Edudorm Facebook

Select a visually interesting advertisement to analyze. This could be from the web, from a magazine, or even from a billboard you saw on the street.

Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

  1. Select a visually interesting advertisement to analyze. This could be from the web,
    from a magazine, or even from a billboard you saw on the street.
    2. Study the advertisement for its formal qualities (referring to just the form it takes).
    3. Spend some time observing, thinking, and writing. Take notes. Record details about
    the work that interest you.
    4. Use the following guidelines to analyze those details.
    FORMAL ANALYSIS
    Line
    Line is emotive, so how might you describe the line using an emotion: lazy, angry,
    etc.
    Shape
    Organic or geometric. Since they are made using line these also have emotions
    attached to them.
    Mass
    How is the artist working to make objects look like they have visual mass?
    Space
    What is the depth of field? Is it very shallow? Or does the illusion take us back into
    space? What could be considered negative space and what is positive space?
    Time & Motion
    Is there any reference to paused time or that something has motion?
    Light
    Where is the light source? Check the shadows. How is the contrast between
    values?
    Color
    Ads are good places to find common color schemes. How are the color schemes
    being used?
    Texture
    Is the artist using texture at all? How are they simulating it and what kinds of
    reaction does thinking about that texture cause?
    Unity
    What gives it some continuity? line, shape, color, texture
    Variety
    What gives it some pizzazz?
    Balance
    Symmetrical
    Designs can start out with a strong symmetrical base and then have
    asymmetrical elements thrown in.
    Asymmetrical
    What is causing the balance? Check along a diagonal. Look for contrasts.
    Emphasis/Focal Point
    Ask your eye where it started. What do you think was leading it to start there?
    Could there be more than one visual element that leads you there?
    Repetition
    What is common throughout the piece? Could be line, shape, color, texture.
    Rhythm
    Is the common object creating a rhythm and what kind of rhythm is it? Jazzy?
    Smooth and classical?
    Directional Forces
    Any implied lines formed by edges? By repeated objects? By actual arrows?
    Contrast
    Contrast through value, texture, etc.
    Scale & Proportion
    Does the designer mess with our common thoughts about scale and proportion or is
    everything how it should be?
    CONNECTING THE CONCEPTUAL TO THE FORMAL
    The point is that someone is trying to sell you something. What, besides the product, are
    they trying to sell you? Which formal elements are connected to the sell? Well? Are you
    sold?
    5. When you have completed your sketching and writing, present your findings in a
    succinct two page paper.
    6. Please include the image either in the document of your paper or as a separately
    attached file.
458 Words  1 Pages
Get in Touch

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to inform us and we will gladly take care of it.

Email us at support@edudorm.com Discounts

LOGIN
Busy loading action
  Working. Please Wait...