McCloud’s reading presented a both a compelling history of the relationship between text and image but also a helpful few distinct ways that artists can combine words and pictures. I really appreciate the parallels/deeper roots McCloud points out between 1) how children read picture books but as they grow older tend to read books with only words and 2) how historically pictures predate the written word by a large margin but most modern writing has lost resemblance to the visible world.

There are many insights from McCloud’s reading that I will try to take with me when approaching future design work including assignment 3. One framework that I find helpful is the balance with Pictures and Words on either side set within the triangle chart with the 3 points being resemblance, meaning, and the picture plane. This framework helps me think deeply about the balance and how pictures and words can work together.

Additionally, I like how McCloud presents the chart but also mentions that things are ultimately best left to the creators’ instincts, which I think will help me trust my intuition for the balance of words and picture in my future designs. Also, I really like the option of Montage where words are treated as integral parts of the picture and I think the concept and seeing the combination of words/pictures as being interdependent will be helpful for assignment 2.