Visual Args WA C 9 Rhetorical Triangle Visual

Visual Args (WA C. 9) Rhetorical Triangle Visual arguments help all points of triangle How?

Ways of Analyzing Visual Args As you view a visual object, think about: Design Elements Compositional Features of drawings or photographs Genre We'll look at each of these in turn.

Design Elements Use of type: font style, size, emphasis (bold, ALL CAPS, italics, underlining)

Design Elements (cont. ) Use of space and layout page size & type of paper proportion of text to white space arrangement of text on page use of highlighting elements (bulleted lists, tables, boxes, sidebars, etc. ) use of headings; breaking text into visual units

Design Elements (cont. ) Use of color variations in font color for effect use of color in images or graphics use of background tints and colored shading

Design Elements (cont) Images and graphics photographs drawings numeric graphs

Compositional Features Type of drawing or photograph documentary-like fiction-like

Compositional Features (cont. ) Distance from subject close-up increase intensity suggest importance of subject long shot blend subject into background emphasize surroundings

Compositional Features (cont. ) Orientation of image and camera angle above subject, below subject, etc? facing subject or behind subject Point of view Use of color

Compositional Features (cont. ) Compositional special effects blurring blending realistic & unrealistic images Juxtaposition of images how do images in scene relate to each other? Manipulation of images air-brushing cropped for emphasis? background removal

Compositional Features (cont. ) Settings, furnishing, & props Characters, roles, actions image tells a story? what are people in image doing? Presentation of images multiple images – how do they relate to each other? how does text relate to images?

Genres Posters & fliers Public Affairs/Advocacy Cartoons Web pages Many more. . . Think about intended audience. Think about source What do they say about image?

Analysis of Visual Arg Analyze visual argument using three categories (and subcategories) we just talked about design elements compositional features genre Looks at specific elements and figure out what argument is being made

Font usage

Documentary

Realistic?

Distance from subject Setting Characters, roles, actions

Close-up Juxtaposition of images

Point of view Long shot Use of color Manipulation of image

Orientation – photographing subject downwards Characters, roles, and actions Props

Orientation – photographing subject upwards Special effects

Use of Color in photographs Characters, roles, and actions