3.4 Writing About Visuals

Information about visuals is transmitted in a various ways. Recall that visual elements give information about meaning or theme, and context. These are qualities that can be sleuthed out with some critical thinking about visual clues we see in images, paintings and media like film, TV or advertisements.

Watch this video to review the importance of visual awareness and critical thinking

Activities to this point have outlined several strategies, approaches and visual components you may consider when you write a visual response.




©Jill Schneider/National Geographic Creative

A visual response is a unified piece of writing that . . .
  • identifies visual details in the image that contribute to ideas

  • identifies visual elements in the image that contribute to ideas

  • states the theme of the image in your own words, with specific support
In addition, a visual response also requires evidence that . . .
  • you can present your idea of theme clearly in an introductory paragraph

  • you can discuss, in one to three organized paragraphs, details in the image to support your theme

  • you can explain in a concluding paragraph how your idea is relevant to your peers, community, and society