How to: Formal Art CritiqueMrs. A.Intro to Visual ArtsJFK HS

What is Art CriticismArt Criticism is an organized

approach of studying and judging a work of art. Just as the professional critics review movies,

books or music. In order to understand artists and their works,

students must learn how to correctly talk about art.

There are 4 Steps

description analysis interpretation judgement

Step 1 DescriptionDescription is the first step of an art criticism. Act like detectives looking for the facts. Read the credit line. This step is just the facts.

Ask questions so students can describe, for example: What do you see? What is the medium? What is the subject? Describe the images?

Step 2 AnalysisAnalyzing an artwork involves discussion of the art elements and principles of design. You are looking for information on the artist’s style.

Lines:how are the lines were used the work.Do they outline every object? Or are

they used to create crosshatching and value changes?

Color:Are the colors warm or cool?Are the colors muted or bright?Are colors complementary or analogous?

ExplainIdentify areas with blending and value

changes.How is color used to express feeling or

mood? Explain

Composition: How is the space organized? Is their background, middle ground or foreground?

Texture: How did the artist use texture? Can you identify a variety of textures to help

create feeling?

Shapes: What types of shapes are used in the artwork? Are they freeform or geometric? Did the artist start with simple shapes to create

proper proportions?

Principles of Design rhythm balance variety movement emphasis proportion harmony unity

Step 3 InterpretationThis is the richest step in the Art Criticism process. This step is concerned with the content or mood of the work. There are no wrong answers in an interpretation. Artists speak in many different ways. Artworks will affect you in different ways, depending on your experiences.

What is the message the artist is trying to communicate?

What is happening in the work, or ask students to tell a story about the work.

Relate the images to something that happened in their lives.

Explain what the images might be saying if they could talk.

Step 4 JudgmentThe last step in an art criticism is judgment.

Is the work successful? Do you like or dislike the work? Why?

There are no right or wrong answers. Make a judgment based on the facts