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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Art Description Words – How To Describe Paintings For Artists And Art Lovers

May 7, 2021 By Dave Nevue

Art Description Words – How To Describe Paintings For Artists And Art Lovers

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What are some art description words?

This is a question that many artists ask themselves when describing their artwork to others. It may sound like a simple question, but the answer is not as straightforward as it seems.

There are many different ways to describe paintings and sculptures, and the right way will depend on what you’re trying to sell.

If you’re an artist who wants more online sales, your website visitors need to find exactly what they are searching for, which can be done by reading your artwork descriptions.

If you struggle writing about your paintings, don’t worry. This blog post discusses how accurate and well-written art descriptions can help increase online art sales.

artist describing art

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The Importance Of Being Descriptive When Talking About Art 

Art sales continue to grow every year, and more artists are trying to establish an art career selling artwork online. Selling art online is different than selling in person. When a person views your art in person, you will be there to answer any questions they might have.

When people view your art online, they only have an image and an art description to spark their interest.

It is essential when describing art online to be descriptive so your viewers can find what they are looking for and make a purchase decision based on the information you provide about your work.

An accurate description will help drive more traffic to an artist’s website and increase sales from that site. It also increases the chances of finding new collectors who might not have seen them otherwise due to their lack of descriptiveness in descriptions or poor-quality images.

When selling artwork as an artist, it is essential that your art descriptions accurately represent those pieces and answer any questions people may have before making a purchase decision. 

How Do You Describe Art In Words

Visual artists tell their stories through painting or drawing. Many artists find it challenging to write about their pieces, but it is just as important to describe the work as any other art marketing tool.

There are many words and phrases that artists can use to describe their creative process, materials, emotional response, or feelings about the finished piece.

Using the correct words will help you sell more artwork, but how do you know what words to use?

Here are some tips to help you write better art descriptions.

Words To Describe Art

Texture – how does it feel when you touch it? Is there depth in texture with varying shades? Can you see rough patches where pastels have been dragged across paper before being carefully blended again? What type of materials are used in this painting? 

Shape – what is its form? Is there a contrast between this and other forms?”

Spirals – what direction are they going (clockwise/counterclockwise)

Color – are they vibrant or muted, warm or cool-toned? What are the primary colors? What are the secondary colors?

Mood/emotion: how do you think someone feels when looking at your artwork, based on the colors and texture.

Size – how big is the painting? 

Materials – what materials were used to create the art? Was the art created with oil paints on canvas, or was it made with soft pastels on Pastelmat?

Style of art- is the art modern, abstract, figurative, or representational?

Story – is there a story you are trying to tell with your artwork? What does it make you think of when looking at this piece?

How To Describe Paintings Using Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe a noun. They can be words that are descriptive or just the opposite and show what something is not. 

Adjectives to use with artwork:

– vivid

– colorful

– dramatic

– emotional

-aesthetic

-aggressive

-soft

-stark

-intense

-bold

-realistic

-three dimensional

-two dimensional

-unique

-floral

-muted

-expressive

-regal

-life-size

-modern

-flat

-light dark

-bright

-profile

-metallic

-dynamic

-composite

-thick thin

-decorative

-fine

-museum quality

-contemporary

-pure

-organic

-linear

-smooth

-geometric

Many other words can describe your artwork, and there is no way of knowing which word someone will connect with.

When describing artworks on your website, it’s a good idea to include these adjectives and what the painting means to you or how it makes you feel when looking at it. Your words will give people more information about what they might enjoy from your website and easily find pieces that resonate with their tastes and feelings. 

The adjectives you choose should fit your artwork’s painting style and theme.

For example, if you were painting brightly colored abstract paintings on black backgrounds, then maybe “energetic” would be an appropriate adjective but not for more subdued images like landscapes or seascapes.”

How To Describe Paintings Using Nouns

Artists also use nouns to describe art, such as ‘light’ and ‘energy. Nouns represent people, places, and things in your painting or artwork.

Including the following nouns can help you describe more accurately what is going on within a painting:

– The artist’s name 

-Where the painting takes place

-The main subject of the painting

Examples Of How To Use These Words In Sentences

Here is an example of how to describe an oil painting of a sailboat with nouns and adjectives:

“The bright, red sun beats down on the water’s surface as the boat sails steadily by.”

-sun: noun; adjective -describes the color and intensity of light.

-red: adjective; describes how it affects everything around it.

-boat: noun; name for an object made to travel through water or other liquids.

-“sails”: verb which implies motion. The sailboats move across the canvas at regular intervals, which can be seen in its wake. “steady:” adverb describing actions done with slight variation (remaining upright). This could also describe someone calm under pressure from all angles but still levelheaded.

How To Describe Artwork Using Verbs

Including verbs to describe art will help the artist and art lover better understand what it is about the artwork that appeals to them.

– “matte finish:” verb; a type of paint with no shine, which can be either brushed or sprayed onto an object.

-“stark contrast:” verb; painting technique where two colors are applied to parts of the canvas in stark opposition to each other (e.g., black over white).”

“The bright red sun beats down on the water’s surface as boat sails steadily by.” -sun: noun; adjective describes color intensity light.

-“sails”: verb implies motion boats sail across the canvas at regular intervals seen in wake steady: adverb describing actions done little variation calm under pressure from all angles levelheaded matte finish

Here is an example of how to describe a pastel painting of an elephant using verbs, nouns, and adjectives:

-“The sun shines on the elephant’s back and large ears.”

-sun: noun; adjective describes color intensity light

-“shines”: verb implies motion of bright, intense light (e.g., from the sun) falling onto an object

“large ears”: “nouns describe physical features of objects” – “ears,” as well as adjectives that help to convey what is being seen in the painting.

Why You Should Be Descriptive When Describing Art

Describing your composition on a landing page of your website will not only help you to land a sale, but the keywords will also help collectors find your art in the search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

For example, collectors might search pastel paintings of an elephant with the sun shining down on her. They would use keywords like “pastel elephant with the sun shining down on her,” “elephant in pastels with the sun shining down,” or “large elephant with the sun shining on her ears” when searching for these images.

Use descriptive words to describe your art, and you will rank higher in the search engines, which means more people will find your art.

Final Thoughts On Words To Describe Art

The best way to describe a painting is by telling the story of what it means to you. What feeling does this painting elicit in you? How would you feel if someone walked up and saw your favorite piece hanging on their wall?

There are no wrong answers when describing art, but we hope these tips will give you some ideas about how others might see your favorite masterpiece. The bottom line is that the words used to describe your creations will help you lo land more sales.

More Related Article About Selling Art

Artist Blogs Sell Art – Best Tips To Increase Sales

15 Places to Sell Art Online And Make Money

How To Sell Art Prints Online (And Make Money)

What Should I Draw

Filed Under: Art Marketing, Blog, Uncategorized

About Dave Nevue

Dave Nevue is a Professional Pastel Wildlife Artist and the founder and CEO of Nevue Fine Art Marketing. He also authored the eBook The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams, and provides courses on art marketing at Nevue Fine Art Marketing Courses.

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