Home > Subjects > English > English level 1 > 1.7 Create a visual text > Subject content > Static image
- Subject: English
- AS: 90855
- Level: 1
- Credits: 3
- Internal
1.7 Create a visual text
Static image
To make a static image you need to be familiar with a range of different techniques and examples. See reading visual text for a list of visual and verbal techniques and exercises. See Introduction to static images for information on composition.
Carefully select and rework production features such as colour, font, background, border, dominant image, and symbols to help develop ideas and get your message across in a clear and interesting way.
The following websites will help you to make your choices of different production features:
- The language of colour
- Typefaces
- Timbuktuu Coffee Bar logo is an exercise on selecting the appropriate logo.
- Frame is an exercise on selecting the appropriate frame.
Layout helps to show which parts of your static image are the most important. Use the rule of thirds to place your production features in the best positions. See the example of the New Zealand Listener cover discussed in Analysis of Two Images: A case study.
Drawing is not the only method of creating a static image. Cut and paste appropriate colours, pictures, and words from magazines, use the computer for different fonts, photocopy to enlarge or reduce pictures to fit the space. This has to be your own work, so if you are using existing images you must use them in an original and thoughtful way.
Reviewing your work
To improve your static image at any stage of the process use the following list as a guide to help you consider the parts of your poster you can change:
- size – zoom in/out on certain aspects
- colour – contrast (red for hot blue for cold or white for innocence and black for evil)
- balance and layout – repeat images or colour, swap the top to bottom, left to right of the page
- shape – contrast (sharp straight edges to show 'organisation' contrasted with wavy lines to show 'disorganisation')
- repetition of image – reduce or enlarge to fill background.
Use the extensive range of professional posters to revise key production features and give you inspiration for your own static image.
