Question: Description of the artwork you like the most (artist's name, size, media, title)
Is it a realistic or abstract work of art? Why did you like this artwork?
Base your observation on careful looking, seeing, interpreting, analyzing, and describing. Think of the artwork's conceptual idea/meaning, its composition (see description below) as well as the use of the art elements - form, line, value/shade, light, color, texture.
1. write-up
INFORMAL ?a written report or description, as in a newspaper, magazine, etc.; sometimes, specif., a favorable account, as for a publicity release
2. media
A medium refers to the materials that are used to create a work of art. The plural of medium is media. Some of the most common media are oil paints, acrylic paints, tempera, marble (soft, white stone), and bronze
3. elements of composition
In Western art the Elements of Composition are generally considered to be:
Unity: Do all the parts of the composition feel as if they belong together, or does something feel stuck on, awkwardly out of place?
Balance: Balance is the sense that the painting "feels right" and not heavier on one side. Having a symmetrical arrangement adds a sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical arrangement creates a more dynamic feeling. A painting that is not balanced creates a sense of unease.
Movement: There are many ways to give a sense of movement in a painting, such as the arrangement of objects, the position of figures, the flow of a river. You can use leading lines (a photography term applicable to painting) to direct the viewer's eye into and around the painting. Leading lines can be actual lines, such as the lines of a fence or railroad, or they can be implied lines, such as a row of trees or curve of stones or circles.
Rhythm: In much the same way music does, a piece of art can have a rhythm or underlying beat that leads your eye to view the artwork at a certain pace. Look for the large underlying shapes (squares, triangles, etc.) and repeated color. (See example)
Focus (or Emphasis): The viewer's eye ultimately wants to rest on the "most important" thing or focal point in the painting, otherwise the eye feels lost, wandering around in space.
Contrast: Paintings with high contrast - strong differences between light and dark, for example - have a different feel than paintings with minimal contrast in light and dark, such as in Whistler Nocturne series. In addition to light and dark, contrast can be differences in shape, color, size, texture, type of line, etc.
Pattern: A regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or values in a composition.
Proportion: How things fit together and relate to each other in terms of size and scale; whether big or small, nearby or distant.