ANALYSIS OF VISUAL TEXTS

Creating and analysing meaning using visual

techniques

HOW MUCH DO WE RELY ON

VISUALS?

Scientists agree that at least 75% of

what we learn is derived visually

Sometimes we see more than is there

to see

Have a look at the next two slides to

see what you see and see if it makes
you feel like youre all at sea

THERE ARE MANY FACTORS IN CREATING OR

ANALYSING VISUAL TEXTS AND FEATURES

Symbolism
Colour
Lighting
Proportion/Size
Foreground/Backgro
und
Hyperbole

Lettering/Font
Layout/Position
Body Language
Clothing
Shot Size

SYMBOLISM

The use of signs to carry a message in

a simple picture form. These can be
people used to symbolise particular
parts of society or objects that
symbolise characteristics in a
character.

DESCRIBE WHAT THESE IMAGES MEAN TO YOU

SYMBOLISM

When we analyse images for their symbolic

meaning we dont just identify what the
symbol represents we need to go deeper and
discuss the effect of the symbol on the viewer.
For example the swastika represents Nazi
Germany during WW11. But arguably the
effect of the symbol is to:

Bring to mind the Jewish Holocaust and its horrors.

Represent evil incarnate
Serve as a warning to learn from the past
Remind us that evil regimes must be challenged

COLOUR

Colour can be used to attract attention

to a certain point in a static image or to
create a mood.
It can also be used to represent feelings
or emotions.

COLOUR

Black - Death rebellion, strength and evil. Associated with

the supernatural, it can also suggest inner strength and
determination, as well as power and formality.

White - Purity, chastity and cleanliness.

Black & White - Nostalgia, seriousness, truth, and

detachment.

Brown - Credibilty, stability, and neutrality.

Orange - Warmth and strength of personality. Associated

with Autumn, it also has a broad appeal.

COLOUR

Blue - Peace, tranquility, truth, dignity, power, melancholy, coolness,

heaviness. Regarded as being therapeutic.

Yellow - Happiness, cheerfulness. Can denote caution, decay and

sickness.

Red - Warmth, urgency, passion, heat, blood, excitement, danger and

hostility. Used an accent colour, it can promote expectation and quick
decision-making.

Green - Growth, fertility, health, cheerfulness, vegetation and money.

Signifies life, new growth, energy and faith.

Grey - Cool detachment, bleakness, and lack of intensity.

Purple - Wealth, royalty, sophistication and intelligence. Also the

colour of passion and love.

LIGHTING

Related to colour.
How has a subject been lit?
Is the lighting bright or dim?
Is the subject lit from above
or below?
What is the effect?
Shadows are created by
lighting, which can help
create certain moods, such
as fear.

DISCUSS THE EFFECTS OF LIGHTING ON THESE

IMAGES

PROPORTION / SIZE

Proportion can be used to show

relationships between objects,
by showing one to be larger
than the other or more
dominant than the others.
The size of an object in a
picture often shows how
important that object is
compared to the other things in
the scene.
Larger objects are usually the
most important.

FOREGROUND / BACKGROUND

The part of the scene or picture that is or

seems to be nearest to the one looking at it
is said to be the foreground of the picture.
Objects in the foreground appear bigger
than those in the background.

HYPERBOLE

Deliberate
exaggeration of
particular parts of
the images, or parts
within the image.

For example,
deliberately making
Superman's arms
huge, to show that
he is particularly
strong.

DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF THESE EXAGGERATIONS

LETTERING / FONT

The style that the words

have been written in.
Look at the font, the
colour, the size, the
layout and any variety
within these (not the
actual words
themselves).

SAFETY FIRST

DANGER

HELP DESK

BEWARE

LAYOUT / POSITION

The way components are put together on

the page is called the layout of a static
image.
Usually there is a dominant subject that
takes up the majority of space on the page.
The position of an object in a picture shows
its importance - objects in the foreground
are usually most important.
Objects in the centre a usually more
important than objects to the side.

LAYOUT / POSITION

An example with the important image in the fore

Notice also how the slide is balanced

LAYOUT / POSITION

Which is the dominant image/character?

Notice also how the slide remains balanced

LAYOUT / POSITION

Sometimes images can be unbalanced

but still be effective but you have to
be careful

LAYOUT / POSITION

Dont let your visual presentations get

too busy you lose the impact on the
viewer

LAYOUT / POSITION

Consider the Rule of Thirds which stems

from the theory that the human eye
naturally gravitates to intersection points
that occur when an image is split into
thirds.

In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two
imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making
three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images.
Important compositional elements and leading lines are
placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines
intersect.

RULE OF THIRDS

BODY LANGUAGE

People in
images/photographs can
communicate their feelings
through body language.

Body language refers to the way we

use our eyes, our facial expressions,

BODY LANGUAGE

What are these people communicating

with their body language?

BODY LANGUAGE

What are these people communicating

with their body language?

BODY LANGUAGE

What is being communicated by these?

BODY LANGUAGE

What is being communicated whats

happening?

CLOTHING

Clothing and hairstyles often symbolise people's

attitude toward society and their position in it.
What sort of people wear these
clothes?

SHOT / SIZE

Different types of shots

highlight different aspects.

A distant view will

emphasise the setting,

A close-up can concentrate

on specific features such as
a falling tear to emphasise
emotion.

Or you can use a composite

WHAT IS EMPHASIZED IN THESE

SHOTS?

HOW DO WE USE ALL THIS IN CREATING IMAGERY?

We need to do more than just point out

what weve created.
We need to explain the intended or
expected effect on the viewer.
We need to:

highlight why we have used specific images;

why we have laid out the poster, brochure,
pamphlet as we have;
what reaction in the viewer we hoped to
achieve.

AN EXAMPLE LOOK AT THE POSTER BELOW

Write an analysis
of the poster

Comment on as
many features as
you can

In detail

2 minutes!

THIS IS THE LIST OF FACTORS TO

CONSIDER

Symbolism
Colour
Lighting
Proportion/Size

Foreground/Backgroun
d
Hyperbole
Lettering/Font
Layout/Position
Body Language
Clothing
Shot Size

AN EXAMPLE LOOK AT THE POSTER BELOW

Write an analysis
of the poster

Comment on as
many features as
you can

In detail

2 minutes!

THIS IS THE LIST OF FACTORS TO

CONSIDER

Symbolism
Colour
Lighting
Proportion/Size

Foreground/Backgroun
d
Hyperbole
Lettering/Font
Layout/Position
Body Language
Clothing
Shot Size

AN EXAMPLE LOOK AT THE POSTER BELOW

Write an analysis of this poster - 2 minutes!

THIS IS THE LIST OF FACTORS TO

CONSIDER

Symbolism
Colour
Lighting
Proportion/Size

Foreground/Backgroun
d
Hyperbole
Lettering/Font
Layout/Position
Body Language
Clothing
Shot Size

KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THAT KILLER

IMAGE