Understanding art criticism:

REALLY helpful Resources:

• Writing About Art
• How to Critique Art (general info.)
• How to Critique Edward Hopper's "Early Sunday Morning" (tutorial)
• Analyzing the Elements of Art: Six Ways to Think About Shape
• Visual Literacy
• Listen, visualize, and learn to describe!

Visual Literacy Skills are Transferrable: 

"Read" this painting....

Here's another way to think about it....

"Read" this painting....

And lest we take ourselves too seriously....