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

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 = harmoniousUnbalanced = 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