Understanding Formal Analysis

Instructions

• Take out several pieces of blank paper.

• You will respond to questions throughout this presentation. Questions and prompts you need to respond to are highlighted in yellow.

The Skill of Describing

• Play the video at the following link:

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/skill-of-describing.html

• Pause at 0:28 and describe, to the best of your abilities the painting on the screen. Include information about the subject and technique.

• Continue video to the end.

Building a Vocabulary to Describe Art

In the following slides you will learn about the following elements of art:• Color• Line• Shape• Form• Texture

You will also build a vocabulary to describe artworks with different aspects of each element.

Color• Color is what we see because of reflected light.

• Color has three main characteristics:– Hue: The name of the color (red, green, blue, etc.)

– Value: How light or dark the color is

– Intensity: How bright or dull the color is

• White = pure light; Black = absence of light

• Primary colors = red, blue, and yellow (true colors)

• Secondary colors = green, orange, violet (two primary colors mixed together

• Complimentary colors are located across from each other on the color wheel and contrast because they share no common colors.

Color

• Describe the color (hue, value, and intensity) in each of the following:

1. 2. 3.

Line

• Line is a mark made using a drawing tool or brush.

• Types include: thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, straight, curved, spiral, etc.

• Lines are basic tools for artists and are always shown in the way the artist arranges objects in a painting

• However, they aren’t always visible to the eye

Line

• Describe the use of lines in each of the following:

1. 2. 3.

Shape

• Shape is a closed line.

• Shapes can be geometric (ex. squares, circles)

• Or, shapes can be organic (free-form or natural shapes like flowers, clouds, etc.)

Shape

• Identify shapes used in the following images, and tell whether they are geometric or organic:

1. 2. 3.

Form

• Forms are shapes in three dimensions

– Circle >Sphere

– Square > Cube

– Rectangle > Rectangular prism

– Triangle > Pyramid

• Forms express length, width, and depth of space and allow a work of art to look 3-dimensional instead of flat

Form

• Observe the following examples:

Texture

• Texture is the look and feel of a surface. The following of examples of ways in which artists create texture:– Brush paint on in watery strokes and thick drips

– Apply paint in short, fat dabs and long, sleep strokes

– Twirl brushes to make circles and curls

– Apply paint in thick layers that stick out from the canvas

– Mix in sand, dirt, or other materials into the paint

– Add white highlights to give a shiny appearance

– Scratch through the paint to show colors underneath

Texture

• Locate of following textures found in this image.

• sleek, shiny surfaces

• delicate flowers

• smooth ceramic

• rough leather

Art Criticism

• Refer to the worksheet “Four Steps in Art Criticism.”

• Respond to as many questions from each of the four areas (Describe, Analyze, Interpretation, Judgment) and analyze the image on the following screen.

• Submit responses for a class assignment grade.