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An Italian term used to describe the dramatic effect of contrasting areas of light and dark in artwork, creating a sense of volume and three-dimensionality.

A painting technique for softening the transition between colors, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on, or the out-of-focus plane.

A style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image.

Lighting technique where the light comes from behind the subject, creating a glowing edge around the subject against a darker background.

The dark area on an object that results from the object blocking the light source, used to suggest form and depth.

The darkest part of a shadow where light cannot reach directly; creates the illusion of volume in the object depicted.

Light that bounces from one object to another in a scene, often filling in shadows and hence reducing overall contrast.

In visual art, the tones between the darkest shadow and the brightest highlight so named for their midway nature; critical for depicting realistic form and volume.

The areas of an object that receive the most direct light, often used to indicate the light source's direction, curvature and texture of the surface.

The diffused light that fills a scene without a specific direction, often depicted in art to create a base level of lightness.

An outline of a form filled in with a solid color, usually black, creating a profile or shadow appearance against a lighter background.

A gradual transition between colors and tones, used to create smooth shading, spherical forms, and skies in art.

A bright spot of light that appears on shiny objects when illuminated, indicating the specific properties of the light source and the material of the object.

In visual arts, the primary light source that gives the object the most definition and prominence, contributing heavily to the composition's visual hierarchy.