Annotation
Written annotations are an important part of Assessment Objectives Annotations can provide:
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information, such as the title of an artwork, artist's biographical details or when the work was made.
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a record of your experiences and emotions connected to an image.
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a record of how you intend to use these images to develop your own ideas.
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an example of your progress through a project.
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To annotate your work successfully, you should explain:
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what you have done and why you did it
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how you did it, such as the media and techniques used
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why you chose a particular medium or technique
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how an artwork fits in with your project
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what aspects you like
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how you could improve the work
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what you think you will do next
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Using the correct vocabulary: You must use the correct vocabulary when annotating your work to show that you are developing your knowledge, understanding and skills.
Key terms are:
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Subject - what is shown in the artwork, such as a portrait or a still life
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Composition - how the elements of the work are arranged, ie whether they're close together or far apart
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Foreground and background - elements that appear to be in front or behind other aspects of the artwork
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Line - can vary in width, length, curvature, colour or direction
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Shape - describes the two-dimensional outline
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Form - describes a three-dimensional object
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Texture - the way surfaces look and feel, ie rough, smooth, soft, etc
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Tone - shading, from dark to light
How to analyse a
piece of work
Not everything applies to every piece of art, nor is it always useful to consider things in the order given. In any analysis, keep in mind the following: HOW and WHY is this a significant work of art?
In a few sentences describe the work. What does it look like? Is it a representation of something? Tell what is shown. Is it an abstraction of something? Tell what the subject is and what aspects are emphasized. Is it a non-objective work? Tell what elements are dominant. Give a few sentences to give the reader a sense of what the work looks like.
Art Elements
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Line (straight, curved, angular, flowing, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, contour, thick, thin, implied etc.)
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Shape (what shapes are created and how)
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Light and Value (source, flat, strong, contrasting, even, values, emphasis, shadows)
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Color (primary, secondary, mixed, complimentary, warm, cool, decorative, values)
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Texture and Pattern (real, implied, repeating)
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Space (depth, overlapping, kinds of perspective)
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Time and Motion.
Principles of Design
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Unity and Variety
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Balance (symmetry, asymmetry)
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Emphasis and Subordination
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Scale and Proportion (weight, how objects or figures relate to each other and the setting)
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Mass/Volume (three-dimensional art)
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Rhythm
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Function/Setting (architecture)
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Interior/Exterior Relationship (architecture)
Go beyond description and offer a conclusion and your own informed opinion about the work and how it relates to your own ideas and outcomes.
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discuss how and why the key elements and principles of art used by the artist to create meaning.
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Support your discussion of content with facts about your work, the techniques applied and used, and so forth.
