How to Do a Reaction Paper on an Artist's Painting

Art based reaction papers allow students to disclose their feelings about a specific artwork. By providing a strong thesis statement, a student can examine an artist's painting from her perspective. A response paper can assert a point of view and provide evidence to support the main idea. For a good reaction paper, a student needs to create a balance between being objective and subjective in terms of observing the artwork. Teachers can assess students' knowledge about the subject through how they express themselves through weekly reaction papers.

Things You'll Need

  • Word-processing program
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Instructions

    • 1

      State the title of the art piece and name of the artist. For a thesis statement, choose an idea or feeling that the painting invokes through its images for you, the observer.

    • 2

      Briefly explain what the artist's intentions may have been in creating the painting based on the artist's history, past work and style. Since this is a reaction paper, you can frame these intentions in terms of how you perceive them -- if you think the artist was successful or unsuccessful in illustrating these intentions.

    • 3

      Write about what makes the painting different from others from an artistic point of view as well as an emotional point of view.

    • 4

      Review what the painting may symbolize in society. Discuss the impact on society that the painting may have caused with its message.

    • 5

      Compare the painting to other paintings in the collection by the artist that are similar in their approach, artwork or interpretation.

    • 6

      Conclude with how this work of art has continued to move art in the same direction with its emotion and style or how it has paved a new path in terms of innovation, skill and creativity.

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