Into to visual literacy

1. Visual Techniques
Terms for analysis

2. Salience

Salience refers
to the feature in
a composition
that most grabs
your attention.

3. An image can be made salient
through:






Placement: usually an image becomes
“heavier” if placed towards the top or
left.
Colour
Size
Focus
Distance
A combination of these things.

4. What is most salient?


What part of this
image is most
salient?
Why is it most
salient?

5. Reading paths

A reading path is the path you take
through a visual text. The path moves
from the most salient to the least salient
elements.

6. Describing the reading path.

In this
image, what
path/s
does/do
your eyes
follow?

8. What is the reading path
here?

9. Vectors



A vector is a line that leads your eye
from one element to another.
A vector may be a visible line or an
invisible one.
It can be created by such things as a
gaze, pointing fingers or extended
arms.

10. 
Explain how vectors
work in the following
images.

11. The Last Supper

14. Compositional axis
The vertical
axis:


The horizontal
axis:

The left, is known
or given;

The right is new or
unknown.
The upper section is
ideal;
The lower elements
are real.

15. Does the theory work?

17. The centre


Images here are the nucleus
information.
The margin images are subservient.

19. Framing

Elements in a layout can be
disconnected and marked off from each
other or connected. If elements are cut
off from one another they are strongly
framed.

21. Framing.


Framing can be achieved by borders,
discontinuities of colour and shape, or
by white space.
Connectedness can be achieved by
vectors and devices such as
overlapping or superimposition of
images.

23. Gaze


Demands and offers.
Demand: subject looks out of the image
at the responder.
This establishes a connection between
subject and viewer.

25. Gaze
Offer: The figure looks
away.
 The viewer is a detached
onlooker.


27. Subjective and objective
viewpoints

The viewpoints come from
the vertical and horizontal
angles.

28. Subjective viewpoints encourage the
viewer to adopt a certain stance

A high angle
gives the viewer
a sense of
power

29. Subjective images continued

A low angle
makes the
viewer feel
powerless

30. Subjective images.

A straight on
eye level view
creates no
power
difference.

31. Objective images

The viewer is not drawn into
involvement with the image. Meaning
comes from the symbolic connection
made by the reader.

33. Social Distance.




A close up is
intimate
A medium shot is
close
A whole figure
framed is close.
A long shot is far
social distance

34. Lighting and Colour





Lighting creates mood
-Shadows may suggest concealment or
fear and despair
-Light, hope and inspiration.
-Soft light, romance.
Colour can be symbolic

35. How is mood created here?

36. What effect does colour have
here?

37. What is the effect of the use of
light?

38. How is light used here?

39. Modality/credibility


Lowest modality
graphics are the
least real.
Highest modality is
most real.

42. Influences on modality



Idealisation: the
image is better
than real.
Decontextualisatio
n:
Components are
removed from the
expected context
and used
elsewhere.

43. Influences on modality cont.

Modality can be
affected by
tricks with
perspective.

45. The End