Be a Painting Critic

In Be a Painting Critic, learn how to critique a painting by learning the elements of design. Also learn how to compare and contrast paintings. 

After you have learned how to critique, select a painting and record your answers to the Write About It questions in a notebook or a digital document. Use the Painting Word Bank to help with your responses.

Google Drive/Classroom Users: You can go under File and select "Make a Copy" or "Print" to access the Artopia Painting - Write About It worksheet.

Elements of Design: The Piebald Horse | Artopia

Video

Line: Artists often start out working with line. Look at the outline of the spotted horse. This is called a skeletal shape. The long hairs in the horse’s mane and tail are lines. Several horizontal...
Compare and Contrast Two Paintings | Artopia

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These are examples of narrative artworks that depict historical figures and events. No. 11 - John Brown Takes to Guerilla Warfare, is one of a series of twenty-two gouache paintings illustrating the...
Painting - Write About It Worksheet for Google Docs
Painting - Write About It Worksheet for Google Docs

Interactive

INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the link above to access the Google Docs document. You can go under File and select " Make a Copy" to add to your own Google Drive or " Print." In Be a Painting Critic, select a...
Painting Word Bank | Artopia
Painting Word Bank | Artopia

Document

WORD BANK: Elements and Principles of Design line – a long thin continuous mark or stroke color – hues, tints, and shades as created by light and pigments value – the relative lightness or darkness of...
Winter Horse Raiding Episode | Artopia
Winter Horse Raiding Episode | Artopia

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Moses Old Bull A Closer Look A shape is a two-dimensional representation of an object showing its width and length. The outline of a figure is called a skeletal shape. Geometric shapes use straight...
Wild West | Artopia
Wild West | Artopia

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Emil Armin A Closer Look Emil Armin produces a sense of depth in Wild West by changing the values of his colors. One way to change the value of a color is to mix in its complement, its opposite on the...
The Large Blue Horses | Artopia
The Large Blue Horses | Artopia

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Franz Marc A Closer Look In The Large Blue Horses, Franz Marc uses rich, bright colors and curvy lines. The curves of the horses are repeated in the hills in the background. Notice how the horses take...
The Life of John Brown, No. 11 | Artopia
The Life of John Brown, No. 11 | Artopia

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Jacob Lawrence A Closer Look Sometimes artists tell stories without words, as Jacob Lawrence has done in The Life of John Brown, No. 11 – John Brown Took to Guerrilla Warfare. This painting is part of...
The Piebald Horse | Artopia
The Piebald Horse | Artopia

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Paulus Potter A Closer Look Paulus Potter has chosen a handsome spotted horse as central to this painting. What visual devices does he use to bring attention to the horse? Look at the various textures...
Painting No. 4 (A Black Horse) | Artopia
Painting No. 4 (A Black Horse) | Artopia

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Marsden Hartley A Closer Look Marsden Hartley paints with contrasting colors in Painting No. 4 (A Black Horse), using warm colors (reds, yellows and oranges) and cool colors (blues, violets and greens...