Studio Arts Exam Feedback

Looking at the questions and reading them carefully Question One Analyse- to examine critically and break down into small parts- to help to understand the essential elements/bits/parts that make up the whole. Step One- Look closely- describe exactly what you see….

Turner- Sun set

What do you see?- Example An oil painting on canvas A small yellow sun which is setting over water in an indistinct (blurry) landscape. If the painting were divided into nine parts, the sun would be near the top right corner of the square in the bottom left corner of the painting. The sky takes up the top two thirds of the painting.

Content- Example This painting is more about elements, materials and style than content……. Whilst it is clearly a landscape (subject)… It is hard to see anything specific in the landscape (content)…. Except colour, value/tone and texture

Studio Arts Exam Question One Continued Step Two- Look at filters to see what you’re looking for… the ways in which the artist has created mood and a distinctive style So….. Choose an artist that you know about and then answer the questions below…. What is the artists style? Describe it. Are they part of a movement… what were the ideas of that movement and how did the artist use those ideas?

Style- Example Turner was a Romantic painter. Romantic artists rebelled against technology and industrialisation and wanted to return to a simpler time that was more emotional and natural, and less logical Turner in particular believed in nature’s superiority over human ingenuity and he used light as a metaphor for the power of God

Style/distinctiveness- example Turner tried to paint the world in the way that he wanted the world to be– wild, free, passionate and churning with Gods abundant light and raw, emotional man’s dazzling colour There is not a lot of detail in this image, although you can see more in other works of his. His works often feature signs of modernity and tragic human figures- they are not present in this work and the feel of the work is less tragic.

Distinctiveness How is the artists work distinct (different) from other artists work?- *you could compare your artist to another artist from their movement here…. Example Turner and Constable… *or cross movements… romantic compared to impressionist landscape…. How do they interpret their subject matter?

Distinctiveness- Example Turner was different from other Romantic painters such as Constable and Frederich. His work was less precise and detailed He was more concerned with creating mood and movement thru his brushwork and use colour, texture and tone His work feels more raw, intense and the surface seems to ruptured, churning and moving- it feels more like a Van Gogh painting although his paint is not nearly as thickly applied (as Van Goghs)

Interpretation of subject matter- (distinctive) example Turners has a distinct way of painting and range of colours that he uses in all of his work. His landscapes generally involve light, weather and water, and often include symbols of travel and technology. Turner seems be able to depict (make picture of) the weather and its effect on the landscape, he has a way transmitting visually what we would normally feel through our skin.

Question one continued Create mood….. What is the mood of the work- how does it make you feel?……. How do they achieve this?... *Look at how they use formal elements or signs or symbols or images--- don’t try to do all of these

The mood…. The mood of that the artist is trying to convey is…. Deep, reflective, intense but calm, contemplative. It is relaxing but also absorbing….. And he achieves this thru his use of….

Formal elements Colour Line Texture/Surface Value Space Shape/Form

Example- Turner Main Elements Colour Value Texture

BE REALLY SPECIFIC Identify- list the Colours Yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, grey, peach, green, light brown Categorise-what type of colours are they? Warm colours, red, orange, peach, purple, pink, brown and warm green- intense and compelling Cool colours (blue and grey)- calming and cool (emotionally)

Colour continued How do they relate to each other? And what do they do? The warm colours are harmonious (analogous) and they dominate the composition, because the eye is attracted to warm colours. The cool colours are subtle, with little saturation and they are used sparingly. The warm colours are intense but the creamy colour gives the viewer a visual resting place and then the blues calm the eye, as they seem to seep thru the creamy muddy sky and, in the water, thru the reflected sky

Colour continued Locate- where are the colours?- you can draw diagrams- this painting has a diagonal division Most of the intense, warm colours are below the line and the lighter, cooler colours are above the line. But there is a little of each in the others section which creates a visual loop which looks a lot like a wind map

Visual loop

Colour thru Texture and value Turner builds up the tension in his colour by varying the value and saturation from very subtle areas in the sky to the dense and intensely layered areas around the sun. – an effect that is like turning up the volume on a track from He does this thru layering up thin glazes/washes/layers of paint and scumbling. His brushstrokes emulate the movement of the wind weather.

Summary-example Whilst this is definitely a landscape, Turner reminds us that the work is about mood and beauty through the lack of detail in his work. His composition has two thirds sky, and the sky is also reflected in the bottom third of the painting--- this leads our eye upwards– visually raising our view to the heavens. … and reminding us to link nature to God- a recurrent theme in his work.

All together now…. Not quite now…. Wait for it….. …..ok NOW!

The Question….. Analyse the ways in which the artist has created a mood and a distinctive style in the artwork; for example through the use of formal elements, signs, symbols and or images

The answer. Turners painting, Sun setting over a lake, he creates a mood of deep, reflective, intense but calm, contemplation. As the title suggests, he shows us a sun setting over a lake, it is relaxing image but it’s also absorbing. The work is an oil painting on canvas We see a small yellow sun which is setting over water in an indistinct (blurry) landscape. If the painting were divided into nine parts, the sun would be near the top right corner of the square in the bottom left corner of the painting. The sky takes up the top two thirds of the painting

His use of colour is evocative and seductive. The warm colours are harmonious (analogous) and they dominate the composition, because the eye is attracted to warm colours. The cool colours are subtle, with little saturation and they are used sparingly. The warm colours are intense but the creamy colour gives the viewer a visual resting place and then the blues calm the eye, as they seem to seep thru the creamy muddy sky and, in the water, thru the reflected sky