UNIT1 VISUAL IMAGES

UNIT 1: VISUAL IMAGES

MAIN TOPIC

1. “The main characteristic of visual communication.”

2. “Different visual languages we use to communicate”.

●WHAT IS AN IMAGE?

It’s the visual appearance of a person, object or thing, represented by an expressive form of art like drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, etc.

Thanks to visual images, we can understand a variety of messages and information through their shapes, colours and textures.

●WHAT IS VISUAL COMMUNICATION?

Images that transmit different messages.

●VISUAL LANGUAGES.-

Visual languages use universal images that people from different countries, cultures and societies can understand.

Photography, film, television, comics and cartoons use visual languages to transmit different messages.

● PARTS OF AN IMAGE.-

An image has three basic components (=parts):

1. Visual elements that make up an image. These elements are dots, lines, colours, textures, spatial order and composition.

2. Meaning: we use our knowledges, ideas and feelings to decipher the meaning of an image.

3. Materials and techniques: we analyse the artist’s materials (pigments, papers, plastics, fabrics, etc.) and techniques (drawing, painting, photography, computer technology…)

MAIN TOPIC

1.“The relation between an image and what is represents (degree of likeness)”

In order to understand the images that surround us, we need a system that classifies them, according to their most characteristic elements, for example:

● TYPES OF IMAGES.-

1. Its degree of likeness. Visual and representative images have an exact likeness.

For example:

- Which images have little or no likeness to reality? (Abstract and symbolic images)

2. The intention of the artist.

For example:

- What’s the difference in an artist’s intention when he/she creates a representative, abstract or symbolic image? (The artist wants to represent real life. The artist doesn’t want to represent real life. The artist wants to represent an idea)

So, we have the following types of images:

1. Visual or artistic images.-

These are what we see when we look directly at a person, a view or an object. We call them paintings, sculptures, photographs…

2. Representative or abstract images.-

Images represent reality in different ways, for example:

a) Representative images: figures or ideas that substitute reality.

b) Abstract style: images that not concretely represent real things.

MAIN TOPIC

1.“Different types of images according to their style, support or the tools used”.

Images can have different connotations depending on whether we are the artist or observer. So, when we have mental images, we can recreate what is inside us, using symbols more or less conventional.

1. Images from the mind.-

They are personal images from the artist‘s memory, emotions or imagination. These images show a reality different from the one we see.

For example, artists like Kandisky, Joan Miró or Paul Klee used images from their imagination or thoughts.

2. Symbolic images.-

A symbol is a representation of images associated with socially accepted concepts or ideas.

For example:

- A flat represents a country.

- A dove symbolises peace.

But other times, we create an image from an idea, for example, emoticons are used for expressing feelings when we write e-mails.

3. Still or moving images.-

- We talk about still images when they aren’t moving and the supports are photographs, paintings, drawings, lithographs, computer graphics, etc.

- Moving images are multimedia sequences and they use television, film, digital animation, etc.

6. Digital images.-

- They are created on a computer and they are still or moving.

- The support used is the multimedia presentation.

- Digital images transmit different messages.

TOPIC: SHAPES

Definition.-

- A shape is the outside appearance of an object with a defined surface area by its colour, texture, size and structure.

- Shapes are very important parts of the image: they are a visual element.

- Shapes are different if we think about their origin, for example:

1. Natural shapes (organic shapes): they are typical shapes for some element in nature(the shape of a leaf, the shape of an orange)

2. Spontaneous shapes: they are formed by nature, for accident (smooth stones).

3. Intelligent shapes (artificial shapes): they are made by humans (a light bulb).

TOPIC: FLAT SHAPES

We can use three basic shapes in graphic art:

- triangle

- circle

- square

And when we use together, they can become in more complex composition; they transmit to be flat or to have volume.

TOPIC: REPRESENTING IMAGES WITH SHAPES.

● Degree of likeness.-

We use this term to speak about different level of similarity between an image and the real object.

So we have representative forms: they give a three dimensional effect (3D):

- Height

- Width

- Depth

This volume makes them seem real.

● PARTS OF A SHAPE.-

1. Contour /Kanter/: It is the outside line of a figure. The contour gives us a very clear message.

2. Silhouette: It is the enclosed space of the same colour or texture. It puts emphasis on its visual message.

3. Enclose space: It is the inside space of a figure. It has texture and colour so it
gives us more visual information.

● TYPES OF A SHAPE.-

In order to classify shapes, we use three criteria:

a) Structure (distribution of the parts of a shape): enclosed or open shapes.

b) Organisation (how are the elements ordered): the shapes can be regular or irregular.

c) The space they occupy: positive or negative.

1. Enclosed shapes: they have a very clearly defined contour.

2. Open shapes: It’s very difficult to see defined contours because they are mixed. You can’t see when one contour ends and when another begins.

3. Regular shapes: they have equal sides and angles (square, equilateral triangle...)

4. Irregular shapes (they are the oppositive of regular): they don’t have equal sides and angles.

5. Positive shapes: we can see them taking up space and the space around is empty. (We write on paper using black for the positive element and white for the negative element).

6. Negative shapes: we can see them like empty space and the space around is taking up.