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Formal analysis is visual analysis. A formal analysis statement takes stock of the visual properties of a work of art, or what the eye sees. The word “formal” is not the opposite of the word “informal;” rather, it comes from the word “form,” which is another word for shape – one of the most important “formal” traits.

What is a formal analysis not? First, a formal analysis does not make use of research. You will not need to find outside materials to help you understand the historical or cultural relevance of the work of art. Second, this type of analysis does not take into account viewer response. Judgments such as “it makes me feel…,” or “I like/dislike the object because…,” although an important component of the total experience of art, are not part of the assignment. Last, a formal analysis is not an interpretive essay. It is not the place to read the artwork for intended or unintended meaning, or to explore what the artist was thinking when he or she created the piece.

1. Choose your topics from the following list:

• medium (painting, sculpture, drawing, weaving, photography, mixed-media, etc.)
• color (red, blue, green, etc.; primary/secondary/ tertiary colors; neutral colors; earth tones; dark colors; light colors; bright colors; dull colors, etc.)
• shape (square, circle, rectangle, organic or natural-looking shapes, angular shapes, etc.)
• volumes (sphere, ovoid, pyramid, cylinder, etc.)
• composition (how forms and shapes work together to create a whole)
• materials used (paint, paper, canvas, stone, papier mache, wood, ink, etc.)
• iconography, or what is portrayed (sailboats, trees, people, abstract shapes, etc.)
• depth, if any, and method of creating depth (overlapping shapes, orthogonals pointing back into space, brighter colors in the foreground and paler colors in the distance, etc.)
• light source (sun, lamp, candle, fireplace, no light source, etc.)
• light direction (from left, right, top, bottom, or from outside the work of art)
• texture (actual or the illusion of texture; rough smooth, silky, soft, bumpy, grainy, sinewy, etc.)
• lines (implied, contour, curving, angular, thick, thin, flowing, jagged, disconnected, wavy, dotted, etc.)
• gestalt effects (how our brain connects areas to create overall shapes or lines)
• repetition (motifs, forms, shapes, or iconographical elements, that appear three or more times)
• overall shape and size of the entire piece

2. Make observations about the piece you want to analyze and choose three topics. For example, you might choose 1) color, 2) line, and 3) shape. Or, you may choose three aspects of one topic such as texture: 1) smooth texture, 2) bumpy texture, and 3) scratchy texture. You may also choose to write about two aspects of one topic—for example, color: 1) warm colors, 2) cool colors, and a third completely separate topic such as 3) iconography. In all cases you will have three topics.

3. Use five-paragraph essay format to write your statement. The first paragraph will be an introduction with a thesis statement positioned as the last sentence of the paragraph. The second through fourth paragraphs should begin with a transition sentence and should discuss, in the order mentioned in your thesis, the three topics you indicate. The fifth paragraph will be the conclusion. Underline the thesis statement and the three transition sentences before submitting your statement. If done correctly, the thesis and transitions, when strung together, will function as a grammatically correct paragraph of its own. Use this method to test your paper before submitting it.

4. If you use any information from the walltext or gallery book about the artist or the work of art in the introduction to your essay (nowhere else is appropriate), be sure to credit the source in parentheses. For ex. (artist’s statement, gallery book) or (walltext). Remember that outside information should not be a part of the thesis statement or body of your essay. You are only to discuss what you see.

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