2. Instructions
• Take out several pieces of blank paper.
• You will respond to questions throughout this
presentation. Questions and prompts you
need to respond to are highlighted in yellow.
3. The Skill of Describing
• Play the video at the following link:
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/skill-of-
describing.html
• Pause at 0:28 and describe, to the best of your
abilities the painting on the screen. Include
information about the subject and technique.
• Continue video to the end.
4. Building a Vocabulary to Describe Art
In the following slides you will learn about the
following elements of art:
• Color
• Line
• Shape
• Form
• Texture
You will also build a vocabulary to describe artworks
with different aspects of each element.
5. Color
• Color is what we see because of reflected light.
• Color has three main characteristics:
– Hue: The name of the color (red, green, blue, etc.)
– Value: How light or dark the color is
– Intensity: How bright or dull the color is
• White = pure light; Black = absence of light
• Primary colors = red, blue, and yellow (true colors)
• Secondary colors = green, orange, violet (two primary
colors mixed together
• Complimentary colors are located across from each
other on the color wheel and contrast because they
share no common colors.
6. Color
• Describe the color (hue, value, and intensity) in
each of the following:
1. 2. 3.
7. Line
• Line is a mark made using a drawing tool or
brush.
• Types include: thick, thin, horizontal, vertical,
diagonal, straight, curved, spiral, etc.
• Lines are basic tools for artists and are always
shown in the way the artist arranges objects in
a painting
• However, they aren’t always visible to the eye
9. Shape
• Shape is a closed line.
• Shapes can be geometric (ex. squares, circles)
• Or, shapes can be organic (free-form or
natural shapes like flowers, clouds, etc.)
10. Shape
• Identify shapes used in the following images,
and tell whether they are geometric or
organic:
1. 2. 3.
11. Form
• Forms are shapes in three dimensions
– Circle >Sphere
– Square > Cube
– Rectangle > Rectangular prism
– Triangle > Pyramid
• Forms express length, width, and depth of
space and allow a work of art to look 3-
dimensional instead of flat
13. Texture
• Texture is the look and feel of a surface. The
following of examples of ways in which artists
create texture:
– Brush paint on in watery strokes and thick drips
– Apply paint in short, fat dabs and long, sleep strokes
– Twirl brushes to make circles and curls
– Apply paint in thick layers that stick out from the canvas
– Mix in sand, dirt, or other materials into the paint
– Add white highlights to give a shiny appearance
– Scratch through the paint to show colors underneath
14. Texture
• Locate of following textures found in this
image.
• sleek, shiny surfaces
• delicate flowers
• smooth ceramic
• rough leather
15. Art Criticism
• Refer to the worksheet “Four Steps in Art
Criticism.”
• Respond to as many questions from each of
the four areas (Describe, Analyze,
Interpretation, Judgment) and analyze the
image on the following screen.
• Submit responses for a class assignment
grade.
