For art criticism

4-Step Process
Step 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 Process
Step 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 Process
Step 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 Process
Step 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 you

seen this artwork
copied in movies?
Bonus Answers: