I love the process of creating art. I love the brainstorming session with terrible stick figure drawings, the ‘practice stage’ of drawing the same thing over and over again, and feeling accomplishment you get from the final design. Through every tedious planning stage, I love how those small wobbly drawings in your sketchbook come to life in a beautiful masterpiece.

You know what the art means to you, but how do you describe it to others? How do you talk about it? Where do you find the words to describe art, something so subjective and intangible? 

In this article, I hope to provide some clarity and tips for how to talk about art and which words to describe art. I will define a formal artist statement, analyze how others create artist statements and content captions, and list out the best words to describe art.

What is an artist statement?

“[An artist statement is a] piece of writing by you that helps the audience access or understand your artistic work.” 

School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

Basically, an artist statement is a formal way of using words to describe art. It is a way for you, the artist, to express the message you are trying to convey visually. Words to describe art are used in many ways: from social media and website promotion to galleries, exhibitions, grant applications, teaching position applications, and fellowships.

Generally, I frequently write and rewrite my artist statements. Please check out my social media to see how I describe my own art.

What are the best ways to write a strong artist statement?

Writing an artist statement is more complex than simply using random words to describe art. First, write in first person POV, remember to keep your audience in mind while writing, and follow the acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Lastly, I included some good questions to think about when brainstorming your artist statement. Hopefully, these tips to choosing the right words to describe art will help you communicate clearly.

Tip 1: Write in First Person Point-of-View

Structurally, the SAIC recommends to write the artist statement in first person. This advice contrasts artist biographies which are typically written in third person. 

For instance, you can say “I created this work to represent…” and “my mother influenced this…”. These examples work well because they help define an intimate connection between the art and the viewer.

Typically, you don’t personally know the viewer, so establishing personalized meaning can add substance to your art. Supporting the connections between the viewer and the artwork is vital in helping people really understand your work.

Tip 2: Know your Audience & keep them in mind

Remember who your audience is. Who did you create this artwork for? What type of people would you imagine in the gallery looking at this artwork? Who would buy this painting? If you post it online, who is interacting with the post?

The artist statement is sometimes published on social media platforms or printed next to the painting in a gallery. You may be writing to someone who has never held a paintbrush in their life, so keep these thoughts in mind when writing an artist statement. Carefully choose words to describe art that make sense to your audience.

Some words to describe art are different for artists versus non artists. For example, saying a work is impressionistic could mean in reference to the impressionism painting style of the 19th century. In contrast, impressionistic could represent the work’s capability in leaving an impression, or a lasting memory, on the viewer. Learning art history is a great method to improve your art lingo. For instance, maybe learn how the difference between modern and contemporary, and how in the art world, they are not synonymous. If you are curious about which art style best matches your artwork, check out this quiz!

The specialized art jargon, referred to as “art speak,” is great for the critique, though try to avoid it for the artist statement.

Tip 3: The KISS Method – Keep it Simple, Stupid

Try to be concise, straightforward, and as clear as you can. A good rule of thumb is to avoid using too many complex words to describe art, and stick to what you know. I like using certain words to describe art like colors, shapes, and patterns.

If you are optimizing your artwork for digital marketing purposes, sometimes describing the art is better than describing the meaning or the feeling. Understanding nuances in color theory help when describing your art, so make sure you read my article: Color Knowledge Tips That Will Make You a Better Artist

Tip 4: Actually think it over before you write

Yes, brain dump writing is healthy, but your artist statement should not be a brain dump. You need to really think about your art and ask yourself certain questions prior to writing. Be selective in your words to describe art. Below are some important questions to ask yourself throughout the brainstorming process. Your answers to these questions can include words to describe art and how you created the art.

• What are the key ideas, issues, struggles, and goals within your work?
• Does your work have a thematic focus (goals, purposes, intentions, and explorations)?
• What is the content of work, including themes, ideas, and subject matter? 
• How were you influenced culturally, historically, theoretically, artistically, personally, and biographically?  
• Who is your audience? Who will be looking at your work? What do you imagine they feel when viewing it? 
• How would your audience use words to describe art?
• How did you create the work? What materials, processes, traditions, and styles did you use in your work?
• Can you use your senses to describe the art? What does the work look, sound or feel (impasto) like?
• How can you make your art work easier to understand?

Finally, have a friend or teacher review your artist statement when you finish writing it. You may think the statement makes sense, but it may not be clear to someone who hasn’t spent hours working on the artwork. 

How do artists describe their art?

Tip 5: Study how the masters used words to describe art

Edvard Munch

Many famous artists write artist statements describing their masterful artwork. Some are available in museums, some are available online.

For instance, Edvard Munch’s The Scream has a vivid artist statement full of life and emotion, similar to the visuals seen in the work itself. The artist chose relatively simple words to describe art, but written with dashes, like parsed thoughts coursing through the artist’s head.

Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock is fantastic artist, despite criticism for his work’s abstracted features. Pollock chose words to describe art that was not subjective, and much more emotive.

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois’s massive spider sculptures are really cool and worth sharing. She started creating these steel structures in the 1990s, contrasting her previous styles. The words she chose to describe her art explain the metaphorical allegory behind the sculpture.

Many of these masters use words to describe art with passion, flame, and emotion. Notice how they use first person POV, relatively simple diction, and still manage to communicate what the art is about and what it means to them.

Tip 6: Get inspired by Underrated Artists

I want to include some artist statements of underrated artists as well. I’ve met many talented and creative individuals, and I would like to share their art and artist statements in this section.

August Lamm

August Lamm is an incredible portrait artist, and I’m very excited to share her artwork. She typically uses ink and oil paints. In this piece, I especially love the use of complementary colors in the man’s face, the contrast of detail versus an almost unfinished impressionistic appearance, and of course, the simplicity of the artist statement. It’s very painterly and I love it. Be sure to check out more of August’s works on her Instagram!

The artist statement included in this painting is short and simple compared to others in this article. Regardless of length, it is powerful and emotional and allows the viewer to connect with the artist, and maybe even the subject, on a more intimate level.

Erika Wilson

I first discovered Erika Wilson at a local arts market. Her work was captivating and I wanted to learn more about this incredible artist. Erika provided two artist statements, proving her knowledge of writing to a certain audience.

In the first artist statement, notice the purpose is primarily for social media, and make sure to follow her Instagram! Erika uses first person POV and includes the dimensions and mediums used in the work. She also includes emojis and middle dots between paragraphs, a common spacing technique for Instagram, showing that she knows her audience.

The next artist statement is noticeably more professional. In particular, notice how Erika adapted the bullet points into dashes and uses clear spacing, giving a cleaner appearance, similar to a resume. Erika’s use of words to describe art discuss her inspiration, techniques, and purpose in under 100 words. It’s simple, effective, and one of the best artist statements I’ve seen.

——————-

Hello! I’m Erika Wilson, a visual artist based in Salt Lake City, UT.

My work is deeply inspired by natural wilderness and the lush, strange, beauty of the botanical world. Equally, my artwork draws from cultivated nature found in urban spaces: gardens, houseplants, and roadside scrub alike.

I use vibrant color and dramatic line to create imagery that provokes wonderment, engages curiosity, and invites viewers to experience their senses unreservedly.

At its foundation, my artwork is a celebration of our intimate connection to nature, in the many forms we may find it, no matter how ordinary or unusual.

———————-

My website: https://erikawilsonart.square.site/

My Instagram: @erika.wilson.art

Kyle Drury

Kyle and I actually went to the same arts high school. We both studied Visual Arts and I’m really proud to see how he has grown as an artist. Please go follow his Instagram account here!

Kyle has a stunning impasto painting technique that really gives life to contrasting flat cartoon-like characters. His works are animated and fun to look at, as well as visually interesting.

Kyle’s artist statement uses first person POV to describe his thoughts and organizes the paragraphs increasing in size. He also continues to deliver contrasting elements. The whimsical and colorful style conveys comfort, in this “cozy painting,” unlike the realities in the life of a western cowboy, portrayed in the serious face and stature of the man.

Julia Hill

I found Julia’s artwork on Instagram and I was awestruck, definitely make sure to give her a follow! She uses fine pens to create stunning realistic and hyper detailed landscape drawings. Her artist statement is also written in first person POV and describes her medium of choice, thoughts behind her style and technique, and how her personal background impacts her artwork. The words to describe art express her talent and experience with the medium, her knowledge of principals and elements of design, and the contextual origin of the content.

Truly, Julia’s words describe the artwork better than I could ever analyze it. This is a perfect example of the importance of an artist statement and how it can compliment the visual artistry of the work.

What are some artsy words to describe art?

In this final section, I want to recall the elements and principles of art and design. These are the building blocks of aesthetically pleasing work, and great references to use when describing your own art. The list of elements and principles of art are generally a good place to start when looking for words to describe art. Basically, there are six elements of art and eight principles of art. 

Tip 7: Use the Elements of Art and Design

• Color: Generally associated with hue, value, and intensity, color is one of my personal favorite elements of art. Check out examples of color in my art here.
• Shape: Associated with height and width, shape can be organic and/or geometric.
• Form: I associate this element with volume, height, width, depth. It can be two or three dimensional because it gives an illusion of value (drawing) or real value (sculpture).
• Line: This element is generally associated with being implied, abstracted, parallel, or crossed.
• Space: This element is generally associated with positive (subject matter) and negative (background) areas. Space creates the illusion of depth through value.
• Texture: This element is generally associated with how the art feels or looks like it feels (soft, bumpy, hard, slick, squishy, sharp, smooth).

Tip 8: Use The Principles of Art and Design

• Rhythm: This principle of art and design is generally associated with patterns, movement, repetition, tempo, and beat.
• Harmony: This principle is generally associated with unification, familiarity, and connection.
• Balance: This principle of art is generally characterized by symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial.
• Contrast: This principle is generally used to highlight the focal point, or the subject, of a work of art. Pop art is a great example of using contrasting colors, especially complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel i.e. orange and blue).
• Movement: This principle is generally associated with dynamism and action and helps to guide the viewer’s eye to the focal point.
• Pattern: Similar to rhythm, this principle of design is generally associated with duplication.
• Proportion: Relativity is a huge part of this principle of art and design. It is also related to relationships and size.  
• Variety: Generally associated with diversity and interest, variety captures attention, similar to contrast. Variety partners with unity to establish balance.

Conclusion: best words to describe art

In this article we defined an artist statement, discovered tips to effectively use words to describe art, and reviewed examples of artist statements in the wild.

You can choose to describe art in any way you want, because it’s your art. You can call it ugly or nonsensical just as easily as you call it stunning and deep and impressive. Adjectives are subjective in the same way you and your artwork are subjective.

However, if you want people to understand your artwork, you may need to clearly communicate what it means. Using artistic terms helps to encourage the viewer to look past the image and think about the process, materials, backstory, and time dedicated to create the art. Use art words to describe art.

In this sense, writing a clear, optimized, and creative artist statement can add value to your artwork. There are many words to describe art, but an artist statement is unique because it comes directly from the creator. These are your words to describe art.

You, the artist, have the chance to tell the world what your art really means. You are the one to give your art value.