Art Essay Writing Guide
- Topics: Art
- Pages: 3
- Words: 637
- Date added: June 1, 2020
Your art instructor has assigned one of several types of art essays for you to write. You are probably thinking, “If I had wanted to write I would have been English major!”, “What is art essay and why should I have to write one?” Almost every major under the sun has at least one big essay to write.
What Style Should You Write?
There are several different ways of writing an art essay. They are:
- Art history in a certain era. In this type of essay, you would summarize and expound on the development of art that took place within a specific time frame, for example the Victorian Era.
- Art history behind a certain piece of art work. In this type of essay your teacher would expect some history behind the artist of a particular piece of art, why it was created, any interesting stories surrounding the creation, impact it made, etc.
- Your educated opinion as to what a piece of artwork means. You would explain the emotions the artwork invokes and why, lay the foundation of what medium it was created from and why effect that has, and what the artist meant by the artwork.
Looking For Some Great Topic Ideas?
Winning art essays require winning art essay topics. Generally it’s not good to choose a topic that has been done a million times before. How about a modern art essay or a renaissance art essay? Here are a few more great ideas:
- Compare and contrast art essay: Contrast and compare two Dutch artists – Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt Van Rijn
- Investigate the life of French artist Henry Rousseau
- Describe the technique and media of American artist Mary Cassatt
- Write a review of an artist’s exhibition in your local museum
- What is Rococo art: where did it originate and expound on the meanings
- Where would the world be without the art of Italian sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti?
- What are the similarities in style of French painters Monet and Renoir?
- How does the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch make use of space?
How To Start Writing Once You Have a Topic
The best way to start writing any essay is to just get started somewhere. Once you get that initial momentum going, it is easier to carry on writing. A good place to start is with the research. This will give you the foundation you need to build your essay on. You can also browse through some art essay examples for more ideas. Here is a simple step by step guide:
- Conduct your research. This may involve a visit to a library or art exhibit, online resources, and whatever else you think may benefit your essay.
- Write down your rough notes. As you read and look at art, write down your thoughts and ideas. These make a good starting place for your essay.
- Organize your materials. Now that you have a pile of notes, organize them into similar topics to form your subheadings.
- Write the body of the essay. In this step you will be filling in all the blanks.
- Make sure the paragraphs flow smoothly from one to another. If your essay has an emphasis on certain points, make sure they are well substantiated.
- Write the summary and opening paragraph. Writing the opening paragraph after the essay is finished is a secret of many good writers.