Visual Literacy
Visual literacy is the ability to read, interpret, and evaluate images and visual texts. In a media-rich world, understanding how images construct meaning is an essential skill.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Visual texts use composition, colour, gaze, and salience to direct viewer attention
Vectors (lines and directional cues) guide the eye through an image
Colour choices carry symbolic and emotional meanings in visual texts
Gaze — whether a subject looks at the viewer or away — affects the relationship constructed
Key Vocabulary
Salience
The degree to which an element stands out and draws the viewer's attention
Composition
The arrangement of elements within a visual frame
Gaze
The direction a subject looks in an image; affects the viewer's relationship with the subject
Vector
A line or directional element in an image that guides the viewer's eye
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
In an advertisement, a large, brightly coloured product is placed centrally. This technique uses:
Question 2
A photo shows a child looking directly at the camera with sad eyes. What effect does this direct gaze create?
Question 3
In a photograph, diagonal lines lead the viewer's eye from a small figure in the foreground to a large building in the background. These lines are:
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Visual texts use composition, colour, gaze, and salience to direct viewer attention
- ●Vectors (lines and directional cues) guide the eye through an image
- ●Colour choices carry symbolic and emotional meanings in visual texts
- ●Gaze — whether a subject looks at the viewer or away — affects the relationship constructed