Title - Standard Grade Expressive Essay
Name –
Step 1 - Introduction
‘In this essay I will..
Say which two artists you will be writing about.
Say what you will writing about –
looking at portraiture/portraits
Explaining the subject(s) and how the artist is telling us about them.
Discussing the artist’s styles, use of subject matter and how they created the artwork.
Comparing and contrasting both artists and their work.
Step 2 – First artist and artwork
‘The first artist I will be discussing is ‘full name’ and their artwork/painting/ect ’full title’’
Say which artist and artwork you will be discussing.
Step 3 – Describe the artwork
Describe everything you see in the artwork – ‘The painting shows..’
Use lots of describing words – Look at the wordbank sheets to help you.
Find a good quality
image of artwork.
Copy and paste into
essay.
Use picture toolbar in
word to position
image ‘square’ with
your text.
Add title of artwork in
a text box next to
image.
The markers are interested in what you think about the specific artwork the artist has created.
You must give your thoughts about the person or people shown in the portrait.
Describe details you see and explain 


What this tells you about the main person.
The other people in the artwork and their relationship to the main person.
The way the person has been shown.
Step 4 – The Visual Elements
Write about each Visual Element.
Describe each visual element and how it has been used to tell us about the subject.
Describe how each visual element affects and emphasises another visual element.
Describe how each visual element affects the composition.
Describe how the artist has used the visual elements to draw the viewer’s eye in.
Colour –
Tone -
Shape –
Line –
Texture –
Form (3-D Shapes) –
Pattern -
Scale -
Step 5 - Composition and Focal Point
The composition of the artwork is where everything you can see has been positioned to make certain things
stand out and draw the viewer’s eye and move around different parts of the artwork.
The focal point is the most important part of the artwork. Think how the artist has made it stand out. Think
how they have used the Visual Elements and composition to make the focal point stand out.
Describe where things have been positioned in the space.
In the foreground there is..
Describe which parts of the artwork are the most important and how they have been shown to stand out.
Describe which parts of the artwork are balanced.
‘The artist had created a balanced composition by..’
Describe the basic structure of the painting.
‘The horizontal line of the horizon and the vertical line of the subject’s shirt create a cross. This draws the
viewer’s eye into the artwork..’
Describe how each Visual Element has been used to make something in the artwork stand out.
Describe how each Visual Element is used to move the viewer’s eye to a specific place in the artwork.
Overall –
Focal Point –
Mid-Ground –
Foreground –
Background -
Second artist and artwork
‘The second artist I will be discussing is ‘full name’ and their artwork/painting/ect ’full title’’
Say which artist and artwork you will be discussing.
Describe the second artwork
Describe everything you see in the artwork – ‘The painting shows..’
Use lots of describing words – Look at the wordbank sheets to help you.
Find a good quality
image of artwork.
Copy and paste into
essay.
Use picture toolbar in
word to position
image ‘square’ with
your text.
Add title of artwork in
a text box next to
image.
The Visual Elements
Write about each Visual Element.
Describe each visual element and how it has been used to tell us about the subject.
Describe how each visual element affects and emphasises another visual element.
Describe how each visual element affects the composition.
Describe how the artist has used the visual elements to draw the viewer’s eye in.
Colour –
Tone -
Shape –
Line –
Texture –
Form (3-D Shapes) –
Pattern
Scale
Composition and Focal Point
The composition of the artwork is where everything you can see has been positioned to make certain things
stand out and draw the viewer’s eye and move around different parts of the artwork.
The focal point is the most important part of the artwork. Think how the artist has made it stand out. Think
how they have used the Visual Elements and composition to make the focal point stand out.
Describe where things have been positioned in the space.
In the foreground there is..
Describe which parts of the artwork are the most important and how they have been shown to stand out.
Describe which parts of the artwork are balanced.
‘The artist had created a balanced composition by..’
Describe the basic structure of the painting.
‘The horizontal line of the horizon and the vertical line of the subject’s shirt create a cross. This draws the
viewer’s eye into the artwork..’
Describe how each Visual Element has been used to make something in the artwork stand out.
Describe how each Visual Element is used to move the viewer’s eye to a specific place in the artwork.
Overall –
Focal Point –
Mid-Ground –
Foreground –
Background -
Step 6 - Comparison and Conclusion
Compare and contrast the two artists.
Compare and contrast how the artists have shown the person/people in the portraits.
Compare and contrast the styles of the artists.
Compare and contrast the styles of the artists and they way they have made their artworks.
Compare and contrast the way the artists have used the visual elements.
Compare and contrast the different things the artists have tired to show with their artworks.
Compare and contrast the ways you feel about the different artworks.
Say which artist and artwork you got the most from and why.
Say what you have learned from looking at portraits.
Say what you know now that you didn’t know before you looked at Portraiture.