Visual Literacy

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Visual Literacy

• Visual Representation

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What are visual texts?

• Visual texts are texts in which meaning is shaped
  and communicated by images rather than words.
• Visual texts use techniques such as line, shape,
  space, colour, movement, perspective, angle and
  juxtaposition to shape meaning.
• Examples of visual texts include cartoons,
  billboards, photographs, artworks, web pages and
  illustrations.

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What is visual literacy?

• Visual literacy is the ability to decode,
  interpret, create, question, challenge and
  evaluate texts that communicate with visual
  images as well as, or rather than, words.
• Visually literate people can read the intended
  meaning in a visual text such as an advertisement
  or film shot, interpret the purpose and intended
  meaning, and evaluate the form, structure and
  features of the text.
• They can also use images in a creative and
  appropriate way to express meaning.

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Composition ...how visual texts are composed

• How is meaning made? Consider the following
  elements
• Symbols, signs and repetition
• Use of colour
• Perspective foreground, mid-ground, background
• Framing
• Positioning of elements, e.g. centring,
  off-centre
• Focal point
• Reading pathways (vectors)
• Angles
• Use of action/stillness

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What is a symbol?

• A symbol is something that stands for or
  represents something else.
• Can you deconstruct the following symbols?

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Cultural symbols ...
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Australian cultural symbols ...
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Symbolic objects

• Look at the following objects and write down a
  symbolic meaning for each

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Colour can be used for meaning and effect

• Colours can have symbolic meaning. For each of
  the colours below, write down one or two symbolic
  meanings.
• BLACK WHITE
• PINK RED
• GOLD BLUE
• GREEN PURPLE

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Animal Symbolism

• Animals can also be used to enhance meaning and
  visual effect. Write down a possible meaning for
  these animals

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Animal symbolism in advertising

• Look at the following ads which are based upon
  animal symbolism
• What animal is used?
• How is colour used? What colours are used?
• How does the use of symbols and colour enhance
  the visual text ... How are we as responders
  positioned? Would you buy the product? Why/why
  not?

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Visual text analysis

• Look at the following image and fill out your
  Language Analysis sheet.
• Does the written text complement the image?

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