Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy
Visual Rhetoric: how/why visual images
communicate meaning.
Visual Literacy: involves all the processes
of knowing and responding to a visual
image, as well as the thought that might
go into constructing or manipulating an
image.
Background Information
1. Who is the Artist?
2. What is the title of the artwork?
3. What was the original purpose of the
artwork?
4. Who was the intended audience?
5. What is the subject of the artwork?
6. Who or what can we identify in the artwork?
Background continued:
(Artistic Style &Art History)
7. Does the artwork (or the artist) belong to any
particular school or style?
8. Does the artwork have any connections with
history (i.e., does it depict a historical event, or
have it’s own history surrounding it?
Artistic Styles
1. Representational: art which attempts to
represent the world in a “realistic” manner.
2. Abstraction: recognizable subject matter broken down into
simplified shapes.
3. Expressionism: an artistic style that began in
Germany in the late 1800s which emphasized
the expression of thoughts and feelings through
color change and distortion of subject matter.
4. Non-objective: artwork which has no reference
to the natural world (no object).
Elements of Art
The Elements of Art are the
building blocks of art creation.
They are analyzed, organized, and
manipulated by artists.
Line
Line: A path left by a moving dot.
Types of lines:
1.Actual Line: Lines you can “actually” see.
Example: Contour Lines: Lines which outline shapes.
2. Lines formed by Edges: Lines that are created when two shapes
of different values are overlap each other.
3. Implied Lines (Psychic Lines): Invisible lines created by eye
direction or placement of subject matter.
Functions of Line
1. Lines define shape, outline, and
form.
Example: contour lines
2. Lines can imply Movement and
Feeling:
– Diagonal lines imply dramatic
movement or agitation.
– Horizontal lines imply stillness
or peacefulness.
3. Lines can create Emphasis: areas of
the artwork intended to draw the
viewer’s attention.
4. Lines can be used to create Value:
– Hatching
– Cross- hatching
– Stippling
5. Line can create pattern and texture
Shape
• Describes two-dimensional boundaries
• Geometric: square, triangle, circle, rectangle,
etc.
• Organic: shapes with curvy contours, are
derived from nature
Form
• Form (Mass): Describes three-dimensional
boundaries
• The illusion of form can be made in a twodimensional boundary.
Texture
• Visual Texture: 2-D, looks like you can feel it,
but you cannot
• Actual texture: real texture, you can feel it
Space
• 1. Illusionary space- 2-D space and depth in a picture plane
– Linear perspective-based on parallel lines converging as their distance
from the observer increases.
– Atmospheric perspective- based on the apparent reduction of the
detail and color intensity of objects as their distance from the observer
increases.
• 2. Actual space- space in the three dimensional realm
Perspective
Creating the illusion of space on a two-dimensional surface
A. Size: smaller items appear to farther away. Large items appear
to be closer.
B. Over-lapping: the item in front appears to be closer
C. Position: items higher on the picture plane appear to be farther
away. Items lower on the picture plane appear to be closer.
D. Components of perspective:
1. Horizon line
2. Vanishing point
Foreshortening: applying perspective to animal or human
forms.
Value
• Light and dark properties in a composition
• 1. Modeling: Using value to create the illusion of
3-dimensionallity.
• 2. Shading: Basic drawing technique (usually
pencil or charcoal) used to create value.
Color
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Primary Colors: red, yellow & blue- all
pigment colors are created by mixing these
Secondary Colors: created by mixing two
primary colors: orange, green, violet (purple)
Tertiary Colors: (analogous colors) created by
mixing a primary and it’s adjacent secondary
color: example>>> yellow-orange
Complimentary colors: color opposite each
other on the color wheel (they intensify each
other) >>>make brighter
Color Wheel
Color Properties
• Hue: the name of the color
(example: blue-violet)
• Value: light/dark
– Tint: add white to lighten the
value of a color
– Shade: add black to darken
the value of a color
• Intensity-brightness of hue
– To dull the hue, add the color
compliment
•
add green to red to make red
less intense)
• less gray = more intense
• more gray = less intense
Color Schemes
Color Schemes:
• Monochromatic:
variations of the same
hue
• Complimentary: colors
opposite each other on
the color wheel.
• Analogous: Combining
colors adjacent to each
other on the color wheel.
• Triad: three color equally
spaced on the color
wheel.
Optical Effects of Color
• Simultaneous contrast: two
complimentary colors placed
side by side intensify each
other.
• After image: after images are
comprised of complimentary
colors of the original image.
• Optical mixture of color:
mixing color with the eyes.
– Example:
– Pointillism: a method of
painting created by Georges
Seurat which utilized tiny dots
of color placed next to each
other to form variations of
colors optically. Example >>>
blue dots mixed with yellow
dots = green
Principles of Design
The Principles of design can be
thought of as what we do to the
elements of design. How we apply
the principles of design
determines how successful we are
in creating a work of art.
Unity
• Unity: (harmony) visual elements seem to belong together.
• Ways to create Unity:
– Proximity: locating elements close together (grouping of
objects).
– Continuation: a series of elements which relate and continue
relatively uninterrupted through much of the artwork.
– Repetition: elements which repeat such as: line, shape, or
color.
Variety
• a combination of visual elements to create
complexity and visual interest “difference”.
• Variety can be created with different shapes,
colors, or values.
Contrast
• Juxtaposition, or side by side placement , of one
or more elements in opposition to show their
differences.
Balance
• Balance in design is similar to balance in physics
– A large shape close to the center can be balanced by
a small shape close to the edge.
– A large light toned shape will be balanced by a small
dark toned
shape (the darker the shape the heavier it appears to
be)
– Asymmetrical balance
Kinds of Balance
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1.Symmetrical (formal): equal distribution of visual
elements.
2. Asymmetrical (informal): unequal distribution of
visual elements
3.Radial: elements radiate out from a central point
Emphasis
• Emphasis and focal point: an element or area
which stands out in a composition.
• making one or more elements in a work of art
appear more important or significant.
Pattern
• A planned repetition of one or more elements in
a work of art
Repetition
• one or more of the elements in a work of art
being repeated again.
Proportion
• The size relationship between the parts of an
image and the whole.
Movement
• Act of creating a distinctive structure that shows
a feeling of action that guides a viewer’s eye
through a work of art.
Rhythm
• employment of repeated movement in a
sequence of one or more elements to make a
work seem active or to suggest repetition.
• harmonious repetition of visual elements which
create a pattern