Ecisions About What Is Displayed as Fine Art Typically Reflec

Last Updated on May 27, 2021

This article has been written for loftier school fine art students who are working upon a critical study of art, sketchbook annotation or an essay-based artist study. It contains a list of questions to guide students through the process of analyzing visual cloth of any kind, including cartoon, painting, mixed media, graphic design, sculpture, printmaking, architecture, photography, textiles, way and and so on (the word 'artwork' in this article is all-encompassing). The questions include a wide range of specialist art terms, prompting students to utilise subject-specific vocabulary in their responses. It combines advice from art analysis textbooks likewise as from loftier school art teachers who have start-hand experience didactics these concepts to students.

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How to analyse a piece of art — International GCSE artist analysis example: The prototype above shows office of an A* IGSCE Art and Design sketchbook page analysing the work of Jim Dine, by Rhea Maheshwari, ACG Parnell College.

Why do we report fine art?

Well-nigh all high school art students behave out critical assay of artist piece of work, in conjunction with creating practical work. Looking critically at the piece of work of others allows students to understand compositional devices and then explore these in their own art. This is one of the best means for students to learn.

Instructors who assign formal analyses want yous to look—and look carefully. Recollect of the object as a serial of decisions that an creative person made. Your job is to figure out and describe, explain, and interpret those decisions and why the creative person may accept made them. – The Writing Eye, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill¹⁰

Art analysis tips

'I like this' or 'I don't like this' without any further caption or justification is non analysis. Personal opinions must be supported with explanation, testify or justification.
'Analysis of artwork' does non mean 'description of artwork'. To proceeds high marks, students must motion across stating the obvious and add perceptive, personal insight. Students should demonstrate higher order thinking – the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesize information and ideas. For case, if color has been used to create strong contrasts in certain areas of an artwork, students might follow this observation with a thoughtful assumption about why this is the instance – maybe a deliberate endeavour by the creative person to draw attention to a focal point, helping to convey thematic ideas.

Although clarification is an important part of a formal analysis, clarification is non enough on its own. You must innovate and contextualize your descriptions of the formal elements of the work so the reader understands how each chemical element influences the work'due south overall result on the viewer. – Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Artⁱⁱ

Cover a range of different visual elements and design principles. It is mutual for students to go experts at writing almost one or two elements of composition, while neglecting everything else – for instance, just focusing upon the use of color in every artwork studied. This results in a narrow, repetitive and incomplete assay of the artwork. Students should ensure that they embrace a wide range of art elements and design principles, likewise as accost context and meaning, where required. The questions below are designed to ensure that students cover a broad range of relevant topics within their analysis.
Write alongside the artwork discussed. In almost all cases, written analysis should be presented alongside the work discussed, and then that information technology is clear which artwork comments refer to. This makes information technology easier for examiners to follow and evaluate the writing.
Support writing with visual analysis. Information technology is almost ever helpful for high school students to support written textile with sketches, drawings and diagrams that help the student understand and analyse the piece of fine art. This might include composition sketches; diagrams showing the primary structure of an artwork; detailed enlargements of pocket-sized sections; experiments imitating use of media or technique; or illustrations overlaid with arrows showing leading lines and then on. Visual investigation of this sort plays an of import role in many creative person studies.

Making sketches or drawings from works of art is the traditional, centuries-old way that artists accept learned from each other. In doing this, you lot will engage with a work and an artist's approach fifty-fifty if you previously knew nothing near it. If possible do this whenever you tin, non from a postcard, the internet or a film in a book, only from the actual work itself. This is useful because it forces y'all to look closely at the work and to consider elements you might not take noticed before. – Susie Hodge, How to Await at Art⁷

Finally, when writing almost art, students should communicate with clarity; demonstrate subject-specific knowledge; use correct terminology; generate personal responses; and reference all content and ideas sourced from others. This is explained in more item in our commodity well-nigh high school sketchbooks.

What should students write nearly?

Although each attribute of composition is treated separately in the questions below, students should consider the relationship betwixt visual elements (line, shape, class, value/tone, colour/hue, texture/surface, space) and how these interact to form design principles (such every bit unity, variety, emphasis, authority, rest, symmetry, harmony, motility, contrast, rhythm, design, calibration, proportion) to communicate meaning.

As complex as works of art typically are, there are really simply iii full general categories of statements one tin can make about them. A statement addresses form, content or context (or their various interrelations). – Dr. Robert J. Belton, Fine art History: A Preliminary Handbook, The University of British Columbia⁵

…a formal analysis – the effect of looking closely – is an assay of the form that the artist produces; that is, an assay of the work of art, which is made up of such things as line, shape, color, texture, mass, composition. These things give the stone or canvas its class, its expression, its content, its meaning. – Sylvan Barnet, A Brusk Guide to Writing About Art²

This video past Dr. Beth Harris, Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Naraelle Hohensee provides an excellent instance of how to analyse a piece of fine art (information technology is important to note that this video is an example of 'formal assay' and doesn't include contextual assay, which is besides required by many high school art test boards, in addition to the formal analysis illustrated hither):

Composition analysis: a list of questions

The questions beneath are designed to facilitate directly appointment with an artwork and to encourage a breadth and depth of agreement of the artwork studied. They are intended to prompt higher social club thinking and to help students go far at well-reasoned analysis.

It is not expected that students answer every question (doing so would consequence in responses that are excessively long, repetitious or formulaic); rather, students should focus upon areas that are most helpful and relevant for the artwork studied (for case, some questions are appropriate for analyzing a painting, simply not a sculpture). The words provided as examples are intended to help students recollect about appropriate vocabulary to apply when discussing a particular topic. Definitions of more complex words have been provided.

Students should not attempt to copy out questions and and so answer them; rather the questions should be considered a starting point for writing bullet pointed notation or sentences in paragraph form.

How to write art analysis — A modest sample of the books that informed this article. Some of these were written for fine art history students learning how to write an art assay; others provide information about limerick. For more details, please refer to the bibliography below.

CONTENT, CONTEXT AND MEANING

Bailiwick affair / themes / issues / narratives / stories / ideas

There tin be different, competing, and contradictory interpretations of the same artwork.
An artwork is not necessarily about what the artist wanted it to be most. – Terry Barrett, Criticizing Fine art: Understanding the Gimmicky⁶

Our involvement in the painting grows only when we forget its title and take an interest in the things that it does not mention…" – Françoise Barbe-Gall, How to Look at a Painting⁸

Does the artwork fall within an established genre (i.east. historical; mythical; religious; portraiture; landscape; still life; fantasy; architectural)?
Are there any recognisable objects, places or scenes? How are these presented (i.east. idealized; realistic; indistinct; hidden; distorted; exaggerated; stylized; reflected; reduced to simplified/minimalist form; primitive; abstracted; concealed; suggested; blurred or focused)?
Take people been included? What tin we tell nearly them (i.e. identity; age; attire; profession; cultural connections; health; family relationships; wealth; mood/expression)? What can we acquire from their pose (i.e. frontal; profile; partly turned; body linguistic communication)? Where are they looking (i.due east. direct centre contact with viewer; downcast; interested in other subjects within the artwork)? Can we piece of work out relationships betwixt figures from the way they are posed?

What exercise the vesture, furnishings, accessories (horses, swords, dogs, clocks, business ledgers and so forth), background, bending of the head or posture of the head and torso, direction of the gaze, and facial expression contribute to our sense of the figure's social identity (monarch, clergyman, trophy wife) and personality (intense, cool, inviting)? – Sylvan Barnet, A Brusque Guide to Writing Well-nigh Art^two

What props and important details are included (mantle; costumes; adornment; architectural elements; emblems; logos; motifs)? How exercise aspects of setting support the principal subject? What is the effect of including these items within the arrangement (visual unity; connections between unlike parts of the artwork; directs attending; surprise; variety and visual involvement; separates / divides / borders; transformation from one object to another; unexpected juxtaposition)?

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate water ice foam on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods. – Vocabulary.com

A motif is an element in a composition or design that tin be used repeatedly for decorative, structural, or iconographic purposes. A motif can be representational or abstruse, and it tin can exist endowed with symbolic pregnant. Motifs tin can be repeated in multiple artworks and often recur throughout the life's work of an individual artist. – John A. Parks, Universal Principles of Art^xi

Does the artwork communicate an action, narrative or story (i.due east. historical result or illustrate a scene from a story)? Has the organization been embellished, prepare or contrived?
Does the artwork explore motility? Do you gain a sense that parts of the artwork are nigh to change, topple or fall (i.due east. tension; suspense)? Does the artwork capture objects in motion (i.e. multiple or sequential images; blurred edges; scene frozen mid-action; live performance fine art; video art; kinetic art)?
What kind of abstract elements are shown (i.e. confined; shapes; splashes; lines)? Have these been derived from or inspired by realistic forms? Are they the result of spontaneous, adventitious cosmos or careful, deliberate arrangement?
Does the work include the appropriation of work by other artists, such equally inside a parody or popular art? What effect does this have (i.e. copyright concerns)?

Parody: mimicking the appearance and/or style of something or someone, but with a twist for comic effect or disquisitional comment, as in Saturday Nighttime Live'south political satires – Dr. Robert J. Belton, Art History: A Preliminary Handbook, The University of British Columbia⁵

Does the field of study obsess an instinctual response, such equally items that are informative, shocking or threatening for humans (i.e. dangerous places; abnormally positioned items; human faces; the gaze of people; motion; text)? Heap map tracking has demonstrated that these elements take hold of our attention, regardless of where they are positioned –James Gurney writes more about this fascinating topic.
What kind of text has been used (i.eastward. font size; font weight; font family; stenciled; hand-fatigued; estimator-generated; printed)? What has influenced this choice of text?
Practice primal objects or images have symbolic value or provide a cue to meaning? How does the artwork convey deeper, conceptual themes (i.eastward. allegory; iconographic elements; signs; metaphor; irony)?

Allegory is a device whereby abstract ideas tin exist communicated using images of the concrete world. Elements, whether figures or objects, in a painting or sculpture are endowed with symbolic pregnant. Their relationships and interactions combine to create more circuitous meanings. – John A. Parks, Universal Principles of Fine art¹¹

An iconography is a particular range or system of types of epitome used by an artist or artists to convey particular meanings. For example in Christian religious painting there is an iconography of images such equally the lamb which represents Christ, or the dove which represents the Holy Spirit. – Tate.org.u.k.

What tone of vocalism does the artwork have (i.due east. deliberate; honest; autobiographical; obvious; directly; unflinching; confronting; subtle; ambiguous; uncertain; satirical; propagandistic)?
What is your emotional response to the artwork? What is the overall mood (i.e positive; energetic; excitement; serious; sedate; peaceful; calm; melancholic; tense; uneasy; uplifting; foreboding; calm; turbulent)? Which discipline matter choices help to communicate this mood (i.due east. weather and lighting conditions; color of objects and scenes)?
Does the title change the way you lot interpret the piece of work?
Were there any pattern constraints relating to the subject matter or theme/s (i.e. a sculpture commissioned to represent a specific subject, place or idea)?
Are in that location thematic connections with your ain project? What tin can you learn from the way the artist has approached this subject?

Wider contexts

All art is in part nearly the world in which it emerged. – Terry Barrett, Criticizing Art: Agreement the Gimmicky⁶

Supported past research, can you lot identify when, where and why the piece of work was created and its original intention or purpose (i.due east. private auction; commissioned for a specific possessor; commemorative; educational; promotional; illustrative; decorative; confrontational; useful or applied utility; communication; created in response to a design brief; individual viewing; public viewing)? In what way has this groundwork influenced the outcome (i.due east. availability of tools, materials or time; expectations of the patron / audience)?
Where is the place of construction or pattern site and how does this influence the artwork (i.due east. reflects local traditions, craftsmanship, or customs; complements surrounding designs; designed to accommodate weather condition weather condition / climate; built on historic site)? Was the artwork originally located somewhere different?
Which events and surrounding environments have influenced this work (i.due east. natural events; social movements such every bit feminism; political events, economic situations, historic events, religious settings, cultural events)? What result did these take?
Is the work characteristic of an artistic style, movement or time period? Has it been influenced past trends, fashions or ideologies? How can you tell?
Tin can you make any relevant connections or comparisons with other artworks? Have other artists explored a similar subject in a like way? Did this occur before or after this artwork was created?
Can yous brand any relevant connections to other fields of study or expression (i.e. geography, mathematics, literature, film, music, history or science)?
Which key biographical details near the artist are relevant in understanding this artwork (upbringing and personal situation; family and relationships; psychological state; health and fitness; socioeconomic condition; employment; ethnicity; culture; gender; pedagogy, religion; interests, attitudes, values and beliefs)?
Is this artwork part of a larger body of work? Is this typical of the work the artist is known for?
How might your ain upbringing, beliefs and biases distort your interpretation of the artwork? Does your own response differ from the public response, that of the original audition and/orestimation by critics?
How do these wider contexts compare to the contexts surrounding your own work?

Limerick AND Form

Format

What is the overall size, shape and orientation of the artwork (i.e. vertical, horizontal, portrait, mural or square)? Has this format been influenced by practical considerations (i.due east. availability of materials; display constraints; blueprint brief restrictions; screen sizes; mutual aspect ratios in movie or photography such as 4:3 or two:3; or paper sizes such as A4, A3, A2, A1)?
How do images fit within the frame (cropped; truncated; shown in full)? Why is this format appropriate for the bailiwick thing?
Are dissimilar parts of the artwork physically separate, such as within a diptych or triptych?
Where are the boundaries of the artwork (i.eastward. is the artwork self-contained; meaty; penetrating; sprawling)?
Is the artwork site-specific or designed to be displayed beyond multiple locations or environments?
Does the artwork have a stock-still, permanent format, or was itmodified, moved or adjusted over time? What causes such changes (i.e. conditions and exposure to the elements – melting, erosion, discoloration, decaying, wind motion, surface abrasion; structural failure – corking, breaking; damage caused by unpredictable events, such as fire or vandalism; intentional motility, such as rotation or sensor response; intentional impermanence, such as an installation assembled for an exhibition and removed later on; viewer interaction; additions, renovations and restoration past subsequent artists or users; a project so expansive information technology takes years to construct)? How does this change touch the artwork? Are in that location stylistic variances between parts?
How does the scale and format of the artwork relate to the surround where information technology is positioned, used, installed or hung (i.e. harmonious with landscape typography; sensitive to adjacent structures; imposing or dwarfed past surroundings; human scale)? Is the artwork designed to be viewed from one vantage point (i.due east. front facing; viewed from below; approached from a main entrance; set at human eye level) or many? Are images taken from the best bending?
Would a similar format benefit your own project? Why / why not?

Structure / layout

Has the artwork been organised using a formal arrangement of arrangement or mathematical proportion (i.e. dominion of thirds; gilded ratio or spiral; grid format; geometric; dominant triangle; or circular composition) or is the arrangement less anticipated (i.e. cluttered, random, adventitious, fragmented, meandering, scattered; irregular or spontaneous)? How does this system of arrangement aid with the advice of ideas? Can you draw a diagram to show the basic structure of the artwork?
Tin can you see a clear intention with alignment and positioning of parts within the artwork (i.e. edges aligned; items spaced equally; simple or complex organisation; overlapping, clustered or concentrated objects; dispersed, divide items; repetition of forms; items extending beyond the frame; frames within frames; bordered perimeter or patterned edging; broken borders)? What upshot practise these visual devices have (i.due east. imply hierarchy; help the viewer understand relationships betwixt parts of artwork; create rhythm)?
Does the artwork take a primary axis of symmetry (vertical, diagonal, horizontal)? Can you locate a center of balance? Is the artwork symmetrical, asymmetrical (i.east. stable), radial, or intentionally unbalanced (i.e. to create tension or unease)?
Can you draw a diagram to illustrate emphasis and dominance (i.e. 'blocking in' mass, where the 'heavier' dominant forms announced in the composition)? Where are dominant items located within the frame?
How do your eyes movement through the limerick?
Could your own artwork employ a similar organisational structure?

Line

What types of linear mark-making are shown (thick; thin; brusque; long; soft; bold; frail; feathery; indistinct; faint; irregular; intermittent; freehand; ruled; mechanical; expressive; loose; blurred; dashing; cross-hatching; meandering; gestural, fluid; flowing; jagged; spiky; sharp)? What atmosphere, moods, emotions or ideas do these evoke?
Are there any interrupted, suggested or implied lines (i.e. lines that can't literally be seen, but the viewer'southward brain connects the dots betwixt separate elements)?
Where are the dominating lines in the composition and what is the effect of these? Can you overlay tracing paper upon an artwork to illustrate some of the important lines?
- Repeating lines: may simulate textile qualities, texture, design or rhythm;
- Boundary lines: may segment, divide or separate unlike areas;
- Leading lines: may manipulate the viewer's gaze, directing vision or atomic number 82 the center to focal points (eye tracking studies indicate that our eyes jump from one point of interest to another, rather than move smoothly or predictably forth leading lines⁹. Lines may nonetheless aid to establish accent by 'pointing' towards certain items);
- Parallel lines: may create a sense of depth or movement through space within a landscape;
- Horizontal lines: may create a sense of stability and permanence;
- Vertical lines: may suggest top, reaching up or falling;
- Intersecting perpendicular lines: may suggest rigidity, strength;
- Abstract lines: may balance the limerick, create contrast or emphasis;
- Athwart / diagonal lines: may suggest tension or unease;
- Cluttered lines: may advise a sense of agitation or panic;
- Underdrawing, construction lines or contour lines: draw form (learn more most contour lines in our article about line drawing);
- Curving / organic lines: may propose nature, peace, move or free energy.
What is the human relationship betwixt line and 3-dimensional form? Areoutlines used to define form and edges?
Would information technology exist appropriate to use line in a similar mode within your own artwork?

Shape and form

Can y'all place a dominant visual language inside the shapes and forms shown (i.e. geometric; angular; rectilinear; curvilinear; organic; natural; fragmented; distorted; free-flowing; varied; irregular; complex; minimal)? Why is this visual language appropriate?
How are the edges of forms treated (i.e. practise they fade away or blur at the edges, equally if melting into the page; ripped or torn; distinct and difficult-edged; or, in the words of James Gurney⁹, do they 'dissolve into sketchy lines, paint strokes or drips')?
Are there whatsoever iii-dimensional forms or relief elements within the artwork, such as carved pieces, protruding or sculptural elements? How does this affect the viewing of the piece of work from different angles?
Is in that location a variety or repetition of shapes/forms? What outcome does this have (i.e. repetition may reinforce ideas, balance composition and/or create harmony / visual unity; variety may create visual interest or overwhelm the viewer with chaos)?
How are shapes organised in relation to each other, or with the frame of the artwork (i.e. grouped; overlapping; repeated; echoed; fused edges; touching at tangents; contrasts in scale or size; distracting or bad-mannered junctions)?
Are silhouettes (external edges of objects) considered?

All shapes take silhouettes, and vision research has shown that one of the first tasks of perception is to be able to sort out the silhouette shapes of each of the elements in a scene. – James Gurney, Imaginative Realism⁹

Are forms designed with ergonomics and human scale in heed?

Ergonomics: an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use then that the people and things collaborate near efficiently and safely – Merriam-webster.com

Can y'all identify which forms are functional or structural, versus ornamental or decorative?
Have any forms been disassembled, 'cut away' or exposed, such as a sectional cartoon? What is the purpose of this (i.due east. to explain structure methods; communicate information; dramatic effect)?
Would it be advisable to use shape and class in a similar way within your ain artwork?

Value / tone / calorie-free

Has a wide tonal range been used in the artwork (i.east. a broad range of darks, highlights and mid-tones) or is the tonal range limited (i.east. stake and faint; subdued; dull; brooding and dark overall; strong highlights and shadows, with little mid-tone values)? What is the effect of this?
Where are the light sources within the artwork or scene? Is there a unmarried consistent light source or multiple sources of light (sunshine; calorie-free bulbs; torches; lamps; luminous surfaces)? What is the effect of these choices (i.e. mimics natural lighting atmospheric condition at a certain fourth dimension of twenty-four hour period or dark; figures lit from the side to analyze form; contrasting background or spot-lighting used to accentuate a focal surface area; soft and diffused lighting used to mute contrasts and minimize harsh shadows; dappled lighting to indicate sunshine broken by surrounding leaves; chiaroscuro used to exaggerate theatrical drama and impact; areas cloaked in darkness to minimize visual complexity; to heighten our understanding of narrative, mood or significant)?

I of the most important means in which artists can use light to achieve particular effects is in making strong contrasts between light and dark. This contrast is often described equally chiaroscuro. – Matthew Treherne, Analysing Paintings, University of Leeds^three

Are representations of three-dimensional objects and figures apartment or tonally modeled? How do dissimilar tonal values modify from i to the side by side (i.e. gentle, shine gradations; sharp tonal bands)?
Are in that location whatever unusual, reflective or transparent surfaces, mediums or materials which reverberate or transmit light in a special way?
Has tone been used to help communicate atmospheric perspective (i.e. paler and bluer as objects get further abroad)?
Are gallery or environmental calorie-free sources where the artwork is displayed stock-still or fluctuating? Does the work appear different when viewed at unlike times of day? How does this bear upon your interpretation of the work?
Are shadows depicted inside the artwork? What is the effect of these shadows (i.e. anchors objects to the page; creates the illusion of depth and space; creates dramatic contrasts)?
Do sculptural protrusions or relief elements catch the light and/or create cast shadows or pockets of shadow upon the artwork? How does this influence the viewer's experience?
How has tone been used to help direct the viewer's attending to focal areas?
Would it be appropriate to use value / tone in a similar way within your own artwork? Why / why not?

Color / hue

Can you lot view the true color of the artwork (i.e. are you viewing a low-quality reproduction or examining the artwork in poor lighting)?
Whichcolor schemes take been used within the artwork (i.e. harmonious; complementary; master; monochrome; earthy; warm; cool/cold)? Has the artist used a broad or limited color palette (i.e. multifariousness or unity)? Which colors dominate?
How would you describe the intensity of the colors (vibrant; vivid; vivid; glowing; pure; saturated; strong; dull; muted; pale; subdued; bleached; diluted)?
Are colors transparent or opaque? Can you see reflected color?
Has color contrast been used within the artwork (i.e. extreme contrasts; juxtaposition of complementary colors; garish / ambivalent / jarring)? Are there any abrupt color changes or unexpected uses of color?
What is the effect of these color choices (i.e. expressing symbolic or thematic ideas; descriptive or realistic depiction of local color; emphasizing focal areas; creating the illusion of aerial perspective; relationships with colors in surrounding environment; creating remainder; creating rhythm/design/repetition; unity and variety inside the artwork; lack of color places accent upon shape, detail and form)? What kind of temper exercise these colors create?

It is often said that warm colors (ruddy, orange, yellow) come forward and produce a sense of excitement (yellow is said to propose warmth and happiness, as in the smiley face), whereas absurd colors (blue, light-green) recede and accept a calming effect. Experiments, however, have proved inconclusive; the response to color – despite clichés almost seeing red or feeling blue – is highly personal, highly cultural, highly varied. – Sylvan Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing Almost Artⁱⁱ

Would information technology be appropriate to utilise color in a similar way within your own artwork?

Texture / surface / pattern

Are in that location any interesting textural, tactile or surface qualities within the artwork (i.eastward. bumpy; grooved; indented; scratched; stressed; crude; polish; shiny; varnished; glassy; glossy; polished; matte; sandy; grainy; gritted; leathery; spiky; silky)? How are these created (i.e. inherent qualities of materials; impasto mediums; sculptural materials; illusions or implied texture, such as cantankerous-hatching; finely detailed and intricate areas; organic patterns such as foliage or small stones; repeating patterns; decoration)?
How are textural or patterned elements positioned and what issue does this accept (i.e. used intermittently to provide multifariousness; repeating blueprint creates rhythm; patterns broken create focal points; textured areas create visual links and unity between separate areas of the artwork; balance betwixt detailed/textured areas and simpler areas; glossy surface creates a sense of luxury; imitation of texture conveys information about a field of study, i.due east. softness of fur or strands of hair)?
Would it be advisable to apply texture / surface in a similar way inside your ain artwork?

Space

Is the pictorial space shallow or deep? How does the artwork create the illusion of depth (i.e. layering of foreground, middle-footing, background; overlapping of objects; use of shadows to ballast objects; positioning of items in relationship to the horizon line; linear perspective – learn more near one betoken perspective here; tonal modeling; relationships with adjacent objects and those in close proximity – including the human form – to create a sense of scale; spatial distortions or optical illusions; manipulating scale of objects to create 'surrealist' spaces where true calibration is unknown)?
Has an unusual viewpoint been used (i.due east. worm'due south view; aeriform view, looking out a window or through a doorway; a scene reflected in a mirror or shiny surface; looking through leaves; multiple viewpoints combined)? What is the upshot of this viewpoint (i.e. allows certain parts of the scene to be ascendant and overpowering or squashed, condensed and foreshortened; or suggests a narrative betwixt 2 separate spaces; provides more data virtually a space than would commonly be seen)?
Is the accent upon mass or void? How densely arranged are components within the artwork or picture airplane? What is the relationship between object and surrounding infinite (i.e. compact / crowded / busy / densely populated, with niggling surrounding space; spacious; conscientious interplay between positive and negative infinite; objects amassed to create areas of visual interest)? What is the effect of this (i.east. creates a sense of emptiness or isolation; business / visual clutter creates a feeling of anarchy or claustrophobia)?
How does the artwork engage with existent space – in and around the artwork (i.east. cocky-contained; closed off; eye contact with viewer; reaching outwards)? Is the viewer expected to move through the artwork? What is the human relationship between interior and exterior space? What connections or contrasts occur between within and out? Is it comprised of a series of split or linked spaces?
Would information technology be appropriate to use infinite in a like fashion inside your own artwork?

Use of media / materials

What materials and mediums has the artwork been synthetic from? Have materials been concealed or presented deceptively (i.east. is there an actuality / honesty of materials; are materials historic; is the structure visible or exposed)? Why were these mediums selected (weight; color; texture; size; forcefulness; flexibility; pliability; fragility; ease of use; cost; cultural significance; immovability; availability; accessibility)? Would other mediums accept been appropriate?
Which skills, techniques, methods and processes were used (i.e. traditional; conventional; industrial; contemporary; innovative)? It is of import to annotation that the examiners do not want the regurgitation of long, technical processes, merely rather to meet personal observations about how processes effect and influence the artwork in question. Would replicating part of the artwork aid you gain a better understanding of the processes used?
Has the artwork been built in layers or stages? For example:
- Painting: gesso ground > textured mediums > underdrawing > blocking in colors > defining form > final details;
- Architecture: brief > concepts > development > working drawings > foundations > structure > cladding > finishes;
- Graphic design: cursory > concepts > evolution > Photoshop > proofing > printing.
How does the utilise of media help the artist to communicate ideas?
Are these methods useful for your own project?

Finally, remember that these questions are a guide only and are intended to make y'all start to call up critically about the art you lot are studying and creating.