Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology

Highlighting and Annotating Visuals

Now, it is time to look more closely at visuals and to learn how to highlight and annotate them. Unlike highlighting and annotating a written text, marking a visual text involves focusing your primary attention not on any words that appear but on the images.

After previewing the visual by looking at its overall appearance, begin highlighting to identify key images—perhaps by starring, boxing, or circling them—and then consider drawing lines or arrows to connect related images. Next, go on to make annotations on the visual, commenting on the effectiveness of its individual images in communicating the message of the whole. As in the case of a written text, your annotations can be in the form of comments or questions.

The visual on the following page shows how a student, Jason Savona, highlighted and annotated an advertisement for Grand Theft Auto IV, a popular violent video game.

Rockstar North, Advertisement for Grand Theft Auto IV

The image shows an advertisement for “Grand Theft Auto IV.” — © The Advertising Archives

The image shows tall buildings. On the left is the dark image of a man standing with a huge gun in lighter background. The name of game "Grand Theft Auto IV" is written in the center in big fonts. The following observations are written on the margin of the image to explain more about the image:

Top of gun: taller than tallest tip of the building

Huge lone figure looking down on city

Liberty City" skyline (looks like NY)

Hazy yellow sky

Dark image stands out against lighter background

Name of game centered; large type in contrasting black and white for emphasis

The title character of Oktane gets nasty.

A scene from comic book “Oktane” where the title character is up for some nuisance. — © Gerard Jones, Gene Ha, Will Jacobs.