Educational Galaxy

Objects in Icons and Symbols — EG's own notes, in simple words

Book: Kriti (CBSE, Class 7)  |  Chapter 15  |  Medium: English

Section: Visual Art

Diagram (labels are printed on the image): A grid of simple everyday icons. A general teaching picture; it is not a picture from the book.

A simple road sign on a post. A general picture about clear sign design; no book picture is copied here.

What the chapter is about

Visuals help us communicate with one another. Examine the visuals on this page: each one gives you information quickly and directly. Such visuals are called icons. An icon is a simplified visual representation of an object, place or idea. Icons do not show too many details. For example, a mobile phone display has icons depicting the clock, remaining battery charge, network connections, applications, and so on. In this chapter you will learn how objects can be represented as icons and symbols to convey information. You will explore how these visual elements are used in logos, signages and even as emojis while texting. Through various activities, you will practise drawing objects to make them appear two-dimensional or three-dimensional, and learn to convert them into icons. You will also explore how objects take on other meanings when used as symbols.

The chapter opens with a verse from the Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara Purana (Chapter 43, shloka 38): among the arts, painting is the foremost; it bestows dharma, artha, kama and moksha, and wherever it is established, it brings auspiciousness. That verse sets the chapter’s claim: pictures are not decoration alone — they carry meaning, values and wellbeing.

Activity 15.1 is about understanding simple icons through positive and negative space. Look at the two icons of the fork and spoon in the chapter: the positive space depicts the objects, and the negative space is the blank space. Thus black is positive in one image and negative in the other. Observe the positive and negative spaces in the other icons. Icons generally have a lot of negative space, and this helps the main object to be visible even in very small sizes. Then you make stencils from objects: look through old newspapers or magazines and identify two or three objects that are completely and clearly visible; highlight the outline of an object; choose one object and cut out the section containing it; cut the object along the outline — this is called a stencil; on a sheet of paper, use the stencil to draw the object; colour within the outline, and notice the positive and negative space thus created. Show it to your friends and ask them to identify the object from the shape created by the stencil. Safety note: use scissors carefully, and ask an adult for help if you need it.

Activity 15.2 draws one object in different ways, using the same object for every drawing. A musical instrument made by a student is the chapter’s example. First, the contour of the object: an outline that looks transparent, and the object looks two-dimensional. Keep the object at more than 2–3 feet distance, keep looking at it as you draw each part till you complete its contour, closely observe its shape and size, and use your pencil as a measuring tool — place your thumb on the pencil, align it with the object to measure its parts, and mark the proportions on your paper. Second, the silhouette of the object: a coloured flat shape that looks opaque, and the object looks two-dimensional. Draw the contour of the same object again or trace it from the first contour drawing, colour inside the contour to make it look flat, and use a different colour to fill the negative space around the object. As an option, on another sheet make an inverse image of the silhouette by switching the colours of the positive and negative spaces. Third, shading the object, which captures light and shade through tonal variations using cross-hatching and stippling, and makes the object look three-dimensional. Cross-hatching uses criss-cross lines: closely overlap lines in different directions to create darker tones, loosely overlap them for lighter tones. Stippling uses dots: place dots close together for darker tones, and increase the space between dots for lighter tones. Use a separate sheet for each technique: observe how light falls on the object, then create light and dark tones with cross-hatching, and then again with stippling. Finally, make an icon of your object: gather your contour, silhouettes, cross-hatching and stippling drawings, and decide which one you will use to make an icon. Remember that an icon is a simplified image, but it also needs to be identified quickly, so it should contain clear shapes and only important details — sometimes the silhouette of the object can be the icon. Make your icon on an A5 sheet and complete it with colour. Then ask yourself: if you had to use your icon to communicate information, what would it be? Materials for this activity: five sheets of A5 size (half of A4) paper, a sharpened pencil, eraser, colours and a pen.

Activity 15.3 turns icons into signages for your school. Signage informs us where a space is and what it is used for. Choose a space in your school — the entrance, washrooms, play area, a space for eating meals, the library, a space to keep your bags and shoes, and so on. Make a list of the objects that come to your mind when you think of this space. Choose the most important object in this space: for example, the door in an exit signage signifies its importance. If you have chosen two objects, try different ways of combining them to create one icon — for example, signage for a dining area can have a spoon and a fork, and signage for an art room can have a palette and a brush. Remember that an icon is a simplified drawing that represents the object: experiment with contours and silhouettes, add only those details that characterise the object, and use only one colour. Create the icon in two or more ways, choose the icon that expresses your purpose best and can be used as signage for the chosen space, and create this icon on an A5 sheet. Show the signage to your friends and ask them what they think about it. The chapter adds a thoughtful note: think of the objects you use regularly while creating icons — for example, you may not use a fork and spoon when you eat, so can you think of alternative icons to represent your food?

Activity 15.4 is about objects as symbols. Symbols have a deeper meaning and represent ideas or emotions; they may not directly relate to the visual they represent. Two examples are given. The Dharma Chakra forms the centre of our national flag: a navy blue wheel with 24 spokes, a depiction of the “wheel of the law” taken from the Lion Capital of Sarnath made in the 3rd century BCE by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. Blue represents the sky and ocean, the wheel represents progress, and the spokes represent 24 hours of the day. The symbol of the round spectacles in the logo of the Swachhata Abhiyan represents Mahatma Gandhi: the bridge of the spectacles is the national tricolour, signifying the entire nation uniting to achieve Gandhi’s vision of a clean India. Everyday objects like spectacles and a wheel become powerful symbols when their meaning is accepted to represent larger ideas. The chapter asks you to look at the logos of companies, institutions and political parties where you see objects used as symbols, and ask what meanings they symbolise. It also asks the key question: is there a difference between icons and symbols? Icons can also be symbols if they are given more meanings, and symbols need not resemble what they stand for — for example, Indians can associate round spectacles with Mahatma Gandhi, his values and work, while people who cannot make that connection may simply see a pair of spectacles.

The chapter closes with peer assessment and a matching task. Look at the signages created by your peers and write a few lines on: are there any icons in the signage, and describe them; is the information on the signage clear and easy to understand; what two qualities did you like about the signage; and what do you think can be improved in its design? The matching task pairs illustrations with the terms silhouette, stencil, cross-hatching, stippling, icon, signage and symbol.

What you should learn

• Define icon and symbol, and explain the difference between them.
• Explain positive and negative space, and why icons need a lot of negative space.
• Make a stencil from a newspaper or magazine object, and test whether friends can identify it.
• Draw one object four ways — contour, silhouette, shading (cross-hatching and stippling), and icon — using the same object throughout.
• Design a one-colour signage icon for a school space, and assess a peer’s signage on four points.
• Explain the Dharma Chakra and the Swachhata Abhiyan spectacles as symbols, with their meanings.

Try it — Activity 15.1: understanding simple icons + stencils

1. Look at the fork and spoon icons: in one, black is the positive space; in the other, black is the negative space. Find the positive and negative spaces in the other icons.
2. Materials: old newspapers or magazines, scissors, plain A4 paper, pencil and eraser.
3. Step 1: look through old newspapers or magazines and identify two or three objects that are completely and clearly visible.
4. Step 2: carefully highlight the outline of an object.
5. Step 3: choose an object and cut out the section containing it.
6. Step 4: cut the object along the outline — this is called a stencil.
7. Step 5: on a sheet of paper, use the stencil to draw the object.
8. Step 6: colour within the outline, and notice the positive and negative space thus created.
9. Show it to your friends and ask them to identify the object from the stencil shape. Repeat with other objects. Use scissors carefully.

Try it — Activity 15.2: drawing one object in different ways

1. Materials: five sheets of A5 size (half of A4) paper, sharpened pencil, eraser, colours and pen. Choose one object and use the same object for every drawing.
2. Contour: keep the object more than 2–3 feet away; keep looking at it as you draw each part; observe shape and size; use your pencil as a measuring tool (thumb on the pencil, aligned with the object) and mark proportions on paper.
3. Silhouette: draw the contour again or trace it; colour inside to make it flat; fill the negative space around it with a different colour. Optional: make an inverse image by switching the positive and negative colours.
4. Shading with cross-hatching: on a separate sheet, draw the contour, observe how light falls, and create light and dark tones with criss-cross lines (close for dark, loose for light).
5. Shading with stippling: on another sheet, draw the contour and create tones with dots (close for dark, spaced for light).
6. Icon: gather all four drawings, decide which to use, and make your icon on an A5 sheet with colour — clear shapes, only important details. Then answer: if you used this icon to communicate information, what would it be?

Try it — Activity 15.3: icons for signages

1. Choose a school space: entrance, washrooms, play area, eating space, library, bag/shoe space, and so on.
2. List the objects that come to mind for that space, and choose the most important one (for example, the door in an exit signage).
3. If you chose two objects, try combining them into one icon (for example, spoon and fork for a dining area; palette and brush for an art room).
4. Experiment with contours and silhouettes; add only characterising details; use only one colour.
5. Create the icon in two or more ways, choose the best, and make it on an A5 sheet.
6. Show the signage to friends and ask what they think. Remember the chapter’s note: use objects you actually use — if you do not eat with a fork and spoon, what icon would represent your food?

Try it — Activity 15.4 + peer assessment

1. Think of other objects used as symbols, and look at company, institution and political-party logos: what meanings do their objects symbolise?
2. Answer the chapter’s question in your own words: is there a difference between icons and symbols?
3. Peer assessment: look at a peer’s signage and write a few lines on whether it has icons (describe them), whether its information is clear and easy to understand, two qualities you liked, and what could be improved.
4. Matching task: match the illustrations with silhouette, stencil, cross-hatching, stippling, icon, signage and symbol.

Chart / Table: Four ways of drawing one object

Technique	What it looks like	What the object looks like
Contour	An outline; looks transparent	Two-dimensional
Silhouette	A coloured flat shape; looks opaque	Two-dimensional
Shading: cross-hatching	Criss-cross lines; close = dark, loose = light	Three-dimensional
Shading: stippling	Dots; close = dark, spaced = light	Three-dimensional
Icon	Simplified image with clear shapes and only important details	Two-dimensional; readable even when small

Practice set — try it yourself

1. Define icon in one sentence, and give the chapter’s mobile-phone example.
   Hint: Hint: simplified representation, few details — and think of what a phone screen shows.
2. In the fork and spoon icons, what is positive space and what is negative space?
   Hint: Hint: positive depicts the object; negative is the blank space — and black switches roles between the two icons.
3. What is a stencil, and what are the six steps of making one?
   Hint: Hint: newspaper/magazine object, highlight outline, cut section, cut along outline, draw with it, colour within.
4. How do cross-hatching and stippling each create darker and lighter tones?
   Hint: Hint: lines close/loose for one, dots close/spaced for the other.
5. What should you check in a peer’s signage, according to the chapter?
   Hint: Hint: four points — icons present, clarity, two liked qualities, one improvement.

Questions with Answers

1. What is an icon, and why do icons have a lot of negative space?
   An icon is a simplified visual representation of an object, place or idea, showing few details — for example, the clock, battery, network and application icons on a mobile phone display. Icons generally have a lot of negative space (blank space), which helps the main object stay visible even in very small sizes.
2. Explain positive and negative space with the fork and spoon icons.
   Positive space depicts the objects, and negative space is the blank space. In the chapter’s two icons, black is positive in one image and negative in the other — the same colour switches roles, which shows that positive and negative are about what depicts the object, not about colour itself.
3. Describe the four ways of drawing one object in Activity 15.2.
   Contour: an outline that looks transparent; the object looks two-dimensional. Silhouette: a coloured flat shape that looks opaque; the object looks two-dimensional. Shading: light and shade through tonal variation, using cross-hatching (criss-cross lines) and stippling (dots); the object looks three-dimensional. Icon: a simplified image with clear shapes and only important details; the object looks two-dimensional and can be identified quickly. The same object must be used for all four.
4. How do you design a signage icon for a school space?
   Choose the space, list the objects that come to mind, and pick the most important one (for example, the door for an exit). If you chose two objects, try combining them into one icon (spoon and fork for dining, palette and brush for an art room). Experiment with contours and silhouettes, add only characterising details, use only one colour, create the icon in two or more ways, choose the best, and make it on an A5 sheet — then test it on friends.
5. What is the difference between an icon and a symbol? Give both chapter examples of symbols.
   An icon is a simplified likeness of an object, place or idea. A symbol carries a deeper, agreed meaning and may not directly relate to its visual. The Dharma Chakra — navy blue, 24 spokes, centre of the national flag, the “wheel of the law” from the Lion Capital of Sarnath (3rd century BCE, Ashoka) — stands for progress (wheel), sky and ocean (blue), and 24 hours (spokes). The round spectacles in the Swachhata Abhiyan logo stand for Mahatma Gandhi, with a tricolour bridge signifying the whole nation uniting for his vision of a clean India. Icons can also become symbols when given more meanings.

Extension Questions — for deeper understanding

1. Why might a fork-and-spoon dining icon fail for some students, and what does the chapter want you to do about it?
   Because not everyone eats with a fork and spoon — the icon assumes one eating habit. The chapter asks you to think of the objects you actually use regularly, and to invent alternative icons for your food. A good icon must fit its real users, not just a borrowed convention.
2. A classmate says, “The spectacles logo is just a picture of glasses.” How would you correct them?
   You would explain that symbols work by agreed meaning, not likeness: Indians can associate round spectacles with Mahatma Gandhi, his values and work, so the glasses stand for his vision of a clean India — while someone without that connection may simply see spectacles. The meaning lives in the shared association.
3. Why does the chapter insist on using only one colour for signage icons?
   Because signage must be read at a glance, often from a distance or in poor light. One colour keeps the shape clean and the message instant; extra colours add decoration but also noise, and can hide the characterising shape.
4. How does the Chitrasutra verse at the chapter’s opening connect to icons and symbols?
   The verse says painting is foremost among the arts, bestowing dharma, artha, kama and moksha, and bringing auspiciousness wherever established. It frames the chapter’s claim that pictures are not mere decoration: they carry values, meanings and wellbeing — exactly what icons (quick information) and symbols (deeper meaning) do.
5. Design a signage icon for your school library without using a book. What would you choose, and why?
   Any well-reasoned answer works if it follows the chapter’s rules: one colour, only characterising details, tested on friends. For example, a reading lamp or an open doorway with shelves — the point is that the chosen object must be the most important, recognisable object of that space, and the icon must be identifiable from its shape alone.
6. If icons need “only important details,” who decides which details are important?
   The maker decides, by testing: keep the details that let others identify the object quickly, and remove the rest. That is why the chapter keeps returning to friends’ reactions — identification by others is the test, not the maker’s own opinion.

How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Check your answers against Questions with Answers, and ask your teacher or parent to check your work.