UNDERSTANDING VISUALS

WHY STUDY VISUALS?

Communication Oldest form Universal Immediate

Increasing Technology Manipulation Awareness

TYPES OF VISUALS: Still

Advertisements Billboards Internet Newspapers &

Magazines Brochures Cartoons Collages

Comics Drawings Flyers/Leaflets Paintings Photographs Posters Signs Websites

TYPES OF VISUALS: Moving

Advertisements Commercials, Trailers, Spots, etc.

Films Multimedia Presentations Plays Television Websites Videos

COMMON TERMS & TOOLS

PURPOSE

The effect the artist hopes to achieve with the visual.

It may be to persuade, to inform, or to manipulate.

Artists usually consider under what circumstances the visual will be viewed.

AUDIENCE

The artist usually considers to whom s/he is directing the visual.

Visuals may be designed for certain groups of people:

Age Culture Education Interests Sex Sexuality Religion Race Occupation Social Status

AUDIENCE

MEDIUM

The medium is the vehicle by which the visual is conveyed, such as an illustration, a photo, a collage, or even a video.

Medium may also include the materials used to create the visual, such as oil paint or digital photography.

TONE

The attitude of the artist.

A visual may have, for example, a silly, serious, scary, or sad tone.

Artists use tools such as font style, colour, shape and placement to help establish tone.

TONE: What tones are felt here?

BALANCE

The way shapes are arranged.

When shapes are balanced, they create a feeling of order or harmony.

When shapes are not balanced, they create a sense of tension.

Think of balance as visual symmetry.

BALANCE: A Little Trick!

Balanced = harmonious

Unbalanced = tension

COLOUR

Colour is made up of hue, intensity, and value.

It is used by artists to represent the way things really look and also to create feelings.

The effects of colour on the viewer may be stronger than any other element.

COLOUR: Hue

(or tint) refers to the name of the colour, such as red or blue.

COLOUR: Intensity

the purity and strength of a colour, such as dull red or bright blue.

COLOUR: Value

the lightness or darkness of a colour.

EMPHASIS

Drawing attention to something by use of colour, size, or placement.

Closely Related to Focal Point.

FOCAL POINT

The main area of interest

It is usually that element of the visual to which our eyes are immediately drawn.

FORM

The height, width, and depth of a structure, all of which can create perspective.

HARMONY

The quality that binds the parts of a visual image into a whole. It is often created through simplicity and repetition.

Closely related to Balance.

LINE

The basic unit of any image that has both length and direction.

Straight lines often suggest order.

Jagged lines can suggest power, fear, or confusion.

Curved lines may suggest motion or softness.

Diagonal lines can suggest motion or tension.

LINE: Impact on Mood?

MOVEMENT

A sense of energy in a visual, determined by the spaces between shapes and by the shapes themselves.

PROPORTION

The comparative relationship between parts in a visual.

SHAPE

A space that is enclosed by a line. Almost anything can be shown using

three basic shapes: Squares Circles Triangles.

SPACE

The distance or area between, around, above, below, or within things.

Space can isolate an object or make it stand out.

It can also create tension between objects.

TEXTURE

The quality or feel of an object’s surface, such as roughness or smoothness.

Can be “felt” with the eyes and sometimes, literally, with the hands.

TEXTURE: See and Touch

CONCLUSION

Don’t get overwhelmed. Set a clear goal or purpose. Focus on what tools best help

achieve that goal or purpose. Experiment. Have fun! “Art is an experience, not the

formulation of a problem.” –Lindsay Anderson