CRITICAL ANALYSIS TASK RESOURCE - VISUAL ANALYSIS HANDOUT
A great deal can be learnt, by observation and deduction, from a careful, first-hand study of a work of art. The
method by which we do this should be logical and objective; it need not rely on previous knowledge of the artist, or
the artwork being studied. Image analysis of a design or artwork can be done with the help of the following headings
below:
STEP ONE – Introduction:
What is your first impression of the work? What can you see? What is the work – a painting, a film, a sculpture, a
print? When was it made? What will we discuss about it?
STEP TWO – DESCRIPTION:
Listing what an art object seems to be made of. The description should be NEUTRAL in the use of words to
describe the image/object at this stage.
What can you see? What is the subject matter? Describe it – for example, figures fighting, the seasons, a rough
day or the ‘generation gap’.
What is it made from – materials and support – paint, stone, metal, plastic, canvas, board, paper?
STEP THREE – ANALYSIS:
What elements of art have been used? E.g. line, shape, colour, space, volume, tone, texture… kinds of lines,
variety of shapes, the use of one or many textures, intensity and value of colour, the use of space or depth?
What design principles have been used to assemble the work – balance, positive/negative space, symmetry /
asymmetry, harmony, rhythm, repetition, proportion? How has the work been arranged – composition?
What influences can be easily seen in the work, if any?
In any examination of the illusion of space and volume in a work, the pictorial devices must be considered; e.g.
eye level, vantage point, aerial perspective, linear perspective, diminishing scale, overlapping planes, etc.
STEP FOUR – INTERPRETATION:
What does it mean? What message, if any, is the artist trying to convey? Is it clear, confused, ambiguous? What
expressive qualities, if any, does the work reveal – moods, feelings and emotions (hate, love, fear, empathy,
sadness, loneliness, warmth, enjoyment)? Is the message or meaning a common one – that is, has it often been
portrayed by other artists or by the same artist before?
STEP FIVE – JUDGEMENT:
How well has the artist used those characteristics observed in STEPS TWO, THREE and FOUR to complete the
work? Deciding on the degree of artistic merit in the work. Describe the effectiveness of the personal style used
by the artist. Does it suit the particular work? Decide whether or not you consider the work to be good. What
particular features have influenced your decision? What are your final views of the work, based on all that you
have found out about the work in your analysis?
CRITICAL ANALYSIS TASK RESOURCE - VISUAL ANALYSIS HANDOUT
Step 1# Make draft notes (x3 points per heading) under the correct headings based on what you can see
in the image. See completed example handout for help:
ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTION
Intro
IMAGE A
IMAGE B
JUDGEMENT
INTERPRETATION
CRITICAL ANALYSIS TASK RESOURCE – VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY.
Step Two: Once you have listed your DRAFT NOTES under each of the 5 areas (Introduction, Description, Analysis,
Interpretation and Judgement) for each image individually, you can now put these ideas into paragraphs to form an
Image Analysis Essay. Make sure to COMPARE the images with each other, finding similarities and differences where
possible. READ THE COMPLETED EXAMPLE to get an idea of how to start each new paragraph.
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Aim to write no less than one paragraph for each section – this means five paragraphs in total.
Read the marking key to see what needs to be included in the essay to achieve a good grade.
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