How to depict for painting

You probably think describing art is effortless. Just say some adjectives, explain the colors and composition, and you’re done. Well, it might be enough for art classes. Yet, in real life, we want you to be more prepared. Here is one of our favorite examples of describing a painting. In the Theory of Everything movie, Eddie Redmayne, a.k.a. Stephen Hawking, says that Turner’s paintings usually look like they’ve been left out in the rain. It is not the description we used to hear, but it is still valid.

How to describe a painting in English?

Working with students, I’ve realised many of them struggle with tasks connected with art. They are often reluctant to approach the subject because they don’t know much about the history of art, or they feel they lack relevant vocabulary. As they tell me, they wouldn’t know how to describe a painting even if they had to do it in their mother tongue!

As a language teacher, though, I love designing lessons based on art. Paintings, in particular, can be used to teach or revise all kinds of vocabulary and various grammar points. In this article I’ll give a few pointers on how you can use paintings to practise your English; and vice versa, how you can utilise your English to talk about paintings. I’m hoping this will be useful to learners and ESL/EFL teachers alike.

I’ll be using a painting by one of my favourites, John Atkinson Grimshaw. I happen to be writing this post on Autumn Equinox, and I can’t think of a better painter to capture the mood of the season. If you’ve never heard of him, all the better: there’s going to be a little research task for you at the end of this blog post.

To make things as easy as possible, I’ve broken up this subject in several steps. While Steps 1 and 2 can be done by both elementary and more advanced students (to various extents), Step 3 is intended for students who are intermediate and above.

Step 1: Talk about subjective feelings and impressions

Regardless of whether you are a student or a language teacher, you don’t need to be an art expert in order to talk about art; don’t let the lack of previous knowledge discourage you. You can always start with talking about something you do know quite a bit about, namely your feelings and emotions.

Here’s one of Grimshaw’s paintings, “Under the Silvery Moonbeams”:

In a formal lesson, this could be done as a speaking or writing practice. If you’re presented with such a task, simply ask yourself:

• what mood or emotion does this painting convey?
• does it speak to me in any way, or does it leave me completely indifferent?
• is there anything in particular you like or dislike about it?

Here you can use a variety of adjectives describing feelings and emotions , such as any of these:

POSITIVE: happy, excited, joyous, optimistic, calm, serene

NEGATIVE: angry, gloomy, nervous, moody, sad, cold

NEUTRAL / CONTEXT-SPECIFIC: nostalgic, sentimental, wistful, longing

There are many, many other adjectives you can use; look them up in a dictionary. A handy grammar structure you can use with them is the causative make , here in the Present Simple tense:

x makes me feel y (x = who/what causes the emotion, y = adjective)

e.g. This painting makes me feel sad. Then add a simple explanation as to why that is: This painting makes me feel sad, because it’s very dark and gloomy. Or, you could be more positive, and say something like The painting makes me feel so calm and serene, because of the lovely moonlight.

(Teachers can use this to reinforce the difference between because and because of .)

Step 2. Describe the painting itself

Now we step away from you, the observer, and move onto the object – the painting. No previous knowledge of art required, either. Simply describe the image you see, which can be a speaking or writing task (or both).

• describe the composition / layout

Use this to practice prepositions of place, possibly in combination with the there is / there are structure: There’s a young woman on the left side of the road, under a bare tree. There are two large houses on the right.

You can add some Present Participles here, as well (the -ing form): There’s a woman standing under a bare tree and waiting for someone. There’s the Moon glowing in the midnight sky. There are no birds sitting in the trees.

Commenting on the composition, identify and describe who/what is in the centre, in the background and the foreground of the painting. What can you see in the distance?

• comment on colours and shades

Colours, shades and the use of light are, obviously, crucial in visual arts. Which colours can you identify in this painting? Are their shades predominantly dark or light? Would you say the colours here are bold or soft and delicate? What kind of atmosphere do they create? Do you like it? If not, what colours would you use?

• describe the scene

A useful thing to remember is that we normally use Present Continuous to describe any actions seen in an image. If you feel particularly creative, you might want to write a short story based on this painting. Who do you think is the person in this painting? Where is she going in the middle of the night? Does she live in one of the large houses on the right, or is she perhaps a servant there? Does it look like she’s walking away, or perhaps waiting for someone? Who could that be?

Since we have no idea who she is or what she’s doing out there on that road, we can also use various forms to indicate that we’re simply guessing. A good way to do that is by using modal verbs : The girl might be a servant. She may be running away. She could be waiting for someone.

You could set your story in the past and practice the use of narrative tenses . Again, this can be easily adapted to a class setting with students first discussing their ideas in small groups or pairs. But you can also work on it individually, letting your imagination run wild!

Teachers reading this are sure to think of many other grammar points they could practice with their students, these above were merely suggestions.

Step 3: Historical and cultural background

So, you’re not well versed in art, your teacher may not be, either. That’s a fantastic learning opportunity for all! You may do a bit of reading on a painter or a particular painting you’re interested in, or watch a YouTube video on the subject and use that as a listening practice. Both can then be used as a preparation for a writing assignment. Anything you write can serve as material for a presentation – a speaking task. All four language skills put to use! Obviously, this step would be appropriate for students who are at least at an intermediate level, as it does require a greater range of vocabulary.

• find out some basic information about the painter (dates of birth and death; key life events)

• learn something about their style and any distinctive features

• what historical period did he/she belong to; did they belong to a wider art movement; how did that reflect on their artwork?
• were they very popular during their lifetime, or completely marginal and almost forgotten?

If you’re an advanced student, and you have a proper, formal essay to write (or a presentation to give) on this topic, you should do these steps in reverse order:

1. give the general introduction to the painter and his/her background
2. narrow down to the factual description of a particular piece of art
3. end with comments on your subjective feelings and personal impressions / opinion

Prior to each step, do some brainstorming and think of the relevant vocabulary you will need for the task.

Much more could be said about each of these steps and points within them, but if you’ve never done any writing or speaking on the subject, this should be more than enough to give you some basic ideas and get you started.

If you decide to do some research on John Atkinson Grimshaw and write an essay on him or any of his paintings – even if it’s just a simple paragraph, feel free to email me your final version and I’ll write you back with any corrections and suggestions as to how you might improve it. Just hit the Contact button at the top of this page, or write to me at grammaticus.blog [at] gmail.com. You can also post a comment below if you have any questions about this at all.

I’d love to read your work and help any way I can!

P. S. You can see more of Grimshaw’s paintings on the Grammaticus Pinterest board dedicated to him.

How to Describe a Painting (in English)

Дорогой друг! Эта статья рассказывает о том, как описать картину на английском языке, а вот где можно научиться описывать картинку или фотографию.!

Describe a painting according to the plan:

1. the subject of a painting (what is depicted in it)
2. the composition (how space is arranged) and the colours
3. the details
4. the impression made by the picture

USE THE TOPICAL VOCABULARY:

1. To begin with, you should say that the painting belongs to a particular genre. It can be

• the portrait
• the landscape (seascape, townscape)
• the still life
• the genre scene
• the historical/ mythological painting

To begin with, this painting is a portrait which belongs to the brush of (…. the name of the painter)

1.1. If you remember some information about the painter, say it then.

This artist lived in the ……century and worked in the style known as Classicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, Expressionism, Abstract Art.

1.2. Give your opinion about the painting. Use adjectives:

• lifelike = true to life
• dreamlike = work of imagination
• confusing
• colourful
• romantic
• lyrical
• powerful
• outstanding
• heart-breaking
• impressive

To my mind, it is a … picture, which shows (….say what you see)

2. Mention the colours and the composition

2.1. Colours can be:

• warm/ cold colours
• bold colours
• oppressive colours
• bright colours
• deep colours
• light colours
• soft and delicate colours

The picture is painted in …… colours. These colours contrast very well.
The dominating colours are ….
The colours contrast with each other.

2.2. Mention the composition/ the space:

The space of the picture is symmetrically/ asymmetrically divided.

2.3. Try to describe what you can see in general

• In the centre/middle of the painting we can see a ….
• In the foreground there is a….
• In the background there are….
• In the far distance we can make out the outline of a…
• On the left/ right stands/ sits…

Use we can use the following structures in turn:
there is/there are/ there stands/ sits/ lies/
Use participle clauses :
a woman wearing a white dress
a man dressed as a monk

3. Give some details

• At first glance, it looks strange/ confusing/ depressing/ …
• But if you look closely, you can see…
• It looks like ….
• The artists managed to capture the sitter’s impression/ the atmosphere of a…../ the mood of the moment, etc.

3.1. Make guesses about the situation:

They might be talking about…
She may have just woken up…
It looks as if …

4. In the end, give your impression. Use the words and phrases:

• Well, I feel that I am unable to put into words what I feel looking at the painting.
• To my mind, it is a masterpiece that could stand the test of time.
• Well, it seems to me that I couldn’t put into words the impression made on me by this painting.
• I feel extremely impressed by this painting.
• It is brilliant, amazing. It is a real masterpiece by (….. the painter).

The Task

Describe the painting by Josepf Turner and send it to [email protected].

The best descriptions will be published on the website. Good luck!

Why is it important to learn how to describe a piece of art?

You might think that describing a painting can be useful only at the museum or in your art class. But we can show you that it is not entirely true. This simple process can bring you more benefits than you can imagine. Here are only a few of them:

• Improving your speaking and writing skills. Of course, since we are here to study English, the first benefit is connected to our learning process. When you learn words to describe the painting, you expand your vocabulary, understand how to build sentences, and use them in your speech and writing.
• Learning to understand yourself. Yes, you’ve read it correctly. As we mentioned earlier, one of the best ways to describe art is to start with your feelings. And when you realize what you feel regarding some painting, you will learn how to listen to yourself in other situations.
• Imagination development. You probably remember that in step four of describing a painting, we offered to define a scene using your imagination – guess what is going on, and create your version of events. It will help you develop your fantasy and imagination and become even more creative.
• Increasing knowledge. You already know that to describe a piece of art better, you need to find some information about the artist and the historical background of the painting. It will help you to increase your knowledge of various topics, so you will always be an interesting person to communicate with.

Only these four benefits can show you how much profit you have from learning how to describe art. You can use them to discuss paintings, even in your native language. And if you want to master this topic in English, we know precisely how to help you reach this goal.

Learning the best words to describe a painting with Promova

If you are an avid reader of our blog, you probably know our main motto – studying doesn’t have to be boring. And if you still think that describing art in English is tedious, we are ready to prove you wrong. The Promova English studying platform is the best place to learn all the steps mentioned above, but make it easy and fun. There are a few studying options depending on students’ needs. And we will tell you about each one of them.

Let’s start with those who seek help from professional tutors. If it’s you, we have a perfect solution. Promova offers amazing one-on-one lessons with professional teachers. They will prepare a unique plan according to your experience level, studying goals, and interests. As a result, you will start learning only the information pertinent to you and bypass all the useless details.

You can join our friendly and exciting group classes if you need company. It is an outstanding opportunity for those who want to practice speaking. Depending on your English proficiency, you can join any group of six students and begin having fun right away. You can talk to people worldwide, discuss interesting topics, and strengthen your language skills.

Another great option is suitable for those who don’t want to study general information but want to practice speaking and discuss various topics more. Yes, we are talking about our wonderful speaking club. Here, you can discuss art, books, movies, and other amazing topics with students from various countries. And the best thing is that it is free! Go to the Promova website, choose the subject you want to discuss, and book your place. Just as simple as that!

Finally, we have something great for those who prefer to study independently. The Promova app is perfect if you want to practice English alone, anywhere, and anytime. Install the application on your phone or laptop, and enjoy hundreds of lessons and exercises on grammar, vocabulary, speaking, pronunciation, listening, etc. The application is also free, so you can enjoy it immediately. Don’t hesitate, and check one of those opportunities to find the one that suits you best.

Conclusion

All in all, discussing a particular piece of art might be more tricky than you thought. But with minimal preparation, you can become a personal guide for your friends on your next visit to the gallery. All you need to do is to remember some basic steps for describing a painting.

1. Find out more about the art and the artist. Scroll through the Internet and visit famous websites like the National Gallery of Art to find information about the chosen painting. Describe the background history of the author and the painting.
2. Describe your own feelings about the piece of art – what emotions does it evoke?
3. Discuss the composition of the painting – what you can see in the foreground, in the background, etc.
4. The next step is to mention the colors of the painting – what are they?
5. Finally, you can tell the story of the scene. If you’ve done the research mentioned in the first step, you can skip it since you’ve already discussed it. But if you don’t know what is going on, just turn on your imagination and try to guess.

These five steps are the general plan for describing a picture in English. You can use them for discussing art in your mother tongue as well. And if you need some practice, please describe your favorite painting in our comments section. We will be happy to learn more about the art you like.