For art criticism

4-Step ProcessStep 1: Description

• Describe everything you see in detail. What kind of art is it (painting, sculpture)? What kind of materials did they use (if you don’t know, guess)? Who or what do you see in the picture? Where are they? What mood do you think it shows?

• DON’T show opinion yet – no words like “pretty, ugly, weird, cool, nasty,” etc.

Describe:

4-Step ProcessStep 2: Analysis: How is the work planned?

• Look for and describe the formal qualities:– Planned similarities and differences

• Balance: Where are the major forms (objects) in the work? Are there empty or negative spaces? How are they planned (example: do they give the impression of being close or far away?)

• Rhythm/Movement/Pattern: Is there a rhythm (vertical, horizontal) or a pattern to the artwork?

• Emphasis: What catches your eye the most in the work? Why do you think that is?

• Proportions: Is everything normal, or is it exaggerated?• What unifies (work together to make better) the work?

4-Step ProcessStep 3: Interpretation: What are the main

expressive qualities?

• Use what you wrote in the first two steps to give your impression of what it means. Use:– 1) Expressive Language to tell of the feelings or

sensations you get from seeing the work. – 2) Use analogies. Tell what you think is going on. (i.e.

“The trees looking like they are dancing.”)– 3) Tell the cause and effect. – 4) Tell how the work relates to the outside world,

either in the artist’s time or now.

4-Step ProcessStep 4: Judgment: What are the strengths

and weaknesses?1) Tell what you are judging (i.e. “It’s a portrait

painting by a classmate…) and why (“Peer criticism can make an artist better”)

2) Identify criteria (Standards for judging). If you are judging a classmate, you might want to be more specific than if you are judging an artist you don’t know. Or if you are judging a building, or a chair.

3) Give your reasons, or evidence from all the things you’ve written. Tell why or why not you like it.

\• Use the 4-Step process to give your opinion of this work. Complete Sentences. At least four sentences per step:

Bonus:

Where have youseen this artwork copied in movies?

Bonus Answers: