Art & Design Department

Framework for writing annotations (Dec 2022)

An annotation should clearly and concisely tell the examiner what your thoughts are about the piece of art.
It should be evaluative and reflective and not purely descriptive. Each annotation about your own work
should not exceed 7 sentences.

On Investigation sheet 1 you should have a theme title and a statement of intent.
Example
Title - Still life with fruits and flowers
Statement of intent – I intend to explore the relationship between man-made still life objects and the
natural forms of fruits and flowers. I will experiment with media, colour, texture and composition
throughout my project.

Guidance for writing evaluative annotations

 Descriptive text in blue.
 Evaluative text in red.
 Information

Example for Artist Sheets

The artist (add the artists name) typically used bold colours and expressive brushstrokes to create their
artwork. Therefore, I experimented with using a variety of red and yellow hues and applied the acrylic
paint with a large paintbrush. I quickly applied layers of paint in a variety of directions to create a rough
texture. I really enjoyed painting in this style as it is quite different to my normal approach to painting.
However, I felt that I lost some accuracy and precision. I think this has affected the quality of my
portraiture piece. Therefore, I don’t think I will use this approach for my final piece.

Example for Development of Ideas Sheet – Write one for each development idea
For this development idea I combined the imagery I used in my Van Gogh inspired piece with the image of
the eye on my first investigation sheet. I think my use of portrait format is successful as it has allowed me
to capture all of the details in the portrait. However, I think the overall composition is too busy and lacks a
clear focal point. Therefore, I will not further develop this idea.

*Make sure you specify the development idea you wish pursue for the final piece.

Example for Composition Sheet – Write one for each composition idea
In this piece I experimented with a portrait composition as I thought it would emphasis the tall bottles
within my still life arrangement. I think that the portrait format helps to emphasis the row of tall bottles,
creating a successful composition. However, I think it would be even more successful if I cropped the paper
further to create a taller, slimmer shape. I will experiment with this idea in my next piece.

*Make sure you specify the composition you will use for the final piece.

Example for Media Handling Sheet – Write one for each media handling piece
I used watercolour paint in this media handling experiment. I don’t think I was very successful as I never
left enough sections of white paper for the highlighted areas. Therefore, it looks flat in sections and lacks
depth and detail. I think acrylic paint would enable me to achieve a greater range of tone and show the
form more clearly.

*Make sure you specify the media you will use for the final piece.
Titles for Sheets

These may be typed or neatly handwritten

1. Investigation 1 – Record & Explore
2. Investigation 2 – Record & Explore
3. Artist 1 – Explore & Develop
4. Artist 2 – Explore & Develop
5. Development – Record & Develop
6. Composition – Record & Explore
7. Media Handling – Record & Explore
8. Final Outcome