Writer Choice

41411In your textbook readings for the week, the author identified and described two different paintings of the same subject (a Crucifixion scene) to show how the artist’s visual choices (color, lighting, line, composition) affect the “expressive content” of each. Your assignment will be to select TWO very different versions of a subject of interest to you to determine how the artist has used visual forms to achieve radically different results.

Conduct a search using a search engine (e.g., Google) on a subject of interest to you. For example, you might enter “portrait painting woman.” Other subjects include: landscape, animals (or a kind of animal), motherhood, love and romance, world leaders, etc. The more different the images are, the better! Locate two different images of the same subject. They can be in different media (painting, photography, drawing, sculpture). For each image, note the artist’s name, if given, the title, date, and materials used. Copy the links where you found the images.
Enter this information in a document (include the images if possible) and write a short essay (about 350 words) in which you address following questions:
How would you describe the “expressive content” of each work? In other words, what do you think is the meaning, message, or feeling that the artist is trying to convey in each image? This can be subjective; your opinion may not be the same as someone else’s.
How do the artist’s visual choices (use of color, light, line, scale, or composition) help to convey that message? Try to use some of the concepts used in your readings and in the video, The Skill of Describing, to help you describe your images and cite your book if necessary. Don’t worry if you’re struggling with these concepts. Just do your best.