Artists research...

How important is artists research? Why do we need to research artists?

Research for any project, educational, work or personal needs to have a starting point. Looking at what other people have already done or created can give you a great point to spring board from. Knowledge and insight can help give your work and ideas focus and stimulate your senses and creativity. 

To understand how artists worked and created/create their work is key to developing your own skills as an artist or designer.

We look at artists and designers who have close links with our current tasks, projects and assignments. We observe, understand and develop our skills and knowledge by recreating their techniques, looking at materials, subject matter, ideas and colour.

By creating artist research pages we can provide evidence and a visual diary of what we have found out and understood.

What should I find out and include?

Put you artist or designer into context (the writing part):

• Birth/death
• Country of origin and residence
• Art movement and dates
• Inspired by/worked with
• Famous works of art/design
• Annotate 

What you see (the drawing/painting/doing part):

• Examples of their artwork (label - title and date):
• You own copy to show you're understanding of techniques, colour and application of materials
• Background and title - make it relevant to your artist

Evaluation (the what you think/your opinion part):

• What you think of their work, and why?
• What techniques, materials and subject mater do they use/have interest in
• Any other INTERESTING facts
• Why you have chosen them to research and how they have inspired you!

Below are a few examples of good, exciting artist research pages.

Pablo Picasso
(use of paint to recreate Picasso's 'Weeping Woman' as the background with thoughts and analysis)

Lauren Child

(fun use of collage to replicate Child's work)

Louise Dear

(bright vivid painted copy to create a unique background to represent the colour and media used by Dear)

Georgia O'Keffe

(bright vivid colour to create a background to reflect O'Keffe's style and use of materials )

Hannah Hoch

(use of collage to replicate Hoch's work)

Each of the above examples has a mixture of facts, thoughts and inspiration. Examples, own copies, exploration of materials, backgrounds and titles which reflect the artist.

What would you do to create an exciting artist research page?

Happy researching :)

Miss Cove