Critique and Definition Sheet

An example of a written critique:

Andrew Wyeth- The Rope

The image I have chosen to critique fro my assignment is called “The Rope”. It is a painting by the famous American Artist Andrew Wyeth. It was done in this century. Wyeth’s painting is stunning in the realistic details he used. The painting depicts a large rope draped and knotted over a beam in a barn. The colors used are muted and earthy. The dark recesses of the barn contrast sharply with the brighter tones used in the rope. Although the colors are mostly brown tones, we see underlying hints of blues, greens, yellows and oranges. Wyeth represented lots of different textures in this painting. I especially li8ke the way he captured the frayed rope. The composition is good. The focal point is the rope but the bright white of the boat below it captures your eye also. Nothing is in the exact center of the page.
I would also love to be able to get the textures and the detail he has in his work in my drawings and paintings. The one element I hope to have in my current drawing is the way he captures light.

Definitions

Media – materials used to create a piece of art work (eg. crayons, pencils, markers, etc.)

Composition – The arrangement of visual elements in an image.

Focal Point – the center of activity or attention in a visual image.

Aerial Perspective – the use of color, in varying degrees of intensity, to suggest 3D space on a 2D surface.

Contrast – The juxtaposition of dissimilar elements (such as tone, color, shape) in a visual image.

Rendering – suggesting 3D form on a 2D surface through the use of softly blended tones.

Negative Space – the area behind and around the objects you are drawing.

Still Life – an arrangement of inanimate objects in a group for the purpose of drawing or photographing.

Horizon Line – eye level

Shadow – the darker toned area reflecting the shape of an object.