Basic 3 · Creative Arts · Appreciating and Appraising
Looking at and Talking About Visual Art
In this topic you will use guidelines to view visual artworks and express your feelings and thoughts.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Use the four steps to view an artwork
- Express feelings and thoughts politely
- Give helpful suggestions
What you already know
- Guidelines for viewing visual art (Basic 2)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Visual Arts
- Sub-strand
- Appreciating and Appraising
- Indicator
- B3.1.4.6.1 – Use the agreed guidelines to view and express own feelings and thoughts about visual artworks
Introduction
At the "Art of Africa" display, visitors look at the artworks and talk about them. Using guidelines helps everyone give good feedback.
1. Four Steps for Viewing Art
| Step | Question |
|---|---|
| describe | What do I see? What materials and colours? |
| analyse | How are lines, shapes and colours arranged? |
| interpret | What does it mean? What culture does it show? |
| judge | What is good? How can it be better? |
2. Expressing Feelings
- "I feel happy when I see the bright colours."
- "The triangles make me think of mountains."
- "It would be even better if the lines were straighter."
New words
- analyse
- To look closely at the parts.
- interpret
- To explain the meaning.
- judge
- To decide how good something is.
- feedback
- Comments that help improve work.
Summary
- View art by describing, analysing, interpreting and judging.
- Express feelings politely.
- Give helpful feedback.
Class activity: Gallery Walk
- Walk around the display.
- Use the four steps on two artworks.
- Write one kind comment and one suggestion for each.
You need: Learners’ own artworks, Label cards cut from manila paper, String, Clothes pegs
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. The first step in viewing art is to…
- A. Describe
- B. Judge
- C. Interpret
- D. Leave
Show answer
Answer: DescribeWe start by saying what we see.2. Explaining what an artwork means is to…
- A. Interpret
- B. Describe
- C. Analyse
- D. Sketch
Show answer
Answer: InterpretThat is interpreting.3. Feedback should be polite.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TruePolite feedback helps.4. We should only say bad things about art.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseStart with what is good.5. Comments that help improve work are ______.
Show answer
Answer: feedbackThat is feedback.6. Write one polite suggestion for improving an artwork.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. It would be better if the colours were brighter.Use kind words.
Homework
- Use the four steps to talk about a picture in a magazine or book.