DESCRIPTION
The Facts –Elements of Art
Describe what you see in the artwork
Title of Artwork____________________________
Artist’s Name______________________________
Date of Artwork____________ Size ___________
Medium__________________________________
(oil, acrylic, watercolor, bronze, pencil, etc.)
Objects in the artwork_______________________
_________________________________________
(people, animals, buildings, trees, sky,
rocks, water, vehicles, food, clothes)
What kinds of lines do you see? _______________
_________________________________________
(thick, thin, curved, jagged, straight, spiral,
vertical, horizontal, diagonal, fuzzy)
What kinds of shapes do you see?______________
_________________________________________
(circles, rectangles, squares, triangles,
angular, curved, hard edged, soft edged)
What kinds of textures do you see?_____________
_________________________________________
(rough, smooth, soft, dull, hard, shiny)
What kinds of colors do you see?______________
_________________________________________
(bright, dark, soft, strong
warm - red, orange, yellow
cool - blue, green, violet
neutral - brown, black, white, gray
complementary - opposite colors
red/green, blue/orange, yellow/violet)
ANALYSIS
The Design –How is the artwork organized?
Principles of Art
What is the focal point of the artwork?
The first thing you see is ______________
What kind of balance is used?
____Symmetrical - same on both sides
____Asymmetrical - different on each side
Where is the light coming from?_______________
Where is the darkest part of the artwork?________
Does the artwork show an illusion of space?
(Deep space - see for miles
Shallow space - cannot see very far
Flat space - no space )
What is repeated in the artwork?_______________
(Lines, Shapes, Colors)
Draw what is repeated.
Name____________________________________
Grade_______ Teacher______________________
Draw a sketch of the artwork or focal point.
INTERPRETATION
The Meaning –What is the purpose or meaning of
the Artwork?
What is happening in the artwork?_____________
What is the artist trying to say?________________
Is the artist concerned with imitating nature?
Yes___ No___
Is the artist concerned with expressing a feeling or
emotion? Yes___ No___
Is the artist concerned with lines, shapes, colors, textures,
design and composition? Yes___ No___
Does the title of the artwork tell you about the meaning
or purpose of the artwork? Yes___ No___
What words describe the meaning of this artwork?
(beauty, excitement, strength, love, mystery,
enjoyment of work, happiness, fun, hope,
adventure, loneliness, sadness, anger,
exhaustion, war, peace, fear, courage,
simplicity of design, complexity of design)
JUDGMENT
Judge the Artwork - This is your Opinion
Which of the following theories best describes the
artwork?
____Imitationism (imitating nature)
____Emotionalism (showing a feeling or emotion)
____Formalism (making the viewer aware of
lines, shapes, colors or design)
Do you like the artwork? Yes___ No___
Why? _______________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
ART CRITICISM
A Way to Talk About Art