The Use of Symbols as Visual Communication Remember

The Use of Symbols as Visual Communication

Remember this? At the beginning of the semester, we learned that ancient man signed his artwork in caves by leaving his hand print. This hand print was a symbol left behind that others could identify as being from the artist. It stood for the person who had been there.

Humans from 25, 000 BCE were not so different from us, today. . . We are still using symbols so we can communicate with other people. Don't forget, art is visual communicatio

Ancient graffiti found inside the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Ancient graffiti found at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Symbols are important, because they help us make our mark, leave our name, write our story. After all, pictures became symbols of the thing they represented, then they became letter sounds, and then we had written language.

The ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic for “heart” is a vase with handles. When they made a mummy, they removed the heart last. In place of it, they left a carved scarab beetle with words asking that the heart didn't give bad witness about the person. In modern times you may have heard the term, “Speaking from the heart. ” What does that mean?

Symbols surround us each day. We don't pay attention to them so much, but they are very important. They communicate without words, and so are understood no matter what language you speak.

The earliest known depiction of a heart shape is this painting from a manuscript in the 13 th century CE. (The Middle Ages. )

The symmetrical shape that we recognize as the meaning of “heart” or “love” was developed at the end of the Middle Ages. (500 CE-1500 CE) The modern red heart has been used on playing cards since the late 15 th century.

And, all of this is to bring us to a symbol that will be very important to some of us soon. . .

Your next project: During this week, you will be investigating the shape of the “heart” symbol, and creating a design that you will color using oil pastels.

Here are examples of the types of pictures you could make. . .

The heart on the right is just for fun!

We'll try out oil pastels on a small piece of paper first, so you can get used to using this new art medium. Then, you'll draw a heart design on paper with a pencil. You may want to make a pattern by folding a piece of paper and cutting out half a heart. Then unfold it, and your heart will by symmetrical. But it doesn't HAVE to be symmetrical! Oil pastels allow you to create a design that has vibrant colors. . . a few or many. You will have a week to complete your work. If you make it to give to someone on Friday, you will have a ready-made Valentine gift!

Resources: Nova. com http: //www. historian. net/files. htm "Heart symbol. " <http: //www. symbols. com/symbol/1809>.