# 4.2 The form of art: looking at techniques

In art history the word ‘form’ is used to describe the overall shape and structure of an art work. Various techniques will have been used to create this form. You'll learn about some of the techniques that will best help you to analyse and eventually to interpret our three chosen art works. You'll look at the following techniques:

- use of colour

- use of medium

- arrangement of the composition.

Initially you'll focus on the techniques used in paintings and later you'll extend your exploration of techniques to cover sculpture and installations. You'll encounter a lot of new technical terms in the next few sections. While this may appear a little daunting at first, rest assured that each term will be explained fully. By the end of this free course you'll have developed a valuable approach that will allow you to systematically analyse art works from all time periods.

OpenLearn - Making sense of art history
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