Basic 5 · Creative Arts · Appreciating and Appraising
Guidelines for Appreciating Visual Artworks
In this topic you will develop guidelines for appreciating and appraising your own and others' visual artworks.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain appreciation and appraisal
- Use the four steps of describe, analyse, interpret and judge
- Give respectful feedback on artworks
What you already know
- Planning an exhibition
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
- B5.1.4.6.1 – Develop guidelines for appreciating and appraising own and others’ visual artworks
Introduction
When you look at an artwork, you may say "It's nice" or "I don't like it." Artists and critics use clear steps to talk about art in a more useful way.
1. Appreciation and Appraisal
Appreciation: Looking carefully at an artwork and recognising its qualities and value.
Appraisal: Judging the strengths and weaknesses of an artwork using guidelines.
2. The Four Steps
| Step | Question to ask | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Describe | What do I see? (subject, colours, shapes, media) | A woman carrying a basket of tomatoes, painted in bright red and yellow |
| 2. Analyse | How is it arranged? (elements and principles: balance, contrast, pattern, emphasis) | The woman is in the centre; the red tomatoes stand out against a blue sky |
| 3. Interpret | What does it mean? What feeling or message? | It shows the hard work of market women |
| 4. Judge | Is it successful? Why? | It is successful because the colours are lively and the message is clear |
3. Elements to Look For
| Element | What to notice |
|---|---|
| line | thick, thin, straight, curved |
| shape | circles, squares, natural shapes |
| colour | warm (red, yellow) or cool (blue, green) |
| texture | rough or smooth |
| space | how full or empty the picture is |
4. Giving Respectful Feedback
- Start with something good about the work.
- Give a helpful suggestion: "You could …".
- Be specific: talk about colours, shapes or ideas, not the artist's person.
- Do not laugh at or insult anyone's work.
- Listen to feedback on your own work and use it to improve.
Using guidelines makes appraisal fair, because everyone uses the same questions. It also helps you learn from other artists and improve your own work.
New words
- appreciation
- Recognising the qualities of an artwork.
- appraisal
- Judging strengths and weaknesses.
- describe
- To say what you see.
- analyse
- To examine how something is arranged.
- interpret
- To explain the meaning.
- critique
- A careful evaluation of an artwork.
Summary
- Appreciation recognises value; appraisal judges strengths and weaknesses.
- Use four steps: describe, analyse, interpret and judge.
- Look at elements such as line, shape, colour and texture.
- Give feedback that is kind, specific and helpful.
Class activity: Gallery Walk
- Display pupils' artworks around the classroom.
- Walk around and use the four steps on two artworks.
- Write one strength and one suggestion for each on a sticky note.
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. What is the first step in appreciating art?
- A. Describe
- B. Judge
- C. Interpret
- D. Sell
Show answer
Answer: DescribeSay what you see first.2. Explaining the meaning of an artwork is…
- A. interpreting
- B. describing
- C. mixing
- D. framing
Show answer
Answer: interpretingStep three.3. Which is respectful feedback?
- A. "The colours are bright, and you could add more detail to the sky."
- B. "It's ugly."
- C. "Who drew this rubbish?"
- D. Laughing at it
Show answer
Answer: "The colours are bright, and you could add more detail to the sky."Positive and helpful.4. Red and yellow are warm colours.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueBlue and green are cool.5. Judging an artwork means insulting the artist.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalseIt means giving reasons for its success.6. Judging the strengths and weaknesses of an artwork is ______.
Show answer
Answer: appraisalUsing guidelines.7. List the four steps of appreciating an artwork.
Show answer
Answer: Describe, analyse, interpret and judge.In order.8. Why are agreed guidelines useful in appraisal?
Show answer
Answer: Everyone uses the same questions, so judgement is fair and helpful.Fairness.
Homework
- Use the four steps to write about a picture in a newspaper or calendar.