Visual elements can give meaning to the picture or painting by saying what does the visual text mean but for our purpose, visual elements will show how they can relate to the bigger picture or meaning. The visual element will show what effect the device has on the visual text, but in this case, the devices will show what was the purpose of that visual element.  The devices such as the paint strokes or lines, the contrast caused by bright and dark colors, and the placement of that subject, will show that the purpose is to focus on the subject. This is important because the dog is the subject of the painting which can set the mood. 

One visual element in the painting is the paint stroke. The strokes are sloppy and the paint from the strokes are not blended in. The element allows people to look at the subject which is the dog because the colors are not blended and unusual for a dog. The purpose of these brushstrokes allow the people to see the texture of the dog which brings people’s eyes towards the dog. The paint strokes in the background are slightly sloppy and some of them are small dots. The small dots allow people’s eyes to move towards the dog. The visual element was to get focus on the dog because the subject can set the mood. In this case, the mood would be relaxing or happy because the unblended brushstrokes allow people to see the bright colors which they can associate with happy memories.

The painting uses bright colors as well as dark colors. This demonstrates contrast in the painting. The painting mainly has dark shades in the background but the foreground has light colors which creates the contrast between the background and the subject. The contrast allows people to see the subject because people would have a hard time figuring out what colors are in the background and on the dog.  For example, if the background had similar shades of brown as the dog then the focus of the subject would be lost. In the background, the shades of the blue and green colors created contrast. This could effect the mood people feel when they look at the painting but it can also effect how people associate the colors with things. For example, the different shades of the blue can be associated with water or people think that blue puts you in a sad mood. The contrast on the dog creates shadows on the dog because of the way the light would hit the dog if it came from the right or left of it. The purpose of the contrast allows the subject to stand out. The different colors that were use sets the mood. The bright colors allow people to think about happy memories with a dog but the dark colors in the background can show that there are some depressing moments in our lives.

The subject of the painting is mainly centered on the canvas. The position of the dog brings people’s eyes directly to the center. The subject is in the middle of the painting in order to add more detail. Because the details were added, people’s attention was brought back to the dog since the white dots act as the dog shaking water from it’s fur. If the subject was not in the middle of the painting, an element would be lost which would be the movement of people’s eye towards the subject. fur. The purpose of putting the dog in the middle of the painting was to have enough room to put the white paint strokes which sets the mood. The mood would be happy because the painting shows that a dog may be having fun playing in the water. When people see a dog shaking water from their fur, the scene may show that the owner of the dog is playing fetch or allowing their dog to get exercise. This allows people to be happy that they have a play mate that can distract them from the real world.  

Visual elements can tell what the text could mean but the devices can also show how they affect the overall picture or paining. In this particular painting, the visual elements were the contrast between the dark and bright colors as well as the background and the subject, the paint strokes or lines, and lastly, the positon of the subject which falls under the rule of third. The purpose of the elements in this painting was to show how they can effect the way people direct their attention to the subject of the painting. The visual elements allow people to determine the mood of the media after seeing what the devices the painter used. 