Parents are always asking me, "How did they pick that as a winning art piece? What are the judges looking for?
So let's take a look at some of these winning pieces and I can help explain what they are looking for. First, the EXECUTION of the work is high quality, none are done sloppy, but took their time to complete their art piece. A good piece takes time and is not finished usually in one setting. Next, look for DETAILS in the pieces, the spots on the snow leopard, the tentacles on the octopus, or the foam and colors on the dolphin in the waves. Is there an EXPRESSION OR EMOTION that the piece conveys? I love the quizzical look on the pug's face or the stare in this wolf's gaze, or the sadness in the dove's eye. I try to tell all the students to focus on the eyes, that is where we look at a person to tell what is going on. And lastly, the BACKGROUND gives the setting. A solid background is boring and I try to show students how to blend colors to create a more interesting background. However, the octopus has a solid background, but this creates a HIGH CONTRAST with the octopus. Value and contrast grab your attention and draw a viewer into the piece.
Well if your students are interested in any summer activities to hone their skills check out some of my art classes at WWW.Art-N-You/classes.