DON’T
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DO…
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Write an essay on the artist’s life and history…
(date of birth, favorite football team, etc. ) Anyone could do this. A few biographical details are useful but not essential.
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Make notes on why you’re looking at this artist…
What you admire, what you don’t – how this artist’s work relates to your studio work. Make your research personal to your particular project.
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Photograph loads of artworks
…and stick them into your IWB with no written analysis or other information.
…and forget to write the titles down!
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Choose one or two good artworks…
…annotate them and make copies of them to practice brush techniques, color mixing or something similar.
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Treat your IWB like an exercise book…
Don’t produce blocks of writing, underlined, with no visual consideration or interest.
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Think about your research in a visual way…
Use of color, headings and images to complement your notes. Compose the page so it looks interesting and varied.
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Write without checking the facts …
Make sure that you are accurate about dates, media used and especially the gender of your chosen artist.
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Use the correct vocabulary…
i.e. ‘tone’ is more accurate then ‘light and shadow’. Remember that at the IB level, you will be assessed on the quality of your written work! Don’t be afraid to use adjectives, especially when evaluating an artwork (giving your opinion).
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Plagiarize…
(include quotations from other writers as if they are your own words) This is always obvious to the reader.
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Include one or two relevant quotations…
Such as the artist writing about his or her ideas OR a well-known critic and always use quotations marks. Include the name of the person who you are quoting and write down where you found it.
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Writing terms and techniques…
To annotate- To make short notes explaining or clarifying a point or drawing the viewer’s attention to something of relevance (e.g. ‘the wide range of tones here adds drama and interest)
To analyze- To look closely and in detail at an artwork, noting as many points as you can about the piece. These points might cover thinks like:
o Composition (organization of shapes within the work)
o Use of color/tone
o Medium used (oil paint, photography, etc)
o Mood or emotion created
o Content/narrative (what’s happening in this artwork? Is there a story?)
o Issues covered (i.e. political, social, religious issues)
To compare and contrast- To analyze two or more artworks at once, focusing on the similarities and differences between them. This is often easier than analyzing a single artwork.
To evaluate- To make personal judgment about the artwork and to give your reason i.e. Do you like the artwork? Why? What is good about it? What is not so good? The reason for this will, of course, come from your analysis.
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