How to be an Art Critic

• After a quick review of our previous lesson, students will be able to successfully complete the Describe step with an artwork not previously used in class.
• Students will participate in a class discussion about the Elements of Art (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space), with extra discussion (if time) on color (color properties, color schemes) and space (six ways artists create the illusion of space).
• Students will be able to identify the elements of art used in various artworks.
• When given an example, students will be able to analyze the composition of an artwork by explaining how the elements of art are used.

After a short review of the previous lesson and a quick practice of the DESCRIBE step of the art criticism process, we will move to the ANALYZE step. Students will be introduced to the Elements of Art (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space). There will be minimal discussion on line, shape, form, value, and texture, with more discussion of color and space. Our color discussion will include properties of color (hue, saturation, intensity) and color schemes (warm / cool colors, complementary colors). Our space discussion will focus on positive / negative space and how artists represent a 3D space in two dimensions (perspective, size, placement, overlapping, color/value, and detail). We will identify these elements in various artworks in a virtual gallery tour.

We will end with a short review and time for questions.

1. Review:  art criticism, realistic/abstract/non-objective, 2 places for info in step 1 (Describe).
2. Quick walkthrough of step 1 as a review and for any new students.
3. Intro to step 2 of the art criticism process: Analyze. How does the artist use the Principles of Design to organize the Elements of Art to create a successful composition?
4. Elements of Art (line, shape, form, color, value, texture, and space) with extra discussion (if time) about color (color theory, principles of color) and space (positive/negative, six ways artists represent a 3D space in two dimensions).
5. We will identify these elements in various artworks during our virtual gallery tour.
6. We will end with a quick review and time for questions.

We will take a tour of a virtual art gallery to explore use of elements & principles in the artworks.