Seeing Art Differently by Richard

Seeing Art Differently by Richard - July 2026 Scholarship Essay

One thing that was really tough for me to learn was art criticism and visual analysis. When I first started taking art classes at Churchville-Chili Senior High School I thought that making art was about being good at drawing and painting. I really liked making art I mean, who does not like creating something from nothing?

I had a time talking about what my art meant or understanding what other peoples art meant. I was always worried that I was missing something that I was supposed to see. I would look at a painting think it was a pretty picture but then I would hear someone else talking about all the hidden meanings and symbols in it.

As I kept taking classes I started to realize that art is not about making things it is also about thinking. My teachers told me to take my time look closely at the details and ask questions about how the art was made what colors were used, what the art meant and how it made me feel. At first this was scary because I had to explain why I thought something, of just saying what I liked.

After a while I got better at art criticism and visual analysis. I started to feel more confident when we had class discussions about art and when I looked at art from artists and cultures. I learned that people can see art in ways and that is okay. What matters is that we can explain why we think what we think about art. This changed the way I thought about art and other things too. Of just going with my first idea I started to look for patterns think about different ways of seeing things and question my own thoughts about art criticism and visual analysis.

These experiences really helped me learn how to think. I learned to look at problems from sides before making a decision. I also got better at taking feedback from others and using it to improve my art without getting discouraged. I realized that art criticism and visual analysis are skills that any artist should have.

As I get ready to study Illustration at Daemen University I know that these skills will be just as important as my art skills. Professional illustrators do not just make pictures they tell stories communicate ideas and solve problems for people who look at their art. Learning how to think about art criticism and visual analysis has made me a better artist and a better student. It has shown me that making art is not about drawing it is about thinking and planning too and that art criticism and visual analysis are a big part of that. Art criticism and visual analysis are skills, for any artist. I am glad that I learned them.