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analysis of visual arts

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

The visual arts can be analyzed in several ways. Here are 10 guiding elements that will help you analyze art in your writing.

  1. EDGE / LINE

    • 3D – boundary or edge of the mass
    • 2D – examining the movement of the vanishing point or look at succession of connected points
      • analyze characteristics of edges and lines
        • direction
        • length
        • width
        • emotional and expressive properties

  2. SHAPE

    • 3D – forms and masses
    • 2D – area of color, tone, line, or combination
      • analyze characteristics of shape
        • organic (modeled after plants and animals)
        • geometric

  3. COLOR

    • character of a surface by wave lengths
      • analyze characteristics of color
        • hue
        • value – amount of white or black
        • intensity
        • monochromatic / polychromatic – one color / several colors
        • analogous / complementary – remember the color wheel
        • primary palette / secondary palette

  4. VALUE

    • relation of one part to another with respect to light and darkness
      • analyze characteristics of value
        • white added – lighter value
        • black added – darker value
        • chiaroscuro – dramatic (example Rembrandt)

  5. TEXTURE

    • actual tactile quality of a surface
    • visual illusions of tactile qualities on a flat surface
      • analyze characteristics of texture
        • smooth
        • rough
        • impasto – thick pigment, globs of color (example Van Gogh)

  6. SPACE

    • environment or background for an art work
    • voids, emptiness, absences within an artwork
      • analyze characteristics of space
        • 3D – interaction of artwork with surrounding space
        • 2D – areas of lesser visual interest

  7. FORM

    • comprehensive physical design of an artwork
      • analyze characteristics of form
        • open / closed – focus only within or going out
        • dynamic / static – movement

  8. BALANCE

    • controlled tension by shapes depending on variables such as:
      • placement
      • size
      • spacing
      • direction
        • analyze characteristics of balance
          • symmetrical / asymmetrical
          • formal / informal
          • structured / intuitive

  9. RHYTHM / REPETITION

    • perceptible sequence of identical or similar material
      • analyze characteristics of rhythm and repetition
        • double
        • triple
        • mixed

  10. DOMINANCE / SUBMISSION

    • highly accentuated versus recessive focus of attention
      • analyze characteristics of dominance and submission
        • how did the artist establish your attention around the object
        • how did the artist guide you away from certain elements toward other elements of the work