How to Analyse a Visual Text The following is a list of elements to look into when trying to interpret elements in a visual text, like a painting.

Color, Hue and Tone In black & white images examine the use of contrast, light and darkness. In a colour image, colours are used to signify feelings and evoke a response. E.g. Red = passion, anger, hell, vitality, etc. Blue = peace, harmony or coldness.

The Characters: Body Language and Gaze Facial expressions, gestures, stance or position – can convey the attitude, feelings or personality of the individual shown. Take note of the direction of the subject’s eyes.

Orientation and Point of View Relates to framing and angle: is the responder positioned above the image (looking down), below or at eye level?

Salience (Drawn Visually) The part that your eyes are first drawn to in the visual. Colour, image and layout determine what the predominant image is.

Symbolism The use of an image to represent one or more (often complex) ideas. What major symbols can you pick out? How do they work together to form a message?

Vectors (Direction & Focal Point) The line that our eyes take when looking at a visual. Composers deliberately direct our reading path through the vectors. Important topics are usually found within the line of sight, the painter draws your eyes to focal points. Anything left out of these focal points is considered “less important” or can also be analyzed.

How many of the elements we have discussed do you see here? Name them.

Your Turn a) What symbols/imagery can you analyze in this text? b) What theme would you associate it to? c) What title would you give to it? d) Which short story would you connect to it and why?

What short story does it remind you of? 2) Write a thesis to compare the two texts.