Describe a Photo or Painting you took or Drawn Yourself- IELTS Cue Card

And explain why you particularly like this photograph/painting.

Sample Answer 1

Painting is a recreation in which people of all ages participate and find joy. It allows people to explore and bring to life the fantastical scenes and ideas that take root in their imagination and take flight through the medium of art. For me, art is a form of self-expression and allows me to capture those thoughts and feelings that cannot be put into words. As an avid artist, I have created innumerable artworks over the years. Among them, one artwork sticks out to me as one of the most memorable ones- a sketch inspired by a song from the film ‘Tick, Tick…BOOM!’. 

The artwork is based on a few lines from the chorus of the final song in the film ‘Louder Than Words’. My artwork is an intricate black and white pen sketch of a rib cage. On one side, the ribs are drawn as they are, but on the other side, some of the ribs have been replaced by a line of staves from musical notation with a treble or G – clef stuck between the line. A cage door is attached to this line of staves from which five birds are flying away.

I was inspired to create this artwork the day I watched this film for the first time. The lyrics resonated with me and I found them to be so heart-achingly beautiful that I felt compelled to create an artwork that paid homage to both Jonathan Larson’s lyrical and musical genius as well as Andrew Garfield’s performance. 

The song celebrates the passion for creating art and living life. Larson’s timeless words inspire people to look within themselves and ask whether they are living their life fuelled by their passions to be the best they can be or letting fear rule over them. My artwork echoes the spirit of Larson’s song and encourages people to break out of their cages or overcome obstacles in pursuit of what they love.

Sample Answer 2

Paintings and art intrigue everyone. Some people find paintings relaxing and calming, while others express their creativity through art. Here, I’d like to talk about a painting I drew. Drawing is one of my favourite recreational pastimes since it gives me immense pleasure and I have the liberty of drawing anything from my imagination and turning it into an art piece. I enjoy painting because it’s one of the few things I’m genuinely excellent at and can be proud of.

The painting which I drew depicted a Father’s love for his child. It was a couple of months ago in monsoon, and I had tested positive for the novel Covid-19 virus. As a result, I had to stay in quarantine for at least a week. Initial days were extremely tedious, so, to while away my time, I decided to engage myself with paintings as I find it therapeutic and all that matters to me when I paint is my canvas and paintbrush.

There was a torrential downpour with loud thunder as I sat down with my brush, so I looked out through my window to check if anyone required shelter. That is when I witnessed an adoring scene, where a drenched man was covering his small blue-eyed boy’s head with his hands so that the boy wouldn’t get drenched in the rain. I found it very inspiring, so I decided to craft it on my canvas. In the meantime, I also felt the urge to help them but couldn’t as I was in isolation. However, my father, who was residing on the ground floor, brought them in to provide shelter.

So, the specific reason why I love this painting was because it illustrated a father’s love & care for his child. Despite the fact that the father was completely soaked, he still wanted to protect his child. As a result, the joy of creating something unique and affectionate was beyond explanation.

Vocabulary

• Intrigues

Meaning: arouse the curiosity or interest of; fascinate
Eg: My mother was intrigued when she saw the Himalayas for the first time.

• Tedious

Meaning: too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous.
Eg: I felt tedious after a 5-hour train journey.

• Liberty

Meaning: the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behaviour, or political views.
Eg: Youngsters have the liberty of choosing their own leaders.

• Urge

Meaning: try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something.
Eg: Meera urged the council members to accept her research proposal.

• Quarantine

Meaning: a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.
Eg: Kim had to quarantine herself after returning from Nepal.

Part 3 Questions

1. Do Indian people like to take photos of themselves?

Of course. Every Indian loves taking selfies or photos of themselves. With the accessibility of smartphones and unique camera features, people have become addicted to taking selfies and photos.

With the invention of digital cameras, people have more opportunities to take photos from any location, distance and angle take as many photos as they want. In addition, most youngsters in India love posting their photos/ selfies on their social media. In a nutshell, taking selfies and photos and sharing them on social media is pretty much a part of life now.

2. What kinds of devices do people like to use for taking photos these days?

Gone were the days when people depended on DSLRs for good portraits or photos because, in today’s technologically advanced world, many devices have been introduced from which one can take perfect portraits, photos, selfies or videos. Some of the most common devices used by people are front and back camera mobile phones, DSLR, GoPro, Instax share, AI-enabled camera, 360 camera, etc.

3. Why do some people like to delete photos?

Some people like deleting their photos because it may contain harmful effects due to clarity. Usually, people click a lot of photos, and they keep the good ones by filtering and deleting the bad ones. Other possible reasons for deleting photos may be because the specific picture may bring back the memories that one doesn’t want to remember, or they just want to free up the space in their devices.

4. Why do some people like to keep photos?

Some people like to keep a record of their photos because photographs are mirrors of the past as it has captured beautiful and invaluable moments of life, and one would definitely don’t want to lose such precious gems.

5. Has the way people take photos changed?

Definitely, with each decade passing, people’s way of taking photos has changed a lot. With the availability of cost-effective smartphones, the scenario has entirely changed. People don’t have to worry about wasting the reels (film), which was once preserved.

Vocabulary

• Accessibility

Meaning: the quality of being easy to obtain or use.
Eg: Students don’t have the accessibility to log in to the university portal.

• Invaluable

Meaning: extremely useful; indispensable
Eg: I lost my grandmother’s invaluable ring.

• Preserve

Meaning: maintain (something) in its original or existing state.
Eg: The University preserved the student’s records in a storeroom.

• Device

Meaning: a thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment
Eg: Students developed a device that would assist them to know their project deadlines.

• Opportunity

Meaning: time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something
Eg: The top ranker got an opportunity to meet the counsellor.