IELTS Speaking Part 2&3 #10 Describe a painting or work of art that you have seen

Describe a painting or work of art that you have seen. You should say:
When you saw this work of art Where you saw it
What it looked like
And explain your impression of it.

Sample Answers:

Ever since I was a little girl I have always been a huge fan of western style paintings. The most memorable piece of artwork that I have come across would probably be the Mona Lisa which was painted by the famous artist and inventor, Leonardo DaVinci.

I first saw this painting when I was in primary school, my art teacher taught us about DaVinci’s paintings and of course the Mona Lisa was one of them. At first I thought it was just a boring portrait for an old woman but the more I looked at it the more I began to be attracted by her strange smile. It was also a little funny to me because she had no eye brows and her hair style is different to what I’m used to.

In my opinion DaVinci painted her almost like St Mary – She has a kind and gentle look and is always smiling at you, even her sitting posture is very elegant with one hand over the other. I think it’s because Davinci was a Christian and also painted religious paintings such as the Last Supper.

I personally think the Mona Lisa is truly an impressive painting; after all it was painted by the great Leonardo DaVinci – without it the world just wouldn’t be the same.

Follow-up questions:

  1. What benefits can you get from painting as a hobby?
    Well, I can think of several advantages from painting. First of all, painting boosts memory recollection skills and works to sharpen the mind through conceptual visualization and implementation. People who frequently use creative outlets such as writing, painting, and drawing have less chance of developing memory loss illnesses when they get older. More than that, painting allows people to express their feelings and emotions without words. Individuals that paint use art to overcome shyness and convey their personality. Using artwork to tell a story lets someone who is shy let go of normal social reservations.
  2. Do you think people’s preferences on arts changed in past few years?
    I would say that there were so many changes in people’s life for the past few years and that have also changed people’s preferences on arts. The is due to the reason that people’s liking on arts alters because of the development of technology and changes of lifestyle. For instance, if you used to like ancient paintings in the past your preference today will be different it might be possible that you start liking modern abstract painting because of the effect of urbanization. I couldn’t think of more reasons why but I suppose that in the near future there will be changes that will still affect people’s preferences.
  3. How do you think art classes affect children’s development?
    I believe that art influences children in so many ways. One primary effect is their motor skills, many of the motions involved in making art, such as holding a paintbrush or scribbling with a crayon, are essential to the growth of fine motor skills in young children. Another positive influence is their language development, for every young children, making art or just simply talking about it provides the opportunities to learn words for colors, shapes and actions. When toddlers are as young as a year old, parents can do simple activities such as crumpling paper and calling it paper ball.
  4. What makes a good painting?
    From my perspective, I suppose a good painting is one you can’t take your eye’s off, and from my perspective, it’s either due to the colours and images or because of the emotional reaction I might have to the painting. This is largely due to the fact that I tend to like things I personally appreciate or enjoy. But of course, I also know that for other people, they think a good painting is usually because of the skill involved in painting it or because of the unique creativity of the artist. So all in all, I guess that a good painting means something different to everybody.
  5. Are there many vegetarians in your country?
    Yes, they are. The number of people following vegetarianism has been increasing recently. It is thought that old people or those following a religious, like Buddhism, will be vegetarians; however, youngsters also join to vegetarian community because of many reasons.