Visual Literacy Skills: How to See

Overview — Course No. 7012

Visual Literacy Skills offers a deep dive into understanding and interpreting visual information. Taught by an expert, this course covers the fundamentals of visual literacy, from the elements of visual syntax to the principles of design. Learn to see beyond the surface, understand visual storytelling, and cultivate creative habits.

Video Lessons

01: Visual Power: What It Is and Why It Matters

Understand the role of visual input in our lives and the importance of visual literacy skills.

Duration: 24 min

02: Seeing as a Skill

Explore how we create meaning from visual experiences and the basics of visual syntax.

Duration: 27 min

03: Sensing and Perceiving: How You See

Study the anatomy of vision and cognitive functions behind perception, including optical illusions.

Duration: 27 min

04: Should You Believe What You See?

Examine the constructed nature of photography and art, and how culture influences visual truth.

Duration: 22 min

05: Representation and Illusion

Understand how artists create the illusion of form and dimension, and the impact of photography on visual truth.

Duration: 22 min

06: Visual Foundations: Dot, Line, and Shape

Learn about the visual elements of dot, line, and shape, and their uses in art and design.

Duration: 21 min

07: Visual Foundations: Value

Explore the concept of value in art, including how to change it through tinting and shading.

Duration: 21 min

08: Visual Foundations: Color

Investigate the role of color in visual language and its emotional and physical impact.

Duration: 26 min

09: Visual Foundations: Texture

Understand texture’s impact through touch and sight, and practice identifying and copying textures.

Duration: 21 min

10: Visual Foundations: Space

Study how space is depicted in two dimensions and the principles behind it, including shallow and deep space.

Duration: 22 min

11: Thinking in Three Dimensions

Explore three-dimensionality in art, including low relief, high relief, and freestanding sculpture techniques.

Duration: 31 min

12: Building in Three Dimensions

Understand how volume, mass, and scale influence architecture and design, and how to apply these principles.

Duration: 28 min

13: The Limits of Space: Visual Landscapes

Examine how time is depicted in landscapes and the different perspective systems used by artists.

Duration: 30 min

14: Principles of Design

Refine your understanding of design principles like unity, variety, emphasis, balance, and scale.

Duration: 21 min

15: Exploring Visual Time

Understand how time is conveyed in static, dynamic, and interactive visual narratives.

Duration: 21 min

16: Strategies for Visual Storytelling

Learn how to convey stories through static, dynamic, and interactive visual narratives.

Duration: 23 min

17: Symbol, Subject, Content, and Context

Explore how these elements work together to create meaning in visual art and communication.

Duration: 23 min

18: Making Choices: Material, Method, and Style

Learn how to make informed choices about materials, methods, and styles in your visual work.

Duration: 27 min

19: Cultivating Creative Habits

Build daily habits to enhance visual skills and creative thinking, including sketching and non-linear brainstorming.

Duration: 18 min

20: The Visual Life: Active Observation

Challenge ordinary perception to see in new ways and push creative thinking.

Duration: 27 min

21: The Visual Life: Exploring and Connecting

Explore and connect ideas to foster innovative thinking and discover your unique creative process.

Duration: 25 min

22: The Visual Life: Collecting

Understand the human impulse to collect and how to curate your own collection for creative inspiration.

Duration: 23 min

23: The Visual Life: Becoming a Maker

Conclude with strategies for becoming an artist or designer, setting up a workspace, and identifying your creative theme.

Duration: 35 min