Look closely and explore the painting. Look at the
- Top
- Bottom
- Foreground/closest thing to you
- Background/what is far away
- The people/objects
What is your immediate reaction to what you see? What do you notice first? What are your feelings and thoughts when you first look at the painting? Is there a protagonist in the painting? Does your immediate reaction lead you to form the Major Dramatic Question?
What are the connections with things you know? Are there any symbols? How does the painting (theme, colour, tone) relate to what you know, to your experience and the feelings it creates? If you have already formed the MDQ, use these connections to create the plot and define the setting. If you haven’t formed the MDQ yet, can these connections lead you to form the Major Dramatic Question?
Make inferences, for example, “What do you think is the period of time depicted in the painting”. Give reasons for your inference with reference to what you see in the painting. If you have already formed the MDQ, use these inferences to enrich the plot and the setting. If you haven’t formed the MDQ yet, can these inference lead you to form the Major Dramatic Question?
Make hypotheses, for example, “What if this person is a hero or a villain”. How might your hypotheses affect the plot? If you have already formed the MDQ, use these hypotheses to enrich the plot. If you haven’t formed the MDQ yet, use these hypotheses to form the Major Dramatic Question.
Empathise with the characters. How do they feel? What are their thoughts?
Which characters (other than the protagonists), objects and details of the painting will you use in your story? How are they related to the MDQ?
Reading about the painting and the story behind the painting may help you write your own story. But be careful! This may also prevent you from developing your own creativity and line of thought.
Adapted from:
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/learning/teachers-and-schools/teaching-english-and-drama/paintings-for-storytelling