ink. Techniques include etching, engraving, drypoint, aquatint, and mezzotint.

How does lithography differ from relief and intaglio printing?

Lithography is a planographic process based on the chemical repulsion of oil and water: the image is drawn with a greasy medium on a flat stone/plate, which is then chemically treated so ink adheres only to the drawn areas.

What is screen printing (serigraphy)?

A stencil-based process where ink is pushed with a squeegee through a fine mesh screen onto the surface below; non-image areas are blocked so ink passes only through open mesh.

Define 'mixed media' and 'collage'.

Mixed media is artwork combining two or more different materials or media in a single piece. Collage specifically assembles and adheres various materials (paper, fabric, photos) onto a surface.

What is 'installation art'?

Three-dimensional, often site-specific work designed to transform the perception of a space; viewers typically enter or move through it, and the whole environment is the artwork.

Distinguish 'additive' from 'subtractive' sculpture processes.

Additive sculpture builds up form by adding material (modeling clay, assembling, welding). Subtractive sculpture removes material from a mass (carving stone or wood).

What is the difference between a sculpture 'in the round' and a 'relief' sculpture?

Sculpture in the round is free-standing and viewable from all sides. Relief sculpture projects from a flat background and is viewed primarily from the front (e.g., bas-relief / low relief and high relief).

What is the 'lost-wax' (cire-perdue) casting process?

A casting method where a wax model is encased in a mold, the wax is melted and drained out, and molten metal (e.g., bronze) is poured into the resulting cavity to form the final sculpture.

In drawing/painting, what is the difference between 'hatching', 'cross-hatching', and 'stippling'?

Hatching uses closely spaced parallel lines to suggest value/shading; cross-hatching layers intersecting sets of parallel lines for darker tone; stippling builds value with patterns of dots.

Define 'impasto' as a painting technique.

Impasto is paint applied thickly so that it stands out from the surface, retaining visible brush or palette-knife marks and creating texture; associated with Van Gogh and Rembrandt.

What distinguishes watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and oil paint?

Watercolor is transparent and water-soluble; gouache is opaque water-based paint; acrylic is fast-drying, water-based and flexible; oil paint uses a slow-drying oil binder allowing extended blending and rich depth.

What is 'sfumato' and who is most associated with it?

Sfumato is the subtle, smoky blending of tones and colors with no harsh outlines, creating soft transitions; Leonardo da Vinci (e.g., the Mona Lisa) is most associated with it.

What is the difference between a 'study', a 'maquette', and a resolved artwork?

A study is a preparatory drawing/test exploring an idea or technique. A maquette is a small-scale 3D model for a larger sculpture/installation. A resolved artwork is a finished, fully realized final piece.

What does 'experimentation' mean in the IB Visual Arts Process Portfolio?

Sustained investigation and risk-taking with diverse media, materials, and techniques—testing, refining, and reflecting on outcomes to develop skills and inform the development of ideas.

What is meant by 'conceptual development' of ideas in visual arts?

The evolution of an artwork's underlying concept—how initial themes, intentions, and inspirations are explored, questioned, and refined over time into resolved artistic statements.

What is a 'visual journal' (or visual arts journal/sketchbook) used for?

An ongoing record of an artist's research, experiments, sketches, reflections, influences, and idea development; it documents the creative process and feeds the Process Portfolio.

Define 'artistic intention'.

The purpose, meaning, or message an artist deliberately seeks to communicate through an artwork, including the conceptual and emotional aims behind formal and technical choices.

What is 'function and purpose' as a lens for analyzing an artwork?

Examining why an artwork was made and what role it served—e.g., devotional/religious, commemorative, decorative, political/propaganda, narrative, or personal expression—within its cultural context.

When comparing artworks in the Comparative Study, what are the four key dimensions IB expects you to address?

Cultural significance/context, formal qualities (elements and principles), function and purpose, and the material/technical (media and process) qualities of each work.

What characterizes the Impressionism movement?

Late 19th-century French movement emphasizing the fleeting effects of light, color, and atmosphere using loose, visible brushwork and often outdoor (plein air) painting; artists include Monet, Renoir, and Degas.

What distinguishes Cubism, and who pioneered it?

An early 20th-century movement that fragmented objects into geometric planes shown from multiple viewpoints simultaneously, flattening space; pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

What are the defining ideas of Surrealism?

A 1920s movement exploring the unconscious, dreams, and irrational juxtapositions; techniques include automatism and dreamlike imagery. Artists include Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst.

What characterizes Abstract Expressionism?

A mid-20th-century American movement emphasizing spontaneous, large-scale, non-representational expression and gesture; includes action painting (Jackson Pollock) and color field painting (Mark Rothko).

What is Pop Art and what subjects did it use?

A 1950s–60s movement drawing on mass culture, advertising, comics, and consumer goods, often with bold colors and mechanical techniques; artists include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

What is 'audience engagement' in the context of an exhibition, and why is exhibition/wall text important?

Audience engagement is how the exhibition communicates with and involves viewers. Exhibition text (titles, labels, wall texts) provides context—medium, dimensions, intent—guiding interpretation and supporting cohesion between works and viewers.

What does 'cohesion' mean for an IB Visual Arts exhibition?

The sense that the selected resolved works function together as a unified body—linked by consistent themes, concepts, visual language, or intentions—rather than appearing as unrelated individual pieces.

What information should accompany each artwork in the IB exhibition (the exhibition text for each piece)?

The title, the medium(s) used, the size/dimensions of the work, and (where used) a brief statement of intention—provided so the moderator and audience can understand each piece.

What is the difference between 'theme' and 'style' when developing a cohesive body of work?

Theme is the recurring subject, idea, or concept explored across works. Style is the distinctive, consistent visual and technical manner (techniques, palette, mark-making) in which those works are made.

What is 'site-specific' art and how does it relate to exhibition presentation?

Art created for and dependent on a particular location, where the space is integral to its meaning. In exhibition planning, it highlights how placement and environment affect how works are experienced and interpreted.