- Take a close look at the painting, study it carefully and think about what makes it important or special. What calls your attention? Why have you chosen it?
- Decide how to structure your description; draw a diagram with the ideas you are going to include. This is a basic outline:
1. INTRODUCTION:
The name of the painting is…
It was painted by…, in… (place and year)
The style/movement it represents is… (realism/impressionism/surrealism/cubism…)
The size of the painting is…
We can see it in/It is displayed in…
2. THE ARTIST
When and where was he/she born?
Do you lnow anything about his/her education and ideas?
Is there any important event in the artist's life that is relevant when we talk about this work in particular?
3. DESCRIBE WHAT YOU SEE AND WHERE IT IS IN THE PAINTING:
What can you see?
Is it a landscape, a portrait, a still life, an abstract painting…?
The painting shows/depicts/represents...
The scene takes place in...
We can see...
There is/are...
In the foreground/background...
In the middle/In the centre...
At the top/At the bottom...
On the left/On the right...
Between/Behind/In front of/Next to…
The atmosphere is relaxing/peaceful/depressing/bleak...
b. Colours:
We can see cool/warm/bright/loud/dark/delicate...colours.
c. People:
Are there people in the painting? What do they look like? What are they wearing? What are they doing? What is happening?
d. Style, techniques and visual elements:
Materials: oils, watercolours, canvas, paper...
Lines, shapes, brushstrokes, light, texture, composition...
4. YOUR OPINION:
I think…
In my opinion…
It seems…
The painting makes me think of…
It reminds me of…
It makes me feel…
I like / don’t like this painting because…
It symbolizes…
It expresses…
It depicts...
Click HERE to see an example.
Click HERE to visit our Moodle course and find more information and extra practice.
