CalArts: Funds. of Graphic Design-W1: 1.3 Denotative Imagemaking 2

When we make a denotative image, we also have to take into account the kind of form that we’re using to make that image.

So here’s a fairly denotative view of the apple. But it’s also been reduced down to a kind of denotative image quality, if you like. It’s a very simple line drawing. Just drawn with a pen.

The outline of the image lets us know that it’s the shape of the apple, and the stalk lets us know that it’s an apple, and maybe the scale relationship between the stalk and the apple.

So, even without color, and without volume, we can get the message, and we can understand that it’s an apple.

You could add volume and dimensionality to that apple. 
So, by just using black and white and gray, and crosshatching here, but suddenly there’s much more information. 
Now, we understand it’s an apple. 
And it’s still a denotative image. The apple is just an apple, nothing more, nothing less, but we start to see a lot more details in the image.

And we could use a similar technique and give even more information by adding color to the image.

So gradually the image has gone from being very little information being held in the denotative form, in other words, the way we made the image to a lot more information held in the form.

And that amount of visual information really correlates to an image being photo realistic or an image being iconic.

If we go back to our line drawing of an apple, we can look at this as being very simplistic and iconic image.

Whereas our colored pencil drawing image is much more realistic.

What these two images have in common is that they both denotative images.

One just happens to be very minimal and have little information 
where’s the other has much more information and detail in the technique.

And part of what the designer gets to decide is what technique is going to be used to make that image. 

Because images can be made in any number of ways and still be denotative because denotative images can still be read as the object they’re meant to convey.

In other words, an apple, no matter how you make that image, as long as it can be read as an apple, you can make it in a minimal way, a maximal way, an expressive way. An abstract way, pretty much any way that you want to. 

There is going to be times when you want a very complex image. Perhaps a very decorative image.

And there are going to be other times where you want a simple and iconic image. Say it’s for an identity or a brand, something that has to be read very quickly for instance.

And that’s why it’s important as a designer to have a range of skills and a range of techniques available to you. And that’s what we’re gonna look at next.