Visual Literacy Test 1

Why do we remember some of the most powerful images we have seen surrounding historical events? (Two reasons)

-Emotional Attachment -Repetitive

which two theories fall under this grouping (sensory) ?

-Gestalt -Constructivism

What two functions do visual communications rely on for the sensory information received?

-Literal -Symbolic

Difference between color for light and print

-RBG-eyes and screens, additive color, mixing colors, produces white light -CMYK: (paint & print) subtractive color: colors mixed, absorb colors & become darker

Isomorphism

-Relates to meaning & emotional response -When we see an image (painting or photo), we interpret its meaning based upon our experiences & memories

Semiotics

-Study or science of signs; field is culmination of Aldous Huxley's mantra: "the more you know, the more you see."

Constructivism

-Viewers eyes are constantly in motion as they scan an image to build a mental picture of a scene

which two theories fall under this grouping (perceptual)?

1. Semiotics 2. Cognitive Theory

3 types of signs

Iconic, Indexical, Symbolic

Four Visual Cues

Color, Form, Depth, Movement

What are complementary colors?

Colors opposite of each other on color wheel , Contrast

What is a general definition of perceptual theories?

Content driven; vision cannot happen w/out light illuminating, structuring, & sometimes creating perceptions; humans are unique b/c we assign complex meaning to objects we see

3 elements of form

Dots, Lines, Shapes

Mental

Fantasies, Dream, Daydreams

Gestalt

Form or shape

Augmented Reality

Future, QR codes to produce "reality" ads from 2D ads

Indexical Signs

Have a logical, common-sense connection to the thing/idea they represent rather than a direct resemblance to the object

Symbolic Signs

Have no logical or representational connection between them and the things the represent

What is a general definition of sensory theories ?

Help us understand how we can be attracted & distracted from direct or mediated visual messages (focuses on what brain sees - color, form, depth, & movement)

Mediated

Media-based, web based, art based

3 types of visual messages you brain processes

Mental, Direct, and Mediated

Semiotic Code used in advertising

Metonymy- you assume something about what you see

Which color is the most recognized color? According to the Objective Method, why is it the most recognized color?

Red: more quickly recognized by the eye; long wavelength; yellow-tinted cornea protects eye from ultraviolet rays & absorbs shorter wavelengths (blue & green) allowing red to pass through retina easier

Huxley's 3 Stages of Seeing

Sensing, Selecting, Perceiving

Apparent Movement

Series of moving images( motion pictures)

8 depth cues

Space, size, color, lighting, textual gradients, interposition, time, perspective

Difference between tint and shade

Tint is a color made lighter, Shade is a color made darker

What does it mean for an image to have a literal meaning?

Understand what you are looking at

Metonymic Code

You assume something about what you see

Iconic Signs

closely resemble what they are meant to represent

Contrast

colors from different parts of the color wheel

Conceptual

compositional trait that relies on a more symbolic definition of depth perception

Ethos

credibility, character

Geometrical

deity is higher and larger in the frame

Dots

dot anywhere within a space demands immediate attention, hundred of small grouped together can form pictures

Lines

dots drawn so close together that there is no space

What is a line?

dots drawn so close together that there is no space

What is a pixel?

dots on the computer screen

Proximity

elements near each other, in spatial proximity, are perceived as belonging together

Law of Common Fate

elements that move together are likely to be perceived as a unit

Pathos

emotion

Polygon

form created by a combo of these shapes

Subliminal Messages

hidden messages being sent in ads

Comparative

less accurate, more useful, color that another color is compared with must be accepted universally as a standard

Logos

logic/ reasoning

Mental activities of cognitive theory

memory, projection, expectation, selectivity, habituation, salience dissonance, culture, words

Subjective

most symbolic, highly subjective/ emotional, person's mental state or association

Similarity

objects that look similar will be automatically grouped together and perceived as a pattern

Implied Movement

perceived movement in an image

Continuation

perceived visual paths or connections

Objective

scientific method, perception of color is result of various wavelengths

condensed code

several signs that combine to form a new, composite image

Different gastalt principles

similarity , proximity, continuation, closure, figure/ground, symmetry, law of common fate

Direct

something happening in real life

Symmetry

the mind perceives objects as being symmetrical and forming around a center point

Figure/ Ground

the mind's ability to identify a figure from the background

Closure

the mind's tendency to connect individual elements to produce a completed form, unit, or pattern

Signifier

things that give meaning

Selecting

to focus and look at a specific part of a scene within the enormous frame of possibilites that sensing offers

Sensing

to look, letting enough light enter your eyes so that you can see objects immediately around you

Perceiving

to make sense of what you select

displaced code

transfer of meaning from one set of signs to another

Persuasion

uses factual info and emotional appeals to change a person's mind and promote a desired behavior

Propaganda

uses one-sided and often non factual info or opinions that appear to be facts along w/ emotional appeals,

Graphic Movement

way the eyes move through a layout

Signified

what is evoked in the mind

What was the goal of Hubel and Wiesel's research?

• To identify the different types of brain cells responsible for sight

What is the Young-Helmholtz Theory?

• Tri-chromatic theory: explained how the eye physically sees color • Thomas Young: first to link color & human eye • Hermann von Helmholtz: invented ophthalmoscope

analogical code

-Cause the viewer to make mental comparisons

Everette Dennis definition of advertising

Any form of non-personal & promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor

What are the two parts of a triangle and what do they represent?

Base-stability Apex-Tension

3 major forms of perspective

Illusionary, Geometrical, Conceptual

Artist that proposed there are 6 primary colors...

Leonardo Da Vinci

What is the stereoscopic process?

Looking at an image through a stereoscope is striking

What are the three methods for describing color?

Objective, Comparative, Subjective

Shapes

Parallelograms, circles, triangles, polygon

What does it mean for an image to have a symbolic meaning?

Perceive a deeper, perhaps emotional connection with the message's content

What technique did Georges Seurat use in his paintings?

Pointillism

What is image resolution?

Quality of the image; as resolution increases, image becomes clearer/sharper b/c more detail is added

Four types of movement

Real, apparent, graphic, implied

What is the major goal for using controversial or unusual images in persuasive advertising?

Used to shock potential customers to get attention

What part of the brain is responsible for processing visuals?

Visual Cortex

Cognitive Theory

What is going on in the viewer's mind is just as important as the images that can be seen

6 Primary Colors

White, Black, Red, Yellow, Green, Blue

Illusionary

achieved through size, color, lighting, interposition, and linear perspective

Real Movement

actually seen by the viewer

Sign

anything that conveys info or meaning