When studying artwork there are five main things to consider:
Content Background Information
•What is the image or artefact?
• Who has produced the work and when was it done?
•Does it have a title?
•Where was it created?
•Does it belong to a particular Art movement or
tradition?
•What size or shape is it?
•What is the subject matter?
•This piece is part of a series…..
•It is a free standing sculpture…
•This piece of art contains mixed media consisting of…….
These are the facts
about the work you can
find them from a book,
on a website,
interviewing the artist.
This piece is called....... The artist who made
it was…….
It was made in…….
The work belongs to a period of art called
(Art nouveau, Cubism, Fauvism, Pop art,
Arts and Crafts, Aboriginal etc.
The piece is a free standing sculpture……
It is one of a series…..
It is a life sized portrait of…..
The piece of art contains mixed media
consisting of……
Context
•
Why was the work made?
•
What do you know about the artist?
•
Does the work relate to the social or
political history of the time? Is there
anything happening in the world at the
time that may have influenced the work.
•
How does the work relate to the
works around it? (inside and outside of
the gallery setting)
•
Can you link the work to other arts of
the period such as film, music or
literature?
The artist created this ……… based on a
………….
This aboriginal painting contains a story
within the design……..
The artist created this piece to show how
terrible war can be……..
The artist created these paintings to show
how……….
Formal Elements Formal principles
Describe the way the artist uses
line, tone, colour, shapes, textures and patterns to
create effects. Use your knowledge of the key art
elements. Analyse how are they combined? What
impact does this have?
What colours does the artist use? Is it used
emotionally? Or descriptively? Are they realistic?
How is the colour organised?
What kind of shapes/patterns can you find? Do
they create rhythm or movement? Are they decorative
The artist has used short broken stitches to create the
outline in her pieces……..
The artist has used a palette of soft muted
colours…………
The injection of the hot pink draws your eye
towards……….
By contrasting the orange and pupil the artist has created a
more vibrant feel
I particularly like……. It reminds me of……..
The composition is lively………..
This tribe has used simple geometric shapes as symbols to
represent different emotions.
The artist has used………..in the
foreground………..which creates……….
symbolic?
What kind of marks does the artist use?
What is the surface like?
What kind of textures can you see?
How big is the work?
How is the work organised arranged?
(Composition)
You need to include lots of ADJECTIVES
This is the language of art It
can be hard to learn but you
have been given an art
dictionary to help you.
Process
How was the piece produced?
What is it made from?
What techniques and processes were
used?
Pencil/Charcoal/oil/paint/watercolour/cl
ay/mixed media etc
Embroidered, stencilled, screen printed,
Free machined, felted, quilted, Hand
embroidered, appliqued, shadow
quilting, Torn scratched, burned,
distressed etc
The artist has used a combination of ………
This piece is made out of………
The panel was created by…….
Feeling and mood
Your
Opinion
INTERPRET: WHAT IS
THE ARTIST SAYING TO YOU?
JUDGE: IS THE WORK SUCCESSFUL?
•What qualities of the work make you
feel it is a success or failure?
•Compare it with similar works that you
This work had a huge impact on me when I
realised………
When I first saw the work I felt…….
I find this work disturbing and I do not like the
emphasis on…..
think are good or bad.
•How original is the work? Why do you
feel this work is original or not original?
Does the work capture a mood, feeling or
emotion? What has the artist done to
create this feeling?
quiet, contemplative,
thoughtful, hopeful,
peaceful, elated, joyful,
celebratory, reflective
Annotating your own artwork
In this piece I have………
I have used the following materials………
Through working in this way I have learnt how to…………
This piece contains the following characteristics……
Here I have shown………… In the style of………………
This piece could have been improved by including……………
I could have made greater use of………………
In this piece I have used too much/ not enough ………..
The artist………… has influenced my design.
I was inspired by …………… When creating this piece of work.
To improve this piece I could have…………
Having looked at………
Having explored………….
I am now going to………….