Have you ever wondered what exactly makes a work of art so great? Here are the 7 main factors that determine how great a work of art is:
1. Beauty
You can judge the beauty of an artwork by how good it makes you feel to look at it. When you look at a painting and it just feels right, then it is of much higher quality than a work of art that makes the viewer feel uneasy.
2. Flow
The flow of an artwork is determined by the sense of motion in the picture. Is there a good sense of movement? Can your eyes easily flow from one area of the picture to another? The more motion in a picture, the more emotion the viewer will feel.
3. Depth
There are some paintings that when you see them, you notice them, then just keep on walking. But then there are other paintings that when you see them, you stop, and you just have to take a closer look. The painting draws you in, it captivates you. Those kinds of paintings have a great sense of depth to them.
4. Contrast
Contrast basically means "how much strength or boldness does the artwork have?" Something that people really admire in a great artist is their boldness, the audacity to make a bold move. The viewer can sense this boldness by the confidence in the artist's execution of the artwork.
5. Composition
The composition is the arrangement of the parts in an artwork, how it is composed. An artwork with poor composition will feel unbalanced, it might feel too heavy on one side, and give the viewer an uneasy feeling. An artwork with good composition will feel balanced and harmonious, it will just feel good to look at.
6. Style
How original or unique is the artwork? Has it been done before? Some people will say that everything has been done before, even if that's the case, it can still be done in a new way. If the artwork looks like something done before, done the exact same way, that is not very original.
7. Story
Story is one of the main reasons that someone would buy an artwork. If the artwork has a good story behind it, has some great meaning, then it is going to be of a higher quality. People love art with meaning, it gives the viewer something to ponder and discuss with others. It gets the viewer engaged with the artwork, and builds a sense of community and unity around it.
Click below to watch Elijah's video on this subject: