This document outlines the process for critiquing a piece of artwork, including four main sections: description, analysis, interpretation, and judgment. It provides details on objectively describing the key elements of the artwork, analyzing how techniques were used, interpreting the possible intent and meaning, and making a judgment on the effectiveness and quality of the piece. The goal of an art critique is to help both artists and viewers gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the work.

1. MATERIALS (MEDIUMS) AND
APPLICATION OF
TECHNIQUES IN
CONTEMPORARY ARTS

2. ART CRITIQUE

3. •Is a systematic study and assessment
of a piece of art.
•Although no two people can have the
same reaction to, or view, a work of
art in the same way, there are a few
simple principles that can be followed
to produce a critical, detailed critique.
(Crafted: https://www.Wikihow.Com/critique-artwork)

4. A. DESCRIPTION (DESCRIBING THE WORK FOR
CRITIQUING) GATHER IMPORTANT
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BEING A CRITIQUE.

5. •It is the sort of stuff on the
label of a museum or gallery,
or in an art book.
•Knowing the history of a piece
will make a major difference in

6. START YOUR CRITICISM BY PROVIDING THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
•TITLE OF THE WORK
• ARTIST’S NAME
• WHEN THE PIECE WAS CREATED
• WHERE IT WAS MADE
• THE TYPES OF MEDIA USED TO CREATE THE
WORK (E.G., OIL PAINT ON CANVAS)
• THE EXACT SIZE OF THE WORK

8. 1. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU
SEE
•Describe the artwork using fair
words.
•For example, you might say, "this
is a small-scale portrait painting
of a young woman, seen from the

9. •She clasps her hands in front of her
chest and looks up slightly to the
right of the audience.
•She wears a pink dress and a long veil
that falls behind her head. “
•Avoid using words like "beautiful,"
"ugly," "good" or "evil."

10. 2. DISCUSS THE WORK'S
ELEMENTS.
•Describe the work in details.
•Talk about how art uses these five
basic elements in art and design:
line, color, space, light, and form.

11. 3. DESCRIBE HOW TO USE
THE LINE.
•Lines in a piece of art may be either
explicit or symbolic.
•Different types of lines may produce
various moods or effects.

12. •The rough, sketchy lines build a sense
of movement and independence, while
the smooth, firm lines sound more still
and carefully designed.
•The arrangement of figures and objects
within a scene can indicate a line of
sight or action.

13. 4. SPEAK ABOUT HOW
COLOR IS USED.
•Note characteristics such as hue
(red, green, blue, etc.), Color
(lightness or darkness) and strength.
•Look at the overall color scheme and
think about how colors fit together.

14. •For example, do the colors clash, or
are they harmonious?
•Does the work use a variety of
colors, or is it monochromatic (all
shades of blue, for example)?

15. 5. DESCRIBE THE USE OF
SPACE IN THE WORK.
•"Space" refers to the areas
around and within objects inside
a job.

16. •When thinking about space,
concentrate on issues like depth
and perspective, overlapping
objects, and using empty space
versus space filled with details.

17. •When you present a two-
dimensional piece of art, like a
painting, think about whether the
piece produces the impression of
three-dimensional space and depth.

18. 6. DESCRIBE THE USE OF
LIGHT IN THE WORK.
•Light in a work of art may be warm
or cold, bright or dark, natural or
artificial.
•Take some time to think about the
role of light and shadow in the work.

19. •When you are thinking about a two-
dimensional work, like a painting, the
attention may be on how the artist
creates the illusion of light.
•In a three-dimensional work, like a
sculpture, you might explore how real
light interacts with the work. Is the

20. 7. MAKE NOTE OF THE WAY
SHAPE IS USED IN THE
WORK
•Were the shapes linear, straight lines and
perfect curves in the work, or are they
more natural?
•Is the work dominated by some single
form of shape, or do you see several

21. B. ANALYSIS (ANALYZING
THE WORK)

22. 1. DISCUSS HOW THE WORK
USES THE PRINCIPLES OF
COMPOSITION.
•When you've described the work, it's
time to examine it or explain how it all
comes together.
•Start by thinking about how the work
is made up, keeping a few simple

24. BALANCE:
•How do the colors, shapes and
textures of the piece fit together?
•Should they produce a balanced or
harmonious effect, or is the piece in
some way unbalanced?

25. CONTRAST:
•Does the job use contrasting colors,
textures, or lighting?
•Contrast can also be seen in the use
of various shapes or contours, such as
jagged vs. Curved lines or geometric

26. MOVEMENT:
•Why is the work generating
a sense of movement is your
eye drawn in a specific way
through the composition?

27. PROPORTION:
•Do the proportions of the different
elements appear as you might expect, or
are they surprising?
•For example, if the research depicts a
group of people, do all of the figures
look bigger or smaller than they would

28. 2. IDENTIFY THE SUBJECT
OF THE JOB
•Many of the works of art have one or
more points designed to attract your
attention and draw your gaze.

29. •For a portrait, this may be the subject's
face or eyes.
•It may be a centrally located or well-lit
object in a still-life.

30. 3. SEARCH FOR PATTERNS
AT WORK.
•Identify a few main themes
and explain how the artist
used design elements (color,
light, room, form, and line) to

31. •Themes could include things
like:
•A. The use of a color scheme to
give the work a particular mood
or meaning.
•B. Symbolism and religious or
mythological imagery.

32. C. INTERPRETATION
(INTERPRETING THE WORK)

34. 1. TRY TO IDENTIFY THE
PURPOSE OF THE WORK
•In other words, what do you think the
artist was trying to say with the work?
•Why did they create the work?
•Try to summarize the overall meaning of
the work, as you see it.

35. 2. DESCRIBE YOUR OWN
APPROACH TO WORK
•Talk about how you feel when you're looking at
work.
•What do you think is the overall mood of the job?
•Does that remind you of something (ideas,
memories, certain works of art)?
•Use descriptive language to speak about your

36. •Was the mood at work sad?
•Hopeful?
•Peaceful?
•Perhaps you'd like to describe
the work as stunning, or ugly?

37. 3. BACK UP YOUR
INTERPRETATION/ DEFINITION
WITH EXAMPLES
•Using examples from your job summary and
review to illustrate why you think and feel
the way you do it.
• Example, “I believe that James Sant’s
portrait of a young bride is intended to give
a sense of the bride’s spiritual devotion.

38. •This is indicated by the line of the
composition, which draws the viewer’s
eye upward, following the upward gaze
of the subject.
•It is also suggested by warm light,
coming from a source somewhere
above the young woman.”

39. D. JUDGEMENT (JUDGING
THE WORK)

41. 1. DECIDE WHETHER YOU
THINK THE WORK IS GOOD
•Your aim here is not simply to
determine if the art is "good "or
"bad."
•Rather, concentrate on whether
you think the work is

42. THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE FOLLOWING:
•Do you think the illustration expresses
what the artist wanted to say?
• Did the artist make effective use of
their knowledge and techniques?
• Is art original, or is it imitating other

43. 2. EXPLAIN HOW YOU
JUDGE THE JOB.
•When you have agreed on a few elements of the
work to be assessed, clearly demonstrate the
focus of your evaluation.
•You may suggest, for example, that you judge
the piece on how well structured it is, how well
done it is technologically, and how well it

44. 3. SUMMARIZE WHY YOU THINK THE
WORK HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL OR
INEFFECTIVE.
•Explain your decision on the job in a
few sentences.
•Please offer clear reasons for your
decision, using your understanding
and analysis of the work.

45. •For example, “I believe this work is
successful because the use of light,
shape, gesture, and line all work
together harmoniously to portray the
mood of the subject.”

46. •As presented above, the different
principles and steps in critiquing the
artwork,
•Are you now ready to critique?
•What do you think is the significance
of an art critiques?
•Are they really helpful?

47. •Basically, an art critique allows the artist
to understand how they influence their
audience.
•It also allows the audience/viewer to
gain a better understanding of that
artists' work.
•Moreover, it is also a spur to deciding
what you really think is the meaning,