How To Talk About Art

Down-To-Earth Tips & Tricks From An Art Historian

Want to express your thoughts on an artwork but have no idea where to begin? Wondering how you could possibly talk about art without an art historical background?

I’ve got you.

But first, I want you to remember that art is for everyone and that there is no right or wrong way to engage with it. You don’t need to know any fancy art terms or famous names in order to be able to talk about art. Simply observing a work of art and expressing how it makes you feel is enough.

That being said, there are methods, tricks, tools, and terminology that can help you to look at, understand, and talk about art more confidently. 

Here are a few practical tips to help you do so:

FYI: The below tips are just a starting point. In my digital guide, Art Fluency Made Easy, I take these ideas much further, with practical exercises to help you put them into practice and plenty of artworks and visual case studies to show you exactly what I mean.

Spend Time Looking

Skip the museum label for a few minutes and simply look at the artwork in front of you. Spend a good few minutes (at least!) taking it in with your eyes. Start with where your eyes naturally gravitate towards, and then move them deliberately around the canvas.

This might seem so simple and so obvious, but it’s crucially important, and it’s easier said than done.

Studies suggest that museum visitors often spend less than 30 seconds looking at an artwork, with many works receiving only 10 seconds of attention. That’s often less time than we spend checking a text message on our phones.

Instead, try practicing slow, sustained looking. The longer you spend with an artwork, the more you will notice.

Talk About What You See - Objectively

Begin by simply describing what you see and what you notice.

• What do I see?

• Who do I see?

• Where are they? Where is the scene or event taking place?

This first step grounds your conversation in simple observation. It’s a bit like building the foundation of a house. Once you’ve described what you see, you’ll have a sturdy base on which to build your interpretations.

Layer Your Looking

Now that you’ve spent a bit of time looking at the painting as a whole, start to layer your looking and zoom in on particular details and elements of the painting.

Try looking at and talking about the following focus areas:

COMPOSITION

How are elements in a painting arranged? Does the composition feel balanced, chaotic, crowded, or harmonious?

LINE & SHAPE

Do diagonal lines guide your eyes through the composition? Are there shapes present in the artwork? Are they geometric or organic? Do they feel rhythmic and melodic? Or chaotic and spontaneous?

COLOUR & LIGHT

What mood, emphasis, and emotion do the colours and light of the artwork create? Warmth, tension, drama?

TEXTURE & MEDIUM

Is the paint smooth, rough, or layered? What effect does this have on the artwork?

SCALE

How big is the work? Does its size affect its impact?

Move From Seeing To Interpretation

Start questioning the artist’s choices. Think about why the subjects, composition, and different elements have been rendered as such.

This is when you move from simply seeing to interpreting, connecting the dots, and wondering what the artist wanted to evoke.

Ask yourself questions such as:

• Why has the artist made the composition feel chaotic?

• Why might the artist have chosen these colours?

• Why are the subjects depicted as such?

• What seems deliberate? What seems random?

• Why is the background dark or light?

• Why are certain objects/details included?

• Why is the brushwork loose/messy/smooth/blended?

• Are the subjects looking at us? If they aren’t, why aren’t they?

Remember, many of the choices artists make are intentional. So, when in doubt, ask “why this and not that?” 

For example: “Why a dark background instead of a light one? Why a fruit basket instead of flowers? Why is the figure’s face concealed as opposed to revealed?”

Even seemingly insignificant details often serve a purpose.

Look at every element of an artwork as a deliberately placed clue for you to notice and ponder over its possible function:

• Perhaps it contributes in some way to the story being told

• Perhaps it reveals something personal about the artist

• Perhaps it is designed to evoke a particular emotion

Talk About How The Artwork Makes You Feel

Art is subjective, so it will inspire different feelings in different people. Just trust your intuition. Your emotional reaction, whatever it may be, is totally valid, and there are no wrong answers. Whatever it is that an artwork is making you feel, try to pinpoint it. 

• Does this artwork comfort me, unsettle me, excite me?

• Does this artwork make me feel sad, nostalgic, happy?

• Does this artwork remind me of a personal memory?

• Does this artwork make me curious, intrigued, disturbed, frustrated?

Remember that subjectivity, intuition, and personal interpretation alone are completely valid paths to enjoying, understanding, and talking about art. So talk about your feelings and emotional responses to an artwork, and question why it may be making you feel that way.

There is no right or wrong way to feel about an artwork because all art is subjective! You don’t have to love an artwork to have a meaningful conversation about it. Your reaction, whether positive, negative, or completely indifferent, is valid. In fact, artworks that confuse or unsettle us often lead to the most rewarding conversations.

If you find yourself tempted to say “I like it” or “I don’t like it” about a painting, pause for a moment and ask yourself why. Why do you feel drawn in or put off? The “why” is where the real insight lies.

Consider The Context

This is where you can start to dig deeper.

Once you’ve explored your own thoughts and interpretations, it’s time to broaden your perspective.

Remember that every artwork was made during a particular moment, whether that be social, historical, or personal. Understanding some of this background context can deepen your appreciation and understanding of an artwork, and help you connect more fully with the piece.

You might ask yourself:

• When and where was this artwork made?

• What was happening in the world at the time?

• What was happening in the artist’s life at the time?

• Was the work commissioned by someone for a specific purpose? Or did the artist create it of their own accord?

• What might this work have meant to its original audience?

• Where was this work originally destined for? Was it meant to be in a church? Was it designed for a particular space?

• How does it reflect (or challenge) the culture in which it was created?

• What do I already know about the artist and their personal style, artistic tendencies, beliefs, and experiences?

If you’re in a gallery, this is the moment to look for a wall label, title, or date. These clues can help you situate the artwork historically and stylistically. This is where knowing some art historical movements might help.

If you’re online, do a quick bit of research, but always bring your findings back to your own experience of the piece. Context should enrich your understanding, not replace your thoughts or dictate your response to an artwork.

For an overview of art historical movements in simple terms, along with tips on how to recognise them, check out my digital guide, Art Fluency Made Easy: Your Step-By-Step Guide On How To Look At, Understand, And Talk About Art Like A Pro.

Keep Engaging With Art

Finally, remember that the real practice of looking at, understanding, and talking about art comes from spending time engaging with it in person, whether that’s in a gallery, museum, or historic site, through an art history book, or even by scrolling through art-themed pages on social media.

Becoming “fluent” in art isn’t about memorising everything. It’s about learning how to look, ask questions, make connections, and trust your own response.

---

For more practical guidance, as well as a full overview of useful art terms and art historical movements, check out my digital guide Art Fluency Made Easy: Your Step-By-Step Guide On How To Look At, Understand, And Talk About Art Like A Pro.

It’s designed to give you the tools and methods you need to look at art with confidence, understand what you’re seeing, and express your thoughts clearly and effectively.

It will teach you how to spend time looking at art, what to look for, useful art terms to know, how to understand what you see, how to be confident expressing your ideas about a piece, and so much more.

Whether you’re stepping into a gallery for the first time or simply want to deepen your art appreciation, this guide will help make art feel personal, exciting, and completely accessible.

What’s inside:

• 140+ pages of down-to-earth guidance to help you look at, understand, and talk about art with confidence

• Interactive exercises to slow down, look closer, and develop your own responses to art

• A handy guide to essential art terms, explained in an accessible

  and approachable way

• A clear introduction to major art movements, with tips for recognising them when you encounter them

• Colourful artworks and illustrations used as engaging case studies throughout

• Practical tips for continuing your journey and deepening your appreciation of art