The 4 steps of Critique
- Description
- Analysis
- Interpretation
- Judgement
Each of these 4 steps should be written as individual paragraphs.
Description
- If you know it, tell the reader the title of the artwork, the artist, and any other information you have
- Describe what you see to the reader
- Be detailed and exact, but only include features/information that matters
- Be descriptive: tell us color, size, shapes, what materials the artwork is made out of, etc.
Analysis
- Pick out the most important Elements of Art, Principles of Design, or Compositional Elements that you see in the work
- Explain how these different components shape the way you see the image and/or
- Explain how these different components drive the narrative
- Be specific (“The boy on the left is wearing complementary colors in order to catch our attention”)
- Use proper vocabulary, learned from our notes and our lessons (Line, sgraffito, formal balance, etc.)
Interpretation
- Tell the reader what you think
- The image means
- The story being told is
- The feeling or mood you get from looking at the work
- The reason someone would make the image
- Connect your interpretation to the Analysis you did (“The cool colors make me think that the man in the picture is really sad”
Judgment
- Tell me what you like about the artwork
- Tell me what you do not like about the artwork
- Tell me if there is anything you could learn or would want to learn from the artwork
- It is ok to like, hate, or just not care about the work… but always justify your answers
ALWAYS TELL ME WHY
ALWAYS ANSWER WITH PARAGRAPHS
