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Need help analyzing a painting.

Tips on analyzing photographs/paintings?I'm trying to analyze a painting I did for class and need some help?

  • I have this one class called studio art and for one of our projects (self representation) we had various works, one of them including painting. I had 3 paintings and one of them went on to a larger scale. In another class (cultural studies) the teacher asked us to write an analysis of our selected work. (The one that was done on larger format) So here is the painting (My nails) http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/8818/nailsct2.jpg How do I analyze that? I have no clue what to do. We had some analysis work in class but usually stuff like advertisements that were easy like a woman for perfume and then about the way she is dressed and posing, but these are my nails and I have no clue what he wants me to write. (1 page)

  • Answer:

    Try and look at your picture in a new light. Leave your assignment for a week or so and then look at your painting again. Squint, see what sort of images it conjures up. When I look at it I see something being reborn. You could say something like that these nails, although they were unwanted by you, and cut off, that they represent something in their own right. Even though you're losing a piece of yourself, those nails still exist. You could compare it to someone dying. Although they're gone, and at face-value not a part of the world any more, the things they've done during their lifetime, their possessions, the little marks they've left behind from when they're alive still exist and help to preserve the character of that person. These little things they leave behind are truly unique, just like not one two people's finger nails are the same. You may find this link interesting as it gives you a step-by-step guide on how to analyse a a painting. If you follow the steps you should have a comprehensive analysis about a page long! http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:8x1DxoHm9KwJ:arts.unitec.ac.nz/documents/ah6analyse.doc+how+to+analyse+a+painting&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2 Good luck!

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Analyzing art is the same as making stuff up, just make up some crap-o, and boom! You've got an analysis...Like the colors represent nature, and nature represents freedom, and freedom is cut away like shards of fingernail, and fingernails are obviously the "fallen heart" of the artist who is trying to say that hope is something that piles up...only to be tossed away.

Beth S

Upon first glance it appears your nails are caught dancing. Perhaps you could use that as a start, or maybe the nails represent you losing a piece of yourself. Perhaps it's losing yourself in dance?

Pete/r D.

Are you trying to analyze the content or the design of the painting? So far the answers on content are right--well all except the cynical fool at the top of the page. No, any sort of crap is not acceptable. If you have to analyze the design, you need to talk about the focus of the painting, where your eye goes, how the eye follows through it and the path it takes. Why does the artist want us to see it this way? Where are the secondary focal points? How does the choice of color reinforce or distract from what the artist is trying to achieve? Since there is no objective reality depicted, what sort of emotions does the painting evoke? What is the artist trying to say? Look at it as if you are approaching it fresh. Get some friends to give you their reactions and start there. Have fun.

David C

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