Content Form Process Mood



Content Form Process Mood

Content

This is all about the subject of the work in front of you.

• What is the subject matter? What do you see?

• What is happening in it?

• Can you read some kind of story into it?

• What is going on?

• What are the objects?

• Are there symbols or visual metaphors? What might they be saying in your opinion?

• Is the artist trying to convey a message? A work of art, particularly a figure composition, might tell a story or might express a viewpoint. The work may be making a political or social point. They may be giving a message about something which they feel strongly about. It may represent strong values, ideas or religious beliefs.

• Look carefully at the title of the work as this often gives an indication of the artist’s intentions and may influence how you view the work.

• Was the artist working from direct observation or from imagination?

• Is the work realistic, distorted, abstracted, exaggerated? This also gives clues as to the artist’s intention or the message which the artist is trying to convey. Why might the artist have chosen this particular approach or way to depict the subject matter?

Form

This is about how well the artist has used visual elements and compositional elements such as line, tone, colour, texture, shape and composition.

• How is the work composed

• Is it balanced? Is the eye drawn inwards to the centre?

• Can you see diagonal lines or alignments?

• Can you see clear horizontal or vertical lines or alignments?

• Has the artist created a sense of depth? How?

• Is the work very flat or spatially deep?

• Is the colour palette very harmonious or is it strongly contrasting? Vivid? Subtle? Calm? Happy? Bright? Zingy? Cold, Hot, etc.

• Does the work have a variety of texture, or a distinct texture?

• Are there recurring lines or repetition in the work?

• Has a very strong sense of 3D been created? How?

Process

This is about how the work might have been developed and produced and the techniques and processes used by the artist to create the work.

• How was the work made

• What materials were used to create the work?

• What techniques has the artist used? In painting – what do the brushstrokes look like? Thick, fine, washy, splatter, etc. In sculpture, what materials have been used and how were they manipulated?

• What skills does the artist have?

• Does the work look like it was done quickly or painstakingly, over a long time?

• Is the artist using unusual materials in a clever and new way?

• Is the artist making us look at an everyday object in a new way?

Mood

This is about the emotional qualities and feelings which the work conveys.

• How do I react to this work? Why?

• Is it disturbing, soothing, relaxing, happy, sad, provocative, challenging, awkward, nostalgic, funny, etc? Why?

• Does the face have a certain expression? Direct gaze?

• Does it convey a certain mood?

• Does it have a certain atmosphere?

• How do you think the artist felt when he or she produced the work?

FACTTO It for Painting

The FACTTO it! approach simplifies expressive critical evaluation by encouraging you to stick to a set agenda. By continual use you will be able to apply it to evaluate any painting effectively.

You should aim to write a paragraph for each section, remember to write in sentences.

Describe the painting, say what you see.

What is the centre of interest?

What do your eyes keep coming back to?

(Is it because of the colour, the size, directed to it by lines? Or what?)

What are the contents of the painting, subject matter?

Where are the contents in the painting in relation to each other?

Foreground, Middle-ground, Background

What mood has the artist tried to create?

If you were in the painting how would you feel?

(Is the mood one of sadness, loneliness, despair, stormy, windswept, calm,

happy, terror, anger, patriotic, serene or what?

Was the artist successful in creating this mood?

Give examples to show this. What does the painting remind you of?

What is the general colour scheme?

(Hot, cold, bold, bright, pastel, subtle, harmonious etc)

Are there two or three main colours that are used? Describe the colours

You see(e.g. Lemon yellow, Denim blue, Burnt orange)

Where do you see them? Are they repeated elsewhere? (colour balance)

Are there any colours that stand out? Why have they been used instead

Of colours that blend in?

Think of the total ladder, are the tones wide ranging and contrasting or are they nearly all l the same (closer tones)

Where is the light source coming from? How do you know this?

Are there any zones that have different tones? (e.g. the top right hand corner)

How have the brush strokes been applied?

(carefully blended, roughly, hairy, dabbed, wild swirls, bleeding into each other, some of the above but in different places)

After examining the visual elements of the painting what are your final thoughts/opinions

Do you like/dislike the painting? (Give reasons for your answers. Do not use the word ‘boring!’)

What does the painting remind you of? Does it have a personal meaning?

How has line been used? (e.g. strong contour lines, delicate)

What style has the artist worked in used? (e.g. abstraction, realism, impressionism, surrealism, minimalist)

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Focal point/

Composition

Subject Matter

Atmosphere/

Mood

Pattern

Colour

Visual Elements

Shape

Tone

Texture

Line

Opinion

Materials

Media Handling

Use of Space

Style

OPINION

Light Source

Technique

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