Visual Art Exam Revision

VISUAL ART

EXAM REVISION

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VISUAL ART EXAM REVISION

This presentation is designed to assist you in revising for your visual art exam. It contains a lot of information, but it just summarises what we have already learnt in class, so don't be overwhelmed. This is designed to help you remember what we have learnt, to help you recall and study for the exam. There will be a range of different questions on these topics:

The following types of questions will be included on your exam:

• simple description or explanation.
• paragraph response.
• response to stimulus (such as a drawing task or an artwork analysis).

• Identifying art elements and principles
• The motif in art
• Watercolour painting techniques
• Drawing and collage techniques
• Art analysis - Yayoi Kusama
• Art analysis - Steve Cox

The exam will contain a variety of these types of questions.

TOPICS MENU

art elements & Principles

Artist: Steve cox

materials & techniques

artist: Yayoi Kusama

the motif in art

Art elements & principles

Elements of Art

Principles of Art/Design

Click on the image to expand to full screen

Video: Elements of art stop motion (visual only)

Video: Elements and principles of art explained (audio and visual)

materials and techniques

VOCABULARY Material Technique Tools and equipment

Simple collage techniques

Watercolour painting techniques

Visual art vocabulary and terminology

• Material: the physical materials used to create artworks. (examples: paint, pencil, paper, glue etc.)

• Technique: how you apply the material. (examples: salt technique for watercolour paint, collage for paper, activating the paint for watercolour painting).
• Tools or equipment: the physical objects used to create the techniqe or maniplate the material. (examples: etching tool for the scgraffito technique, paintbrush for watercolour painting. )

Watercolour techniques: writing example

Salt technique

Materials: Watercolour, Rock salt or table salt Process: apply watercolour paint onto the paper, make sure it is wet (but not too wet!), and sprinkle salt onto the paint. Observations: (Extended) the salt dissolves into the paint and also absorbs the paint, it leaves salt crystal residue on the paper and pale marks where it has been absorbed creating a crystal-like pattern. (simplified) the salt creates a pattern with spots, making lighter and darker marks.

The motif in art

THE MOTIF IN ART

Motif definition

MOTIF 1. An image, especially a repeated one. 2. a dominant or recurring idea in an artwork.

WHAT IS A MOTIF IN ART?

A motif is an image or idea that is used by artists repeatedly in their work. It can be something the artist has experienced or something they are interested in. A motif can be descriptive/realistic - like Steve Cox's shoes) or abstract/representative - like Yayoi Kusama's dots).

HOW IS A MOTIF USED?

A motif can be used as a single image across time and in individual artworks, or a motif can be used repeatedly in a single artwork.

VOCABULARY Motif Representative Realistic

Artist: Steve cox

Artist profile STEVE COX

Motifs are used in Steve's artwork in two ways:

• In the repeated use of the shoe as a motif, across time and many different artworks.
• In the repeated use of a shoe, multiple times on a page, such as in his drawing sketches.

What significance do shoes have in your work? Why do you use them repeatedly as a motif?" I think it stems from being an incredibly shy, inward child and adolescent. I had a natural instinct to look down when people talked to me, rather than at their faces. So, I always had a close inspection of their shoes. This meant that people's personalities were somehow embodied by their footwear. Even today, I think you can tell a great deal about people by their shoes"

Artist Steve Cox talking about the repeated use of shoes in his artworks (personal communication).

VOCABULARY Motif Embody / embodied Significance

Artist: yayoi kusama

Artist profile YAYOI KUSAMA

Motifs are used in Yayoi's artwork in two ways:

• In the repeated use of the dot as a motif, across time and many different artworks.
• In the repeated use of a dot, multiple times in one artwork.

The artist Yayoi Kusama has been using a 'dot' as one of her motifs for decades.The dot has personal meaning for Yayoi, which makes it more than just a simple shape.

The 'dot' is one of Yayoi's motifs

VOCABULARY Motif Embody / embodied Significance

ARTWORK ANALYSIS

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HOW TO ANALYSE AN ARTWORK

WHAT IS ARTWORK ANALYSIS?

LOOK CLOSELY AND IDENTIFY:

• MATERIALS and TECHNIQUES.

• ART ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES

• MOTIF/s , or IDEAS

Artwork analysis is used to identify and discuss:

• concepts (ideas)and influences
• art elements and principles the artist has used
• materials
• techniques
• connection to other artworks, artists and art movements in history

Analysing the concepts (ideas) is a little more complex. Interpreting the artwork can be factual (from artist interviews etc.), or subjective. In the exam, we will just be looking at concepts (ideas) in the context of 'motif' ( e.g. What is the artist's motif? What are the idea's in this motif?) I might also ask you what YOUR interpretation of the artwork is, or why you think the artist used this motif. This is subjective so there are no 'wrong' answers.

An example of how to analyse an artwork:

• Materials
• Techniques
• Art elements

Read

Art analysis practice:

• What motifs has Yayoi used in this work?
• When thinking about the definition of a motif, how has Yayoi used the eye in this work?
• What art elements can you identify in this work?
• What art principles can you identify in this work?

Yayoi Kusama, I Want to Live Honestly, Like the Eye in the Picture, 2009. Acrylic on canvas, 51 5/16 × 63 3/4 in. (130.3 × 162 cm). Collection of the artist. © Yayoi Kusama. Image courtesy Yayoi Kusama Studio Inc.; Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo; Victoria Miro Gallery, London

Multiple choice quiz practiceVisual Art

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Which one of these is an art element?

Cats

Line

Paper

Yeah!

Next question

Which one of these is an art/design principle?

Colour

Collage

Balance

Yeah!

Next question

In her work, what is one of Yayoi Kusama's motifs?

A single dot

Herself

Many dots

Yeah!

Next question

Identify the watercolour technique used in this image.

Dry brush

Scgraffito

Watercolour

Yeah!

Next question

Identify this art element

Line

Colour

Drawing

Yeah!

Next question

Identify a technique that the artist Steve Cox uses to create his shoe motif

Pencil

Shoes

Drawing

Yeah!

Next question

Oh no!

Try again

Results

0-4 Correct

5-7 Correct

8-10 Correct

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ARTWORK ANALYSIS PRACTICE

1. Identify Yayoi's motif in this artwork (there may be more than one). 2. Identify 3 art elements used in this artwork. 3. What materials do you think Yayoi has used to create this artwork? 4. What do you think this artwork is about? (subjective- your opinion, no 'wrong' answer)

Good luck with your exam! You are all working really well in class - you got this - slay! Revise this content to make you more confident about the subject matter we have learnt together. You can talk to me about anything we have learnt if you need assistance or clarification and we can go over it together.

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