HOW TO LOOK AT ART
HOW TO LOOK AT ART
Written by: Andrea Mulder-Slater [Andrea is one of the creators of KinderArt.com]
The following is a guideline containing four basic components or stages of looking at art as suggested by art educator Edmund B. Feldman. The questions can be used to provoke curiousity and inquiry and encourage active student participation ... and to help students better understand and share their feelings on a work or works of art.
DESCRIPTION
Describe what you see.
Describe the artist's use of color. How many colors have been used?
How has the artist applied the paint?
Describe the texture.
Describe the lines in the work.
What kinds of shapes do you see?
ANALYSIS
Is your eye drawn to any particular area of the painting?
Is there an element that stands out in the composition?
Is the composition balanced?
Does the work make you think of movement? How does the artist show movement?
Does the painting look flat or does it give a feeling of depth or space?
Where might the artist have stood while painting this picture?
INTERPRETATION
What kind of mood or feeling do you get from the painting?
If you could imagine yourself within the painting, how would you feel?
What sounds would you hear?
Why do you think the artist choose this particular subject to paint?
What part of the landscape, building, person, animal etc. most interested the artist? Why do you think so?
JUDGEMENT
Find an interesting painting. Why is it interesting to you?
What do you like or dislike about the work?
The more you look ... the more you will see.
Looking at Art: Seeing Questions
Note: You might want to print this page out to use as you look at the artworks.
The following questions were supplied by Prof. Craig Roland of the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is also the creator of the terrific Art Junction and Art Education 2.0 web sites.
When looking at a work of art,
Describe it.
What kinds of things do you see in this painting? What else do you see?
What words would you use to describe this painting? What other words might we use?
How would you describe the lines in this picture? The shapes? The colors? What does this painting show?
Look at this painting for a moment. What observations can you make about it?
How would you describe this painting to a person who could not see it?
How would you describe the people in this picture? Are they like you or different?
How would you describe (the place depicted in) this painting?
Relate it.
What does this painting remind you of?
What things do you recognize in this painting? What things seem new to you?
How is this painting like the one we just saw? What are some important differences?
What do these two paintings have in common?
How is this picture different from real life?
What interests you most about this work of art?
Analyze it.
Which objects seems closer to you? Further away?
What can you tell me about the colors in this painting?
What color is used the most in this painting?
What makes this painting look crowded?
What can you tell me about the person in this painting?
What can you tell me about how this person lived? How did you arrive at that idea?
What do you think is the most important part of this picture?
How do you think the artist made this work?
What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?
Interpret it.
What title would you give to this painting? What made you decide on that title?
What other titles could we give it?
What do you think is happening in this painting? What else could be happening?
What sounds would this painting make (if it could)?
What do you think is going on in this picture? How did you arrive at that idea?
What do you think this painting is about? How did you come up that idea?
Pretend you are inside this painting. What does it feel like?
What do you think this (object) was used for? How did you arrive at that idea?
Why do you suppose the artist made this painting? What makes you think that?
What do you think it would be like to live in this painting? What makes you think that?
Evaluate it.
What do you think is good about this painting? What is not so good?
Do you think the person who painted this do a good or bad job? What makes you think so?
Why do you think other people should see this work of art?
What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?
What grade would you give the artist for this work? How did you arrive at that grade?
What would you do with this work if you owned it?
What do you think is worth remembering about this painting?
These questions were found on Eyes on Art Web Site.
- See more at: http://www.incredibleart.org/files/crit.htm#sthash.DN3wFFJm.dpuf
Looking at art
Many artists spend weeks, months, even years creating a work of art. Yet many people spend only seconds looking it. Why not try a different pace?
There are many ways to look at art.
You don’t need a detailed knowledge of art history or theory to enjoy an artwork or to develop your own understanding of it.
Here are some suggestions for different ways of thinking about an artwork. You might select a few that appeal to you or that seem particularly suitable for a specific artwork. Or you might like to spend some time really getting to know just one or two artworks by considering a whole range of questions, perhaps even doing some further research to find the answers or make other connections.
A personal response
What first attracted you to this artwork?
What is it that holds your interest?
How does the artwork make you feel?
Does it remind you of anything? eg another artwork, a place, person, story, idea or memory
What is it about the artwork that sparks these memories and associations?
Talk about the artwork with a friend or family member. Are your responses the same or different?
The basics
What is the title of the artwork?
What is the name of the artist? Where and when did they live? Are they still alive?
When was it made? If no date is given, the artist’s birth date can give you a rough idea.
What is it made of?
This information will be on a label near the artwork if you are in the Gallery. It usually accompanies an image of the artwork if it is reproduced, eg in a book or online.
What you can see
Composition What is your eye drawn to first?
What are the different elements in the artwork?
How have they been put together?
Lines Look at the directions of lines, the edges of shapes.
Are the lines horizontal or vertical or at other angles, straight or curved, continuous or broken, thick or thin, long or short, heavy or light, smooth or jagged, aggressive or delicate, fuzzy or crisp?
Shapes Are the shapes rounded, rectangular, triangular, regular or irregular, symmetric or asymmetric, fat, thin or tapered, convex (bulging) or concave (hollowed out)?
Tones Look at the light and dark, shadows and highlights.
Are the tones pale, murky, dazzling, dim, harsh, subtle?
Is the contrast high or low?
Colours Are the colours natural or exaggerated, intense or soft, dull or bright, warm or cool, complementary (opposite on the colour wheel) or harmonious (near each other on the colour wheel)?
Patterns Are the patterns bold or subtle, simple or intricate, geometric or regular, rich or sparse?
Textures What is the surface texture like?
Is it even or uneven, smooth or coarse, shiny or matte?
If it’s a painting, can you see the brushstrokes?
Process and technique
What type of artwork is it? eg a painting, drawing, sculpture, photograph, video, sound work, installation.
How do you think it was made?
If it is a painting, drawing or sculpture, can you see evidence of how the artist’s hand moved?
Do you think it moved slowly and carefully or quickly and energetically?
How long do you think it took to make?
Do you think other people may have helped the artist make it?
How is it displayed? If it is in a frame, what is the frame like?
Context
Where and when was the artwork created? What do you know about the place and that period in history? What was life like? What was happening socially, politically, culturally? Do you think the artwork is influenced by this?
What do you know about the artist, their life, influences and art practice?
Was the work originally created as a piece of art or do you think it had some other purpose? eg religious, ceremonial, practical
Do you think it was originally intended for display in a gallery or for another space? eg palace, temple, church
How does it compare to other works? eg by the same artist, or by someone from the same place and period in history, or those displayed in the same room. In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?
What part of the Gallery is it in? Why do you think it is in that particular location?
Subject and meaning
Can you classify the artwork and its subject according to a type? eg landscape, portrait, still life
Does it depict something recognisable like a person or an object? Is it realistic or more abstract? Natural or unnatural?
Could it be a symbol for something else?
Does it tell a story?
Is the subject familiar to you? What other examples can you recall? eg in other artworks, literature, music, films
Can you see people in the artwork? If so, what are they doing? What might they be thinking? Look at their expressions, gestures, clothes.
What do you think the artwork is about?
What you can’t see
What difference would it make if something about the artwork changed? eg if was a different colour or size or made of other materials or in a different frame
What difference would it make if the artwork was in a different setting? eg a temple, outdoors
Can you extend the artwork in your imagination? If it shows a scene, what might have happened before or after that moment? What is happening outside the frame?
