HOW TO CRITIQUE ART

We will Critique this artwork

together.
The Starry Night

Vincent Van
Gogh

Oil on Canvas

1889
 Critique Instructions

1. When Critiquing you must use the

following four steps/slides in
sequence!
2. The Four Steps:
1. Describe
2. Analyze
3. Interpret
4. Evaluate/Judge
ment
Step One: Description
 FIRST- Write down the Title, Author, Date and
Style of the Artwork.
 Make a list of all the things they you see in
the work.
 Describe the subject matter. (What it is
about, what is happening, if there is no
subject describe the elements)
 Quickly sketch the artwork in your
sketchbook.
 Do not make any kind of judgment about
the work.
 It is Important to carefully, non-judgmentally
Step 1
Swirls, stars,
buildings, rolling
hills, a large tree,
the moon, trees,
a church.

This appears to be a
night time scene
painted from an
elevated position.
There is a town in
the foreground, hills
in the mid-ground,
and a star-filled sky
in the background.
Step Two: Analysis
 Pay close attention to which art elements
the artist used.
Line, Shape, Color, Value, Texture, & Space.
(Form is 3-d and will not apply to painting
critiques)

 LOOK for ways the elements were used

to organize the composition using
rhythm, balance, movement, proportion,
variet y, emphasis, and unity.
Step 2
The Artist has used a cool color
palette of blues, greens and
violets, with a complimentary
orange-ish yellow coloring the
lights and stars.

There is a variety of line thickness

and direction in the brush strokes
of color.

There is a contrast of geometric

shapes in the houses and the
organic shapes of the surrounding
landscape.

Movement is created by the swirls

in the sky and the brushstrokes
used. Also the tree creates a
sense of motion as it wavy lines
Step Three: Interpretation
 List any feelings or moods you get from
the artwork.

 Think creatively and imaginatively at

this stage.

 Base your interpretation on what you’ve

concluded in the first two steps of the
critique process.
Step Three: Interpretation

Calm, excited, mellow, sad,

relaxed

The colors of this artwork

create a sense of calm for
me and yet the yellowish
orange in the moon
appears like a fire craker
and creates a sense of
excitement at the same
time.

The lines and waves of the

colors used also add the
calmness of this artwork
reminding me of rolling
water.
Step Four: Judgment/Evaluation

 Decide whether the work is successful or

has merit.

 Support you judgment with answers from

the first three steps.
Step Four: Judgment/Evaluation

This is an artwork that

has successfully used
the elements and
principles of art to
create a painting that
shows emotion and life
through expressive
brushstrokes. The
subject matter evokes
a clam feeling while the
colors successfully use
contrast to create a
calm excitement in the
night time sky.

An excellent post
impressionist
PAINTING!