Useful Websites and resources
For Visual Arts
There is a lot of information out there but it varies in
quality. Here are some reliable, dependable, intelligent
and fairly easy to use web databases for art history
and finding images and information to use in research.
Vocabulary & Art specific terminology __________________________________________________________ 2
Art History & Research _______________________________________________________________________ 3
Artists_____________________________________________________________________________________ 4
YouTube Videos on various themes _____________________________________________________________ 5
Art Basics: _______________________________________________________________________________ 5
Art History and art movements:______________________________________________________________ 5
Materials and techniques ___________________________________________________________________ 5
Art Terms in action: _______________________________________________________________________ 6
Vocabulary & Art specific terminology
Moma Learning
Glossary of art terms (alphabetical order), linked to examples of artists and artworks
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/glossary#suburban
Artlex Art Dictionary
Search art related terms by alphabet with examples
www.artlex.com
Art History & Research
Moma learning
Theme based art movements with short descriptions and examples. Art movements are linked to
different themes like (city life, nature, etc.)
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes
The artstory
Guide to modern art, including art movements, artists and timelines
www.theartstory.org/index.htm
British Museum Compass
For researching art from non western cultures this is an outstanding resource. You can search
according to culture, people, place, or material, and the collection is vast and well organized with
mutiple cross references. I especially like the materials search option, a great tool for an artist!
http://www.britishmuseum.org/compass
Smart History
This multimedia web resource is especially good for Western art history and has a slew of images,
videos, and links as well as basic background art history. You can search the immense database by
time period, style, artist or theme.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics
Met Museum
My favorite timeline is The Metropolitan Museum of New York's Heilbrunn Timeline, a chronological,
geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by
the Museum's collection.
This is particularly relevant for IB art students doing a cultural investigation because it helps them to
locate the artwork under investigation in a historical and cultural context
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/
Artists
Moma Learning
links back to the connected art movement with examples
https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/artists
Art 21
By far the best online resource for finding out about contemporary artists. PBS's Art 21 is dedicated to
the art of the 21st century. This site is extremely intelligent, forward thinking, chock full of interesting
artists, interviews, slideshows and video clips. Absolutely wonderful.
http://www.pbs.org/art21/
YouTube Videos on various themes
Art Basics:
Why look at art?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OloYD_kSbU
The skill of describing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pWZBOR4ec
Looking at paintings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm8Sva2hnvY
Art History and art movements:
The classical orders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrRJkzXl4a4
Modern Architecture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv3feYibIUk
Introduction to contemporary art
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgKCGwSdCMo
Interpreting contemporary art
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDuzy-t7GDA
Materials and techniques
How one-point linear perspective works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOksHhQ8TLM
Tempera paint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqTbqKCiYJw
Gold ground panel painting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVyusmjiTXI
Oil Paint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dbb6oITDa0
Oil Paint in Venice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG6NWLxDbNo
Bronze casting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZHLmG8DRbY
Quarrying and Stone carving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvMI2r1RS78
Carving marble with traditional tools
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWUuGDovHEI
Making greek vases
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPW50r07L8
Introduction to printmaking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BYHn5Vum_A
Introduction to relief printmaking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8yK_aKb2Q
The relief process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjymxow3TVQ
Introduction to intaglio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q2oqG6S4Mk
Itaglio process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRwWJyy24So
Introduction to lithography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PFEbQ5UGc
Lithography process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUXDltQfqSA
Glassmaking technique free blown glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqnrJMTp9dc
Art Terms in action:
Paint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cCoswXvZA
Viscosity of paint
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8GQQJZQrUc
Tint, shade and tone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7STpNRwzzc
Enamel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koL4adsku1g
Emulsion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpBD_1pT_mw
Stain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OrF-ls7wmM
Palette knife
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajeETSrukxY
Terpentine burn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsaRisPpzjU
framing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6d5oAS-jUc
