When you’re just about to start an essay, you might sit with the pen in your hand for ages until you think about a topic. It’s difficult because you can’t choose a subject that’s too general, and if you have to write about African or African American art, that’s a wide field.
Although there are essay writing companies like Write My Paper, sometimes it’s better to work on an essay yourself, as you might discover something interesting and even improve at writing. So how do you write such an essay? Here are some tips to help you out21
Stay Focused on the Topic
If you choose to write on a topic, stick with it. That being said, if you are writing an essay about African art in the 19th century, don’t start talking about artists in the 20th. If there’s something relevant to the topic, then you can mention it, but don’t dwell on it for too long. All it’s going to do is lower your grade, and you’re aiming for a good one after all.
Research Your Claims
Writing an art essay requires you to talk about whether there’s a certain symbolism or message behind an artwork. Having said that, general ideas about the art are a no-go, especially if you want a quality essay that will get you a good grade.
You certainly have some ideas about the piece of art, and you must do a lot of research and find a lot of evidence to support your claims. If you write about how a certain artist’s work was controversial and stirred lots of discussions, you could try to find materials talking about what was considered normal and not normal in that period.
Answer the Question
When you’re writing an essay on a certain topic, there will be something that the reader needs to be curious about and is expecting to find the answer to by the end of the paper. For instance, if your topic is “Was Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series his best work?”, then you have to research the popular painter and his panel series. You need to gather every material that will lead to the answer and will, in the end, help the readers find out something new.
Choose a Type of Art Writing
If you weren’t already aware of it, then you should know that art essays come in multiple types. Understanding them is essential when learning how to write an essay because each category will have a different impact on how you deliver the information.
For instance, one type of essay is image writing or iconography. It focuses on exploring the symbols noted in the artwork selection and trying to define images. Closely analyzing the symbols might reveal something about the characters or the scenery in the painting.
The Sociological Essay is focusing on a particular historical era, and how it had an influence on your topic. For example, if you write about Jacob Lawrence, it is going to focus on how the Great Migration of African-Americans has influenced his popular Migration Series, which had 60 panels.
There are many other types of art essays, so if the teacher didn’t tell you to choose a particular one, make sure you choose one that is fitting and will help you out.
Final Thoughts
Writing an essay about African or African-American art can be fun, and you’ll find out a lot of things. A big number of artworks were influenced by historical moments, so you will find many materials for your research and will end up getting you the maximum grade.