Art analysis + connections with your work
PLEASE REFER TO THIS LINK. THESE ARE NOT MY OWN NOTES… BUT I FOUND IT USEFUL!
Cultural background of artist
How can I apply it to my work?
To annotate- To make short notes explaining or clarifying a point or drawing the viewer’s attention to something of relevance (e.g. ‘the wide range of tones here adds drama and interest)
To analyze- To look closely and in detail at an artwork, noting as many points as you can about the piece. These points might cover thinks like:
Composition (organization of shapes within the work)
Medium used (oil paint, photography, etc)
Content/narrative (what’s happening in this artwork? Is there a story?)
Issues covered (i.e. political, social, religious issues)
To compare and contrast- To analyze two or more artworks at once, focusing on the similarities and differences between them. This is often easier than analyzing a single artwork.
To evaluate- To make personal judgment about the artwork and to give your reason i.e. Do you like the artwork? Why? What is good about it? What is not so good? The reason for this will, of course, come from your analysis.
Analyzing Artwork: A Step-by-Step Guide
Write down your first response to the artwork.
How does it make you feel?
Does it remind you of anything you have seen before?
List what you can see in this artwork.
Figures, colors, shapes, objects, background, etc.
Imagine you are describing it to a blind person. Do this in as much detail as possible and use art terms.
Write down your observations in more detail, looking at these aspects of the artwork:
Which type of palette has the artist used: is it bright or dull, strong or weak?
Are the colors mostly complementary, primary or secondary?
Which colors are used most in this artwork?
Which colors are used least in this artwork?
Are the colors used different ways in different parts of the artwork?
Have the colors been applies flat, “straight from the tube” or have different colors been mixed?
Is there a use of light/shadow in this artwork?
Where is the light coming from? Where are the shadows?
Are the forms in the artwork realistically modeled (does it look 3-D)?
Is there a wide range of tonal contrast (very light highlights and very dark shadows) or is there tonal range quite narrow (i.e. mostly similar tones)?
What medium has been used (oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, clay, etc)?
How has the artist used the medium – i.e. is the paint applied thick or thin? How can you tell?
Can you see brushstrokes, mark making or texture? Describe the shape and direction of the brushstrokes / marks. What size of brush/ pencil was used?
Was it painted, drawn or sculpted quickly, or slowly and painstakingly? What makes you think this?
Composition (organization of shapes)
What types of shapes are used in this artwork (i.e. rounded, curved, straight-edged or geometric shapes)?
Is there a mixture of different types of shapes or are all the shapes similar?
Imagine you are describing it to a blind person. Do this in as much detail as possible and use art terms.
3: Formal Analysis
Write down your observations in more detail, looking at these aspects of the artwork:
Colors
Which type of palette has the artist used: is it bright or dull, strong or weak?
Are some parts of the composition full of shapes and some parts empty, or are the shapes spread evenly across the artwork?
Are some shapes repeated or echoed in other parts of the artwork?
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?
What is the center of interest in the composition?
How does the artist draw your attention to it?
4: Interpretation
Now write down your personal thoughts about the work: there are no “right” or “wrong” answers here!
What do you think the artist is trying to say in this artwork? What does it mean?
What is the main theme or idea behind this piece?
If you were inside this artwork, what would you be feeling/ thinking?
Does the artwork have a narrative (tell a story)? Is it a religious artwork?
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 reason.
“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 his is trying to create.”
“The overall mood of this drawing would be improved if Kathe Kollowitz had used strong, dramatic shadows, instead of pale tones. Dark tones would develop the feeling of fear and loneliness in this image.”
Writing about painting- a glossary of useful terms:
Gestural- A loose, energetic application of paint which relies on the artist’s movement to make expressive marks on the canvas. This is a supposed to be a very personal and unique way of working- almost like handwriting. Look at artist like Cy Twombly or Antoni Tapies for examples.
Glaze- (or wash)- a semi-transparent layer of thinned paint. Many traditional painters like Michelangelo made use of this technique to create the subtle tones of skin for fabric. For a modern use of the glazing techniques, look at the abstract, gestural paintings of Helen Frankenthaler.
Impasto- a thick layer of paint, often applied in several layers with a brush or palette knife. Look at the dense, textual brushwork of paintings by artist like Gillian Ayres or Frank Auerbach.
Plein-aire- a painting which has been made outside, often quite quickly, to cope with changing weather, light effects etc. The Impressionist were the first artists to paint outdoors, rather than in their studios. Before this, however, many artists had sketched outdoors in preparation for painting, the oil sketched of Constable are an excellent example.
Pointillist- the use of many tiny dots of pure color which seems to ‘blend’ when seen at a distance. Georges Seurat’s work is the most famous example of this almost- scientific technique. Look at the work of Chuck Close and compare and contrast them to Seurat.
Scumbling- a thin glaze of paint dragged over a different color, so that both layers of paint can be seen, giving a luminous, glowering effect. Abstract painters like Mark Rothko made use of this technique.
Sfumato- literally means ‘smoked’ in Italian; the use of heavy, dark tones to suggest mystery and atmosphere. Rembrandt’s late self-portraits are a superb example of this technique in practice.
Sketch- A quick painting, often made in preparation of the ‘final version’.
Brushwork- the way in which the artist used the brush to apply paint. Brushwork can be loose, energetic, controlled, tight, obsessive, repetitive, random etc.
Palette- 1. A tray used for mixing colors when painting. 2. The choice of in a painting i.e. ‘van Gogh uses a pure and vivid palette in his Arles landscapes”.
Tone or tonal- 1. The elements of lights and shadow in an artwork i.e. ‘Kathe Kollowitz’s etchings use strong, dense tones to create an intense, sorrowful mood’. 2. The range of tones within an artwork ie ‘Rembrandt’s later portraits use a very dark tonal range’.
Support- The surface that a painting or drawing is produced on. Support can be paper, card, wood, canvas, metal etc i.e. “Antoni Tapies’s paintings sometimes look as if they have been attacked. The support is often violently torn, ripped and stabbed into’.
Writing about Color- A glossary of useful terms:
Primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Primary colors can be used to mix a wide range of color. These are cool and warm primary colors.
Secondary colors: orange, green and purple. Secondary colors are mixed by combining two primary colors.
Complementary colors: pairs of opposite colors on the color wheel: green-red, blue-orange, and yellow-purple. Complementary colors are as contrasting as possible (i.e. there is no yellow in the color purple). Painters like Andre Derain and van Gogh often made use of the contrast of complementary colors in their paintings.
Tertiary colors: A range of natural or neutral colors. Tertiary colors are created by mixing two complementary colors together. Tertiary colors are the colors of nature: skin, plants, wood, etc.
Tones: are created by adding black to any color (i.e. maroon is a tone of red).
Tints: are created by adding white to any color (i.e. pink is a tint of red).
Palette: the choice of colors an artist makes.
Limited palette: the selection of only a few colors within an artwork; i.e. ‘In this drawing, Matisse has used a limited palette of ultramarine blues and purples to create a moody, subdued atmosphere.’
Broad palette: the use of a wide range of different colors within an artwork; i.e. Kandinsky’s paintings are instantly recognizable for their use of geometric shapes, but also for the broad palette of colors he employs.’
Tonal range: the range of tones in an artwork from light to dark. A wide tonal range would include all tones from white to black. A narrow tonal range would include only pale tones, only mid tones or only dark tones; i.e. “Kathe Kollowitz’s etching make a powerful use of a narrow tonal range to create oppressive, dark images.’
Opacity: the density or thickness of a color used; if the color is strong and nothing can be seen beneath it, the color is said to be opaque. Acrylic and oil are often opaque.
Transparency: thin, transparent color, with perhaps other colors, shapes and lines visible beneath it. Watercolor painting typically uses transparent color.
Useful adjectives you might use when describing COLOR:
Saturated, bright, pure, vivid, strong, harsh, dramatic, vibrant, brilliant, intense, powerful, muted, subtle, gentle, dull, soft, watery, subdues, delicate, gloomy, tertiary, faded, limited
