What have I learned about creating meaning through the interaction of visual and lexical elements?

From drawing a cartoon, I learnt that meaning can be easily created through the use of colours, symbols and alignment of the objects. Despite what I thought, cartoons don’t necessarily need to have captions or always be bright coloured.

How are ideas communicated through the interaction of visual and lexical elements?

Cartoonists often use labels or captions to tell what the cartoon is about but symbols, colours and alignment are used to allow the audience to have a deeper understanding and analysis of the meaning and ideas presented in the cartoon.

What are the similarities and differences between an opinion article and a political cartoon?

Both an opinion article and a political cartoon allows the author/cartoonist to convey their ideas and perspectives in their work. However, an opinion article is more direct and explicit with their opinion whilst a political cartoon often has exaggerated drawings or symbols to hide what the cartoon is about, therefore it needs to be analysed deeply to unpack the meaning.