Critical, written work in Art and evaluations

The written component in the IB Visual arts is very important. This demonstrates your understanding
of Art from a variety of times and Cultures and also can be the springboard for new ideas.

If you are working on any particular theme, it is important that you are aware of which other Artists
have tackled this kind of work. It is not intended for you to simply copy their style, however, you can
learn a great deal from these artists, their ideas and what may have influenced these ideas.

You must be able to go beyond simply relaying information. The following should really assist you
with this aspect of the work…..

Written Comments and Analysing Artists work

When you are writing in your WB, don’t forget that the IB is an academic course and that your written
notes should reflect that. Describe your feelings, successes and failures, comment upon your own
progress, and your ideas about life but DON’T use slang or informal English! Remember that this is
your WB, but it’s not being written for your friends – an IB examiner will be reading it!

Always try to use the correct art vocabulary in your RWB. Look at www.artlex.com for a great
example of an Art-specific dictionary online.
Take a look at the information on the following pages, which is intended to assist you with this
type of work.

Don’t… Do…
Write essays on the artist’s life history… Make notes on why you’re looking at this artist…
what you admire, what you don’t – how this artist’s work relates
(date of birth, favourite football team etc..) Anyone
with Encarta could do this. A few biographical to your Studio Work. Make your research personal to your
details are useful, but are not essential. particular project.
Photocopy loads of artworks … Choose one or two good artworks …
… annotate them and make copies of them (to practice brush
… and stick them into your RWB with no written
analysis or other information. technique, colour mixing or something similar).

… and forget to write the titles down! … include the artist’s name, title of the artwork, year, medium
and where you found it (web address or book title and page).
Treat your RWB like an exercise book … Think about your research in a visual way…
use colour, headings and images to complement your notes.
Don’t produce blocks of writing, underlined, with no
visual consideration or interest. Compose the pages so that they look interesting and varied.

Write without checking the facts! … Use the correct vocabulary…

i.e. ‘tone’ is more accurate that ‘light and shadow’. Remember
Make sure that you are accurate about dates, media
used and especially the gender of your chosen artist! that at IB level, you will be assessed on the quality of your
written work! Don’t be afraid to use adjectives, especially when
evaluating an artwork (giving your opinion).
Plagiarise… Include one or two relevant quotations…
(e.g. the artist writing about his / her ideas OR a well-known
(include quotations from other writers as if they are
your own words). This is always obvious to the critic) and always use quotation marks. Include the name of the
reader. person who you are quoting and write down where you found it.
Writing terms and techniques… tasks you will be asked to complete:

To annotate To make short notes explaining or clarifying a point or drawing the viewer’s attention to
something of relevance (e.g. ‘the wide range of tones here adds drama and interest’).
To analyse To look closely and in detail at an artwork, noting down as many points as you can about the
(see next piece. These points might cover things like:
page) o Composition (the organisation of shapes within the work)
o Use of colour / tone
o Medium used (oil paint, photography, pastel)
o Mood or emotion created
o Content / narrative (what’s happening in this artwork? Is there a story?)
o Issues covered (i.e. political, social, religious issues?)
To compare To analyse two or more artworks at once, focusing on the similarities and differences
and contrast between them. This is often easier than analysing a single artwork.
To evaluate To make personal judgements about the artwork and to give your reasons i.e. Do you like the
artwork? Why? What is good about it? What is not so good? The reasons for this will, of
course, come from your analysis.

Analysing Artworks: A Step-by-Step Guide

1: First Reaction
Write down your first response to the artwork.

o Do you like it?

o How does it make you feel?
o Does it remind you of anything you have seen before?

2: Description
List what you can see in this artwork.

o Figures, colours, shapes, objects, background etc.

o Imagine you are describing it to a blind person. Do this in as much detail as possible.

3: Formal Analysis
Write down your observations in more detail, looking at these specific aspects of the artwork:

Colours:

o which type of palette has the artist used: is it bright or dull, strong or weak?
o are the colours mostly complementary, primary, secondary or tertiary?
o Which colour(s) are used most in this artwork?
o Which colour(s) are used least in this artwork?
o Are the colours used different ways in different parts of the artwork?
o Have the colours been applied flat, ‘straight from the tube’, or have different colours been mixed?
Tones:
o is there a use of light / shadow in this artwork?
o where is the light coming from? where are the shadows?
o Are the forms in the artwork realistically modelled (does it look 3D)?

Use of media:

o what medium has been used (oil paint, acrylic, charcoal, clay etc)?
o How has the artist used the medium – ie is the paint applied thick or thin? How can you tell?
o Can you see brushstrokes, mark making or texture? Describe the shape and direction of the brushstrokes /
marks. What size of brush / pencil was used?
o Was it painted, drawn, sculpted quickly, or slowly and painstakingly? What makes you think this?

Composition (organisation of shapes):

o what type of shapes are used in this artwork (ie rounded, curved, straight-edged or geometric shapes)?
o Is there a mixture of different types of shapes or are all the shapes similar?
o Are some parts of the composition full of shapes and some parts empty, or are the shapes spread evenly
across the artwork?
o Are some shapes repeated or echoed in other parts of the artwork?
o Does the whole composition look full of energy and movement, or does it look still and peaceful? How did
the artist create this movement/stillness?
o What is the centre of interest in the composition?
o How does the artist draw your attention to it?

Mood / Emotion:

o What do you think the artist wanted you to feel when you look at this artwork?
o What has he/she used to create a mood? (think about colour, shape, tone etc.)
o How has he/she succeeded in creating this mood? (For example, strong vivid colours might be used to
create a joyful or angry mood in an artwork, depending upon how the artist has used them).
o Could the same mood have been created in a different way? How could you change this?

4: Interpretation
Now write down your personal thoughts about the work: there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers here!

o What do you think the artist is trying to say in this artwork? what does it mean?
o What is the main theme or idea behind this piece?
o If you were inside this artwork, what would you be feeling / thinking?
o does the artwork have a narrative (tell a story)? is it a religious artwork?
o is it abstract? is it realistic? Why?
o How would you explain this artwork to someone else?

5: Evaluation
Based upon what you have observed already, give your opinion of the artwork. You MUST give reasons. Eg:

o “Franz Marc has created an effective expressive painting, because the hot colours and lively brushmarks he
has used add to the overall feeling of energy and excitement he is trying to create.”
o “The overall mood of this drawing would be improved if Kathe Kollowitz had used strong, dramatic
shadows, instead of just pale tones. Dark tones would develop the feeling of fear and loneliness in this
image.”
Please do not attempt to write all of this when commenting on one piece of work. This is intended to assist
you with certain things that you could write. Provided you use proper Art terminology, you should be able
to score good marks for this aspect of the work.
The following is our simplified version of how to comment on works of Art……

How to write about works of Art IB

The following suggestions should help you to describe Artists work observed in your research and
through gallery visits. (You are not expected to slavishly respond to every suggestion in every critical
work that you produce)

Try to make sure that your thoughts and opinions are “informed” as much as possible, based on
knowledge you have about the artist and his/her work. You need to show that you understand what this
Artists was trying to do and the way this Artists work may be similar to what you are trying – this
information will not be found by simply looking on “Google”

First piece of advice…………Do not write an Essay!!!

All Critical Artists research should involve blocks of comments arranged around a print-out of the
work that you are analysing. (Your teacher will show you an example). Likewise with Gallery
responses.

The written comments may be written clearly or typed, but it is important that your comments
demonstrate your understanding of the work – not just your ability to describe.

1. Always begin by giving Information about the work

 Title of the work and the artists name
 Date – when and where was the work created
 The medium (or media) used
 Style – how could the work be categorized (Impressionist? Abstract?)

2. Describe (using the following guide)

Content

What is the work about? – What was the artist trying to say?

 Is the subject matter important?

 Is the subject treated realistically or is it deliberately exaggerated or distorted or simplified.
If so, why? (Don’t just guess at this – read the opinions of others / or ask).
 Does the work have a deep or hidden meaning that is not immediately apparent?

Form

 How is the work composed?

 Which “elements” are predominant? (Line, Tone, Colour etc.). How well have they been used
in the work.
 What kind of colour scheme has been used? (Harmonious, contrasting etc.)
 Does one colour dominate or do two or more have equal significance?
 Are there recurring shapes/Lines, rhythms; forms etc. evident in the work?
 How does this relate to the work you are producing yourself?
Process

 How was the work produced, what materials have been used?
 Are these materials linked to the process that you are trying to follow?
 Through what stages might the work have gone through from start to finish?
 What skills did the artist have to produce such a work?

Mood

 Does the work affect you in any way? Does it capture a mood or feeling or emotion which
you have already experienced? Can you imagine the artist’s feelings whilst producing the
work?
 Is the work noisy, quiet, soothing, disturbing, happy, sad, relaxing, startling etc. What mood has
the work aroused in you?
 Does the work move you? Does it have the power to make you feel something strongly, or to
think of something new.

3. Give Opinions
 What impressed you most about the work? (Content, media skill, use of elements, individuality
of the work?).
 Why do you feel that this is such a strong work? Use of media / subject / skill?
 Try to give opinions that are genuinely personal, but which do rely on information you have
found about the work.
 Do you think you will be inspired at all by the work?

4. Context (In certain instances, you may be able to comment on this)

 How does the work reflect that place and those times?
 Does it have, or did it ever have a functional or religious purpose?
 What impact did the work have on the Art that followed?
 What impact did the work have on society at that time?

5. Compare and contrast

 When writing about two or more works of Art (by the same, or different artists), try to consider
the many similarities the works share and the differences between each work. (E.g. Subject
matter, style, meaning, media, appearance).

6. Impact on your own work (This is particularly important)

 Consider any impact this work may have on your own.
 Why did you decide to look at this work at this stage in your own Artistic development? How
did you feel it was relevant?
 Are you attempting a similar outcome to that produced by the artist?
 Does their work help you solve any problems you are having or reach any conclusions?
 Has the study of this work helped you to improve in any way? (Think positively).

Remember to use appropriate “Art vocabulary” throughout! It is important for IB students to

demonstrate that you are aware of “what your chosen artists were trying to do with their Art”.
There needs to be a great deal of depth of understanding at that level.
Evaluation of your own Artwork IB
Each time you produce a major studio work, you should write an evaluation, which explains how you feel you have
progressed with your Artwork. It should also help to explain the process that you have followed throughout the Unit. Not
every evaluation will include all of the suggested sections listed below. However, you will be able to comment in some
depth once you start to produce really meaningful work.

The following structure should assist you when writing your evaluations, but write as continuous prose and do not include
the headings:

Media

 What media did you use for this work

 Did you mix together any unusual combinations of media
 What “new” skills did you pick up or which media skills have you developed further.

Technical/skill

 What technical difficulties did you have to overcome in producing this work?
 How successfully did you manage to overcome these difficulties?
 Did you learn any lessons from this work that might carry over to future studio experiments?
 Did you discover a “weaker” area that you might work to strengthen in future (or avoid)?

Ideas

 Describe what (if any) meaning there is behind the work

 What are you trying to convey in this work? Is it a particular emotion or an opinion?
 Does the work deal with any issues that are important to you?
 Describe in what way this work matters to you in a personal sense.

Artists and Culture

 Which were your main artistic inspirations during this work?

 What aspects of this work helped you in the production of the piece?
 Does the work relate to any culture in particular or socio-cultural issue?

Evaluation / Opinion

 Describe your final outcome (appearance, media etc.). Do feel that it was successful? Why?
 Did you combine the form, function and meaning together successfully?
 If you had time, what improvements might you make to this work? Is there anything you might have done
differently?
 How did you develop as an artist by producing this work?

Future Targets

 What are your aims with your Artwork now? Is there any media or theme that you are very keen on pursuing or is
there any particular aspect of your work that you would like to improve upon?
N.B. It is important that you use correct “Art terminology” where appropriate in your evaluations. Try to keep
your evaluations to one A4 side (12 point) maximum. Always accompany the evaluation with a good photograph of
the final work.