Reading Pictures 2 Elements of Design
Visual literacy = ability to describe picture books in terms of elements of design
Elements of Design colour light line shape texture layout media style
Colour and light suggest emotion strength transparent or opaque high or low contrast
Colour and light suggest emotion tone strong or soft warm or cold bright or dark
Colour and light suggest emotion
range full limited
Line suggests direction, motion, energy, or mood vertical, diagonal horizontal
Line suggests direction, motion, energy, or mood straight curved
Line suggests direction, motion, energy, or mood thick or thin static or fluid
Shape emphasizes mood organic or geometric balanced or unbalanced realistic or distorted
Texture suggests depth and appeals to the sense of touch Rough Smooth
Page design and layout affects how illustrations are experienced size of page shape of page placement and arrangement of text use of frames or borders
Page design and layout affects how illustrations are experienced page spreads-- double or single page turns typeface
Media refers to materials used to create illustrations paint chalk or pastel woodcuts collage pencil photographs mixed media
Media refers to materials used to create illustrations: (coloured) pencil
Media refers to materials used to create illustrations: watercolour paint
Media refers to materials used to make illustrations: oil paint
Media refers to materials used to make illustrations: mixed media (pencil, coloured pencil, coloured ink, watercolour)
Media refers to materials used to create illustrations: pastels
Media refers to materials used to create illustrations: fabric
Media refers to materials used to make illustrations: collage and cut paper
Media refers to materials used to make illustrations: woodcuts
Style refers to total effect of elements of design Realistic Impressionistic Expressionistic Surrealistic Comic Primitive
Realistic art accurately reflects the external world
Primitive art appears raw, untutored, naive
Expressionistic art distorts colour and form to convey inner experience
Comic art (or cartoon) provides a humorously simplified view of life
Impressionism uses colour, shadow, and light to convey life in a glimpse
Surrealistic art uses images and symbols to depict subconscious mind
Surrealistic art uses images and symbols to escape the rational world
Problem for Discussion “After several generations of elevating our expectations of children’s literature, a growing chorus of voices seems to be calling instead for its degradation, for what might be crankily described as its ‘dumbing down,’ … by decreeing that the kind of artistry we used to look for is suddenly too arcane to be apprehended by young readers of the MTV generation. And therefore, instead of being a hallmark of excellence, art is now considered an impediment to readers’ appreciation” Michael Cart, School Library Journal (1993)