Section A

[cathtacular]

the first question is going to be about comparing unseen artworks in terms of art elements, i just did a practice one, its suggested you spend 10 minutes on this question however i would have been lucky to spend 5. if anyone else wants to post practice ones here ill be happy to read them.

images are attached..

Colour

Artwork A uses bright, vivid colours while artwork B uses less intense and more flat colour. Both artworks have emphasis on the colour yellow. Artwork B uses the application of colour in the artwork to create a three dimensional image. Artwork A uses colour in a flat two-dimensional way. Both artists have used colour in an abstract way. Artwork A uses contrasting colours while artwork B uses complimentary colours. The colours used in artwork A create a gloomy sensation while the colours in artwork B create a joyous mood.

[cathtacular]

second part

Shape/ form

In artwork A the cow dominates all other shapes in the composition. The shapes in both artworks are abstract in formation. Both artworks are made up purely of organic shapes. The positioning of the shape of the cow in artwork A is suggestive of the movement of the cow, while the shapes in artwork B create a sense of stillness.

[bec]

Nice, they both seem really good to me!

Things you could add:

COLOUR:
A has employed a limited palette of cool colours, whereas the colours in B are warmer. The flat blue-grey in the background of A suggests depression and a feeling of blankness or loss, and contrasts sharply with the surreal brightness of the pale lemon chair. Conversely, the colours used in B are analogous and generate a sense of harmony, and the cooler tones in the background help to suggest distance and create a depth which is absent in A.

SHAPE
(note...i could be wrong but I'm pretty sure "form" is only for literal forms like sculptures and 3D works. Has anyone else learnt this?)
Although the shapes in both A and B are predominantly organic and flowing, there are some harsh edges in A that create more jagged shapes. The bird and the chair seem almost to be cut out, manufactured, and this technique is strongly divergent to the way in which the shape of the cow in B has been created, as it appears almost fluid. Additionally, despite the blurred edges of the man's head in A, it is clearly composed of geometric shapes, like the other elements in the composition, and the prevalent shapes in this work are rectangles and ellipses. B also employs some geometric shapes, such as the triangle-like mountains, but the work is predominantly composed of more free-flowing, irregular shapes.
There is oblique repetition of the shape of the shapes in A - the chair seems to be echoed in the form of the man's hat. Similarly, balance is created in the composition of B through the shape of the udder which is reflected in the flowing blades of grass on the left of the work.

[cathtacular]

thats really good, your very good at linking the elements to the other elements and principals, try and be a little concise (with shape) in the exam im pretty sure only 9 lines are allocated to each element or principal/
shape is in terms on 2d works and form is in terms of 3d (sculptures and things like you said) which was why i talked about shape... you got a and b mixed up lol sorry it was the way i posted them, artwork a is the cow...

[bec]

Yeah haha that's something I have to work on, I always write too much. We'll see what happens tomorrow!

Also, did you get A and B mixed up too, or do we just have really different interpretations? You said that A used colour in a flat, 2D way...were you talking about the cow? Because I see "my" A (the chair) as being flat, and the cow as being 3D and tonal. Interesting!

[cathtacular]

nah i was talking about the chair too in mine, a was the cow b was the chair

[bec]

haha yeah I just realised that what I said didn't make any sense.

Anyway, here's my analysis of a couple of the works from last year:

A- In the Car:
http://catalogue.magnoliasoft.net/i/popartports/supersize/42.jpg

B - The Swing:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/e/eb/20080521150140!Fragonard,_The_Swing.jpg


TONE:
Artwork B uses tonal graduation to convey a sense of depth and realism to the work, particularly in the girl's dress, where the dark tones indicate folds and depict the flow of the fabric through the air. Conversely, A uses only flat colour. However, there is distinct tonal variation in the work and the high key yellow of the woman's hair and scarf constitutes a focal point because it contrasts so strongly with the mid-tones of their faces and the background. The focal point is similarly constructed in the composition of B where the girl is painted in considerably lighter tones than the rest of the painting.

MOVEMENT:
A sense of movement is created in A through the strong horizontal lines that allude to speed in the style of a cartoon. B, however, relies more on its subject matter to depict movement, such as the shoe flying through the air and the position of the girl at the top of the swing's path, about to go back down. High-key tones in A, the colour red and strong saturation of colour contribute to the sense of forward speed, but the duller colours in B make the background appear still, and create a dichotomy between the tranquility of the environment and the swinging movement of the girl.


...too long again. What would you add/take out?

[cathtacular]

complete absense of tone in artwork a

not to long either aim for around 9 lines in the exam

[Aurelie.]

these were my answers for Section A last year:

TEXTURE
In artwork A, the illusion of simulated texture is near absent, as the artist opted to paint the work in flat, solid blocks of acryllic colour, mirroring hte 'pop art' style. The patterns of yellow and black on the woman's jacket suggests a fur coat, but no tonal modelling or brushstrokes make it appear 'real'. Alternatively, tone and brushstroke creates the bases of simulated texture in artwork B. Hurried, delicate brushstrokes emulate the true appearance of the leaves of trees and grass, whilst light & shade and tonal difference emphasize the implied silken texture of her dress.

TONE
Black and white horizontal lines are the primary indicator of movement in artwork A. They emphasize the speed of the car moving forward; remnants of the environment it 'sliced' through. The subjects' faces too are relatively tense, perhaps at the apprehension and exhilaration of driving at such a speed. The colour red too often suggests speed in relation to vehicles. In contrast, the position of the lady in B illuminates her movemnt on the swing. Her upward extensions and lifted position, along with the curved ropes, trace her movement through the air. This is further emphasized by her billowing dress.

they're a bit dodgy, as they were the first practice ones I did, but oh well!
(I fit them into the lines, too... except texture had 3 words below it!)