Grade 9 VA

GUIDE TO WRITING A FORMAL ANALYSIS

Opening sentence:
Provide basic information (if known) about the work of art, including the title or subject, artist, date and
medium (ink on paper or silk, ink and acrylic paint on paper etc.)
First Paragraph: Subject matter
This should serve as a basic overview of what the work is about.

e.g. "A withered tree with gnarled branches stands in the lower right corner of the foreground." or "An elderly
man clad in voluminous robes sits at a table laden with books and antiques, while a young servant prepares tea
at a small stove in the background."

Second Paragraph: Composition

This is where you should begin to analyse the composition as a whole. Discuss specific shapes: triangle,
square, rectangle, etc.; and lines: diagonal, vertical, horizontal, curving, etc. Also use terms like monumental;
intimate; close-up, etc.

Use specific terms like foreground, middle ground and background; left, right and centre; upper and lower;
corner and edge.

Once you have established where the main elements are located, you can refer to them more simply, as in "the
central peak," or "the main figure."

Ask yourself: How does the composition as a whole work? Is it balanced, symmetrical, stable, asymmetrical
and/or dynamic? Generally speaking, squares and isosceles triangles convey stability, as do vertical and
horizontal lines. Triangles with uneven sides, and diagonal lines, tend to be more dynamic.

How do certain parts of the composition relate to other parts? Do they dominate, are they subordinate, or do
they balance each other? Use words like symmetrical and asymmetrical, solid and void or full and empty space.
Does the artist try to create perspective? If so, how?
Third Paragraph: Colour & Texture & Style
Discuss the colour and brushwork. Use terms like: naturalistic/non-naturalistic /Expressive. Tonal value - dark
and light; saturated and dilute; even or modulated (i.e., a line that thickens and thins within the same stroke),
outline / contour. Texture – real or Simulated. Differentiate the use of distinct brushstrokes from broader
areas of ink wash or colour firm and loose; thick and thin; Comment on the tonalities and textures created.
Fourth Paragraph: Space
Use the correct terminology – linear/atmospheric perspective. Shallow depth. State exactly what you
understand by the terminology and refer to a specific area of the artwork.
Final paragraph: a short and concise conclusion:

Conclude by mentioning a key point and insight into the work that you have analysed.