⇒ Follow these steps; answer all the questions and you can’t go wrong!
⇒ Remember that your own drawings/copies of the artwork should accompany ALL written analysis.
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1: First Reaction
Write down your first response to the artwork.
o Do you like it?
o How does it make you feel?
o Does it remind you of anything you have seen before?
2: Description
List what you can see in this artwork.
o Figures, colors, shapes, objects, background etc.
o Imagine you are describing it to a blind person. Do this in as much detail as possible.
3: Formal Analysis
Write down your observations in more detail, looking at these specific aspects of the artwork:
Colors:
o Which type of palette has the artist used: is it bright or dull, strong or weak?
o Are the colors mostly complementary, primary, secondary or tertiary?
o Which color(s) are used most in this artwork?
o Which color(s) are used least in this artwork?
o Are the colors used different ways in different parts of the artwork?
o Have the colors been applied flat, ‘straight from the tube’, or have different colors been mixed?
Tones:
o Is there a use of light / shadow in this artwork?
o Where is the light coming from? Where are the shadows?
o Are the forms in the artwork realistically modeled (does it look 3D)?
o Is there a wide range of tonal contrast (very light highlights and very dark shadows) or is the tonal range quite narrow
(i.e. mostly similar tones)?
Use of media:
o What medium has been used (oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, clay etc)?
o How has the artist used the medium – i.e. is the paint applied thick or thin? How can you tell?
o Can you see brushstrokes, mark making or texture?
Describe the shape and direction of the brushstrokes /marks. What size of brush / pencil was used?
o Was it painted, drawn, sculpted quickly, or slowly and painstakingly? What makes you think this?
Composition (organization of shapes):
o What type of shapes is used in this artwork (i.e. rounded, curved, straight-edged or geometric shapes)?
o Is there a mixture of different types of shapes or are all the shapes similar? o Are some parts of the composition full of shapes and some parts empty, or are the shapes spread evenly across the artwork?
o Are some shapes repeated or echoed in other parts of the artwork?
o Does the whole composition look full of energy and movement, or does it look still and peaceful? How did the artist create this movement/stillness?
o What is the center of interest in the composition?
o How does the artist draw your attention to it?
Mood / Emotion:
o What do you think the artist wanted you to feel when you
look at this artwork?
o What has he/she used to create a mood? (think about color, shape, tone etc.)
o How has he/she succeeded in creating this mood? (For example, strong vivid colors might be used to create a joyful
or angry mood in an artwork, depending upon how the artist has used them).
o Could the same mood have been created in a different way?
How could you change this?
4: Interpretation
Now write down your personal thoughts about the work: there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers here!
o What do you think the artist is trying to say in this artwork?
What does it mean?
o What is the main theme or idea behind this piece?
o If you were inside this artwork, what would you be feeling /thinking?
o Does the artwork have a narrative (tell a story)? Is it a religious artwork?
o Is it abstract? Is it realistic? Why? How would you explain this artwork to someone else?
5: Evaluation
Based upon what you have observed already, give your opinion of the artwork. You MUST give reasons. E.g.:
o “Franz Marc has created an effective expressive painting, because the hot colors and lively brush marks he has used add to the overall feeling of energy and excitement he is trying to create.”
o “The overall mood of this drawing would be improved if Kathe Kollowitz had used strong, dramatic shadows, instead of just pale tones. Dark tones would develop the feeling of fear and loneliness in this image.”
o “Picasso has used sharp, stabbing, geometric shapes in some areas of his composition to create a sense of violence and distress within ‘Guernica’. These make the figures and animals seem more vulnerable, as if in pain and suffering while under attack.”