Analyzing a Visual Argument Introduction to Elements of Composition Adapted from a presentation by Nicole Connolly, GSW

Our Focus: Food Advertisements Everyone has to eat, so they’re basically unavoidable Present in so many places of our lives: television commercials, junk mail, billboards, the packaging of food itself, etc. The purpose of food advertisements is to persuade a consumer to purchase that product instead of another one How much of what you see in a food advertisement is accurate and honest? What do food advertisements promise to fulfill in your life?

Arrangement How are the different elements of the photo arranged? What relationship do they have in terms of size and distance? What is in front and behind? What is small or large? How does the arrangement guide your reading of the image?

Arrangement Exercise

Body Language How are the figures in the image presented? What poses are they making? What are the expressions on their faces?

Body Language Exercise

Color What colors are being used? How do they affect the viewer? Are some colors more noticeable than others? Are they helping to denote what is good, bad, fresh, etc.? Are they drawing the viewer’s eye to any one particular element?

Color Exercise

Context How do the words in the image affect the visual? How do the visuals affect the words? How does the font choice affect the image? Is intertextuality (reference to other texts/sources) used?

Context Exercise

Perspective How is the picture framed? Where is the camera pointing to and from? Is the reader in the picture or on the outside looking in?

Perspective Exercise

Vectors and Focal Point Where are the figures in the visual looking? Are the lines in the image pointing in a particular direction? Where is the viewer’s focus drawn?

Vectors and Focal Point Exercise

More Samples What else can you comment upon? How do these elements work together? Are there other elements of composition being used here?

More Samples

More Samples

Homework Assignment Find a food advertisement that uses these elements to make a visual argument, and have it printed Check adsoftheworld.com, your junk mail, the internet, food packaging, etc. Be careful for parodies! Must be an image with text, and one that is not used in this class By hand, annotate the advertisement, commenting on these factors We will use this advertisement to build theses next class, so if it’s not going smoothly, pick a new advertisement! Read <K&M and SMG> for more guidance