Painting Critique Checklist

Things to consider when looking a painting

Size:
Remember to take a look at the actual size of the painting and try to visualise it that big rather than the size of the photo
on your computer screen.

Shape:

Does the shape of the canvas (landscape or portrait) suit the

subject matter? For example, a very long and thin canvas can
add to the drama of a landscape, see ltamaha River Delta (above)
by Curtis H Carter and Huntington Beach Pier (left) by Bob
Phillips.

Artist's Statement:
Has the artist achieve their stated aim? Do you agree with their statement or
interpretation of their painting, remembering that what the artist intends and
what the viewer sees aren't always the same thing see The Blue Carpet (right)
by Rami Mohammed Ahmmed Taha.

Title of the Painting:

What is the title of the painting? What does it tell you about the
painting and how does it guide your interpretation? Take a look at
Autumn Gold (left) by Keri Ippolito and think about how you might have
interpreted the painting if it had been called something else, such as
“Bush Fire” or “Aftermath”.
Subject Matter:
What is the painting of? Is it unusual,
unexpected, controversial, see Needle Stick
(above right) by Peg Lattinville or intriguing, see
Three Spheres (left) by Bill Wilburn? Does it lend
itself to
comparison to
work by a
famous painter, see Abstract by (below) Ron Johnson
and Urban Apartment (below) by Kori Klyman?

Do you understand the symbolism in the painting, see What My Country Iran Has
Become (left) by Ardeshir Tabrizi?

Emotional Response:
Does the painting generate an emotional
reaction in you, see Silent Scream (right) by Diane
Dobson Barton and The Buggy Programmer (left)
by Alejandro Corpe'o. What is the overall mood
of the painting, and is this suitable for the subject?

Composition:
How have the elements of the painting been placed? Does your eye
flow across the whole painting or does one element selfishly dominate?
Is the main focus of the painting slap-bang in the centre of the painting
(both vertically and horizontally), or off to one side? Is there anything
that draws your eye into or across the painting, see The Cliffs (right) by
Bob Phillips? Also consider whether it's been copied from reality or
from a photograph rather than thought put into which elements were
included?
Medium:
What was used to create the painting? What has the artist done with the possibilities presented by their choice of
medium?

Colour:
Has colour been used realistically or used to convey emotion? Are the
colours warm or cool and do they suit the subject? Has a restricted or
monochrome palette been used, see Sunflower Market (left) by Cathy
Gatland? Have complementary colors been used in the shadows and
are there reflected colours (colours 'bouncing' from one object onto
another)?