How do you appreciate a painting?

Question

sometimes i like the roadside paintings more than the classics like mona lisa.
Who decides what is a good painting?

It is easy to pick good songs or good buildings but how does one pick a good painting?

Answer 1

I once heard that the average person walking through an art museum spends less than 30 seconds looking at each piece. Maybe we just need to take time to appreciate the art, really envelop ourselves into it. Try it sometime! It really is fantastic. (I gained a greater appreciation after discovering this simple technique)

Answer 2

Well, first of all.. picking a good song is more a matter of taste, same with the building. You might think your picking something good but it's just your taste, and the fact that you listen to music a lot. Basically it's the same for art... you have to look at hundreds or thousands of art pieces before appreciating it. Further more, you need to have the experience of making one to even increase your ability of telling whether art is good or not. The same goes for music. I assure you that if you learn how to play several instruments and write music, you'll develop a different taste for it (if you don't already). Same for the buildings, architects must have a very different point of view than non-architects like you and me.

What makes something art is rather complicated to explain. In the world of fine arts, there's actually some politics and socialization involved. People with good contacts have greater possibilities. But to avoid making this long.. you basically need skills and creativity. One without the other won't suffice.

Answer 3

There are alot of things to take into consideration the medium that was used as in was it canvis or cardboard. What type of paint was used acrylic or watercolor. Shading is it well shaded or flat looking. Honnestly it all depends on personal prefrence "who" exactly chooses what a good painting would look like I do not know. I'm not one of those people...but when you yourself look at a painting you make your own judgement you see what you like about the painting and you may see what you do not like. For some of the paintings you may view in a museum somewhere and think to yourself how can this be art? Take a second look view it from a different stand point instead of seeing what you don't like try and find something that you do like about the painting look at the brush strokes used or the combinations of colors anything...if its dated think about the time period it may have represented something that the artist was going though at their time of creation or something that was going on in that time period.

Overall there are MANY different ways of appreciating a painting, I paint and I know what kind of work goes into creating one and all of the different perspectives you can look at it from and take into consideration. Its often more about how you yourself looks outside the box as well as the how the artist looked outside of the box when they painted what they painted. Atleast thats what I gathered from art classes I've taken...its not to say they are all right it just may give you a better perspective on how a good painting is actually chosen.

Answer 4

Art should make you feel good. The subject, color, balance, style and medium ideally will enhance your mood and appeal to you on both a conscious and subconcious level. Not every work of art will appeal to all people, however you can look at a painting or other artwork and appreciate that it is, or may be to some, a desirable and appealing piece.

It is just like novels. Some of us like mysteries and other's may just enjoy romances. But we can understand why a novel that we wouldn't enjoy still makes it to the best seller list and appreciate that it's a well written book by a famous author that others have read and enjoyed.

Answer 5

I appreciate a painting from the inside. With my mind clear of thoughts, judgments, I let my eyes wonder until something catches there attention. Then a feeling will rise up in me.
Sometimes I can express these feelings with words, sometimes
not.

Answer 6

I study Art History and I love Renaissance and loathe modern art. There's just one thing to bear in mind with art appreciation. Every work of art is worthy of viewing and consideration. You don;t have to like it but the least you can do as a viewer is look at it and consider how it was created and perhaps a little background on the artist. Then you can judge its merits.

Good luck

Answer 7

I look at a painting and I like it and I appreciate the painting and the artist, for its beauty and the artists abilities.

Answer 8

A good painitng gotta be unique, something not so plain/simple/or looks like it was done in one day. Find a painting that looks like there was alot of planning or work put into it.

Answer 9

Does the painting make you feel something?
Then, as they say, It speaks to you..

If all the painting did was make you think about how it was made.
Then it didn't "Do it's job"..

Answer 10

If it has T and A in it, it's a good painting.