Art: How to Describe a Work of Art

Describing a Work of Art

When we describe something, we want to give the reader/listener a good
idea of what it looks like. When we describe a work of art we also want to
describe its style and the mood that it portrays, as well as express oru
opinion.
1) Introduction: Introduce the work of art. Include its name and the date
it was created.
...........was painted/made by ............. in ............. .
The type of work of art:
sculpture, drawing, oil, painting; sketch, portrait, watercolour,
andscape, still life...
The materials:
oil (on wood/ on canvas), watercolour, charcoal, ink,
clay, wood, plastic, marble, stone, granite, iron, steel, copper,
bronze...
It's made of/on....
Talk about lines, tone, texture, shape, movement, scale contrast, colour.
IT'S A/AN (OPINION + SIZE + AGE + SHAPE + COLOUR) + NOUN
It shows ......... Its /their shape/s is/are simple/flat/curved/ bright/
straight...
Its colours are bright/cheerful/dull/rough/lovely...
Its texture is rough/smooth/soft/sandy/curved...
2) Describe the style .
Its style is shiny/modern/traditional/abstract/realistic... .
The painting/scupture is representational/realistic/abstract/etc
3) What is where?
In the foreground/background you can see ...
In the foreground/background there is ...
In the middle/centre there are ...
At the top/At the bottom there is ...
On the left/right there are ...
Behind/In front of ... you can see ...
Between ... there is ...
3) Who is doing what?
Here you decribe the persons in the work of art or you say what is
happening just now. Use the Present Continuous
4) What I think about the picture. What you think the artist was trying to
express.
It seems as if ...
The lady seems to ...
Maybe ...
I think ...
... might be a symbol of ...
 The atmosphere is
peaceful/depressing/lively/
I (don't) like the picture because ...
It makes me think of ...

List of Descriptive Words to Critique

Art
Have you ever been to an art museum and wished someone had given you a
list of descriptive words to critique art? Do not despair; you are not the
only one who feels this way. There are many people who wish they knew more
about art. Therefore, here are some words to help you be more art savvy*
the next time you spend the day at the art museum.
There are many words that can help you be descriptive when it comes to
critiquing art. In fact, there are words to comment on every single aspect
of art. The line, tone, movement, texture and shape are just a few ways in
which art can be critiqued. However, the following list will go into more
depth of the words that you can use to critique art.
*expert

Six Words to Critique Line

In art a line can be described in several ways. The words used to describe
line in the form of art are everyday type of words, nothing fancy.
• Flowing
• Delicate
• Simple
• Bold (brave, audatious)
• Thick
• Thin

Four Words to Critique Tone

When it comes to tone in art there are four words that can help you when
critiquing. None of the words are fancy; however they may not all be used
in your everyday conversations with friends.
• Subtle
• Contrasting
• Muted (subdued), dull)
• Dramatic (tense, moving)

Five Words to Critique Texture

Texture is a very common element with and often used when referring to
clothing, furniture and hair. Also, if you have ever painted a wall in
your home you are most likely familiar with the following words.
• Rough
• Fine
• Smooth
• Coarse= rough
• Uneven
 Five Words to Critique Shape
Art comes in various shapes whether it is a painting or a sculpture.
Therefore, there are specific words to describe each piece of art.
• Organic (natural: curvy and asimetrical)
• Curvaceous
• Geometric
• Angular
• Elongated (streched)

Three Words to Critique Movement

Movement is seen in every piece of art. Movement helps to create or define
a piece of art.
• Swirling (twisting)
• Flowing
• Dramatic(tense)

Five Words to Critique Scale

Scale is basically the size of the art. The words used to critique scale
are common words that are already in our vocabulary.
• Large
• Small
• Intimate
• Miniature
• Monumental

Three Words to Critique Contrast

Two out of the three words for contrast have already been used to critique
other elements of art. Therefore, it should not be hard to remember these
words on a list of descriptive words to critique art. The only other word
you need to remember here is the word strong and that is a pretty common
word.
• Dramatic
• Subtle
• Strong
 Six Words to Critique Colour
In art color is very important. This is what helps each piece of art stand
out. The color, no matter what type of artwork helps define the piece and
the artist. A lot of artwork can be determined on who did the work just by
looking at the colors, because certain artists use specific colours in
every piece of their work.
• Bold
• Vibrant
• Subtle
• Pale
• Earthy (earthlike)
• Naturalistic
• Warm colours and cool colours

Another List of Descriptive Words to Critique

Art
• Saturation- refers to the brightness of colour
• Geometric – refers to the shapes such as circles, triangles, squares,
etc.
• Organic – free flowing or rounded
• Symmetry – meaning it is equal on both sides
• Asymmetrical – unequal proportioned elements
• Flat tones – no tonal effect in the colour
• Negative space – the space around the actual form of art
• Depth – the illusion of space
• Broken colour – dabs or small amounts of colour
• Focal point – the spot that stands out in the artwork
• Distorted – a shape that is changed and no longer looks proportioned
Ok, so now you have a list of descriptive words to critique art therefore
it is now time to take another trip to the art museum. Look at the same
art you looked at before and try to critique it. The artwork now has new
meaning and is not just some painting or sculpture to look at.
 From Green to White, oil,
Yves Tanguy, 1954
SAMPLE PAINTING DESCRIPTION:
This paper will be a visual description of From Green to White , an oil
painting made by the Surrealist artist Yves Tanguy in 1954. The picture
describes an imaginary place using tiny, barely visible brushstrokes, so
that the surface of the painting is almost perfectly smooth. What appears
to be a strange city, naturalistically shaded to suggest space, fills the
bottom of the composition. The rest of From Green to White looks like
sky. The lower part of this section contains dark, wavy, horizontal
bands, with streaks* of red, green, pink, and blue. Above that is an area
of white, slightly blue. Streaks of bright white within it give the
impression of being light, or reflections from a block melted ice. These
streaks fade out about halfway up the picture, leaving what appears to be
a blue sky with a few white clouds in it.
The strange city at the bottom of the composition consists of many
rounded shapes that suggest oddly proportioned structures made out of grey
rock: cylinders, cubes, etc. One at the left edge of the picture is the
tallest element. A flat low form in the middle, which extends across
nearly a third of the width of the picture, has a blue roof with what look
like strange waves and a single orange oval on it. These are the only
things that are not some kind of grey color. To the left of this
structure is a tower with grey-green vertical tubes along its sides.
Window-like openings go around it. To the right is the largest structure
of them all, . Between it and the blue roofed form are 8-10 tall, dark,
flat spires. A thin grey cylinder rises along the right edge of the
composition.
The title, From Green to White, gives no hint of what Tanguy meant to
represent in this painting. The picture itself also provides no clues.
The shapes and forms that are so carefully described do not suggest an
interpretation that makes sense of what we see. Therefore, the work
remains a mystery, a precisely detailed view of an imaginary world we can
never know. It may mean going from the green nature of trees and forests
to the white rock of the skyscrapers of the city.
*marks