+ Visual Literacy
Mar 26, 2015
+
Visual Literacy
+
SalienceSalience refers to the feature in a picture that grabs
your attention
+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
What is most salient?
What part of this image is most salient?
Why is it most salient?
+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
+
Describing the Reading Path
In this image, what path/s does/do your
eyes follow?
+What is the reading path here?
+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
+
Explain how vectors work in the following
images
+The Last Supper
+Compositional Axis
The left, is known or given;
The right is new or unknown.
The upper section is ideal;
The lower elements are real.
The Vertical Axis The Horizontal Axis
+Does the theory work?
+
The Centre
Images here are the nucleus information.
The margin images are subservient
+
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
+Framing
continued…
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.
+ Gaze
Demands and offers.
Demand: subject looks out of the image at the responder
This establishes a connection between subject and viewer
+
Gaze continued
…
Offer: The figure looks away.
The viewer is a detached onlooker.
+Subjective and Objective
Viewpoints The viewpoints come from the vertical and
horizontal angles
Subjective viewpoints encourage the viewer to adopt a certain stance
Objective viewpoints have the viewer not being drawn into involvement with the image.
Meaning comes from the symbolic connection made by the reader
SUBJECTIVE
A high angle gives the viewer a sense of power
SUBJECTIVE
A low angle makes the viewer feel powerless
SUBJECTIVE
A straight on eye level
view creates no power
difference.
+OBJECTIVE
Social DistanceA close up is intimate
A medium shot is close
A whole figure framed is close
A long shot is disconnecting the audience (far social distance)
+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
+How is mood created here?
+What effect does colour have
here?
+What is the effect of the use of
light?
+How is light used here?
Modality/CredibilityLowest modality
graphics are the least real.
Highest modality is most real.
Influences On Modality
Idealisation: the image is better than real
Decontextualisation:Components are removed from the expected context and used elsewhere.
Influences on Modality continued…
Modality can be affected by
tricks with perspective