Formal analysis is an important technique for organizing visual information. In other words, it is a strategy used to translate what you see into written words. This strategy can be applied to any work of art, from any period of art in history, whether a photograph, sculpture, painting, or cultural artifact.
What makes up the formal qualities are the composition, elements, and principles of the work.
This analysis is based largely on observation of what you can see and less on research than the other criteria. But research can help make your points.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the highest level on the rubric:
"You need to make "an effective identification and analysis of the formal qualities of the selected artworks, objects and artifacts."
At the highest level of achievement, the work identifies and analyses the formal qualities of the selected pieces from at least two cultural origins and the analysis of these formal qualities is consistently informed and effective."
This teacher's website it helpful for everything! But she explains Formal analysis the correct way: https://bluelavaart.com/art-education/comparative-study-cs?fbclid=IwY2xjawFY9RdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSRFC-IaWzxUrht8ruxX4vaUSQeGZ-hwoJo8T-7Jxk82qhQ_Zr4v481Psg_aem_OWVg3l0HsAXwWyY222X6mg
Watch her video starting at 5:24 for a breakdown and also look at the visual examples!