Chapter 2 ~ The Vocabulary of Comics

"Understanding Comics, The Invisible Art" by Scott McCloud

Relate what is said in this chapter to a work/artist/designer you have seen in lectures. Image, brief description, link to a source of information on the web.


In this chapter, McCloud explores the realm of the 'Icon', which he describes as "...any image used to represent a person, place, thing or idea."
He goes on to divide icons into "Non pictorial" and "Pictorial", which consists of categories of icons including symbols, icons of the practical realm, words, pictures and cartoons. Icons can range from simple, black and white, flat images to complex shapes that could even look 3-D or animated.



[Ref: http://www.forrestwalter.com/icons/graphics/icons_vol6_white.jpg]
Rather complex pictorial icons.




[Ref: http://www.kombine.net/images/icons_pro.png]
Icons usually used on computers.




[Ref: http://www.mohawksign.com/images/img-symbols.jpg]
Icons used as pictorials elements to communicate ideas easily to people.




[Ref: http://www.ucc.ie/en/hr/HealthWelfare/MentalHealth/Religion/imgcol,32904,en.png]
Religious symbols recognized all over the world.


McCloud also examines "Cartooning as a form of amplification through simplification [pg.30]'. What he means by this is that by abstracting and simplifying an image, the cartoonist is not eliminating details; rather he is making the viewer focus on specific details.

"By stripping down an image to its essential "meaning" an artist can amplify that meaning in a way realistic art cannot" [pg. 30"]


[Ref: http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2007-01/smiley-face.jpg ]

The main components of the smiley icon above consists of 2 dots and a curved line. However, due to continuos use of this icon, as well as the exposure all of us have had to this particular icon since we were children, it is recognized as a smiling face, and personifies a human's face with regards to emotion. For example:



[Ref: http://www.icons-land.com/images/products/VistaEmoticonsPreview.jpg ]

"Universality of cartoon imagery...The more cartoony a face is...the more people it could be said to describe" [pg.31]

Another concept McCloud explores in this chapter is the fact that we "humans are a self-centered race. We see ourselves in everything" I find this very true; in fact in one of our classes we had to explore our surroundings and find 100 faces in objects all around us! In a way, the previous idea of stripping down all the details to make the viewer focus on specific details ties into this point, where we are able to see a human face personified in anything that consists of two dots and a line.

"Icons demand our participation to make them work. There is no life here except that which you give to it" [pg.59]
This explain the basic concepts of comics and hence cartoons, as most cartoons are simplified to represent realistic, and abstract, concepts. So in order for the comic to make sense, it really all depends on the readers point of view.

Most form of cartoons could be said to be simplified versions of realistic images. Cartoons range from being really simplistic (for e.g. "Southpark") to being relatively realistic (for e.g."Family Guy) These cartoons were shown to us during the week 3 class and the form and content of these cartoon were explored. Icons and simplification make up a large part of today's comics and cartoons, and simplification brings a certain universality, in that more people understand the ideas and concepts the cartoonist is trying to portray.

Chapter 1 ~ Setting the record straight

"Understanding Comics, The Invisible Art" by Scott McCloud

Relate what is said in this chapter to a work/artist/designer you have seen in lectures. Image, brief description, link to a source of information on the web.

Scott McCloud has made many interesting points in the first chapter of his book "Understanding Comics: the invisible art". He has described comics as a medium rather than as a specific object/art form.

Some thought-provoking quotes from the 1st chapter include:

"...comics is the word worth defining as it refers to the medium itself, not a specific object as comic book or comic strip"[pg.4]

[Ref: http://www.thehumorarchives.com/attachment/803/problemsolving.jpg]

"..each frame of comics must occupy a different space. Space does for comics what time does for film" [pg.7]

[Ref: http://www.denialinfo.com/geeks.jpg]

"...juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer"[pg.9]

[Ref: http://www.yirmumah.net/]

I personally really liked the way Scott illustrated the potential of comics as unlimited and infinitely exciting. He did this by describing all the common terms used in the "Arts" fields and how they were applicable in the "comics" field in that there are absolutely no restrictions in using any one of them in comics!
I.e., '...no genres are listed, no type of subject matter, no styles of poetry or prose, no particular materials are used, no particular style of painting/ drawing (black ink and flat shapes), no call for exaggerated anatomy or representational art, no schools of art, no philosophies, no movements...no ways of seeing are out of bounds!'

This reminded me of the week 2 lecture where we were shown slides of Van Gogh's work. Van Gogh was an expressionist and his work had a very distinct style; his paintings are alive with colour. Another artist we encountered was Salvador Dali who was a surrealist. Both the above-mentioned painters have their own particular style of painting, and I think what Scott McCloud is trying to say is that the art in "Comics" cannot be classified into surrealism and expressionism; they can portray both or any such concept- the possibilities are endless!

Week 2 ~ We are all ever-growing in body, mind and spirit

29. Think with your mind. Forget technology. Creativity is not device-dependent.



I think this idea definitely has its merits. In this day and age we, both as designers and as people, are hugely dependent on technology to get us through life. We check our email (communication), bank online, shop online and even order food online!
As to the design aspect of this strategy, as a designer I don't start with technology; I begin with a paper and a pencil and ideas. Technology, or to be more specific, software programs, should be used as tools to express our original ideas, not as idea producing machines with a mind of their own!
I love brainstorming and always try to fill out as many sheets as possible before I even think about putting any work onto the computer. I mke use of technology to help sharpen, clean and polish up my original ideas.


33. Take field trips. The bandwidth of the world is greater than that of your TV set, or the Internet, or even a totally immersive, interactive, dynamically rendered, object-oriented, real-time, computer graphic–simulated environment.



There is an enormous, unexplored world right outside your door. I think it is important to notice the small details of life as well as the environment all around you. Week 1's exercise served to show me that even stepping out of my house in a different direction can take me to places I have never been before.
This quote reminds me of another; "Take the next taxi to the airport and buy a ticket to anywhere" (unreferenced, from memory- its definitely Not mine so don't sue me!)
I think field trips, exploring your surroundings, discovering new places- all of these serve to broaden the horizons of your mind and make you more malleable and flexible with your ideas.


41. Laugh. People visiting the studio often comment on how much we laugh. Since I've become aware of this, I use it as a barometer of how comfortably we are expressing ourselves.



This is probably the best advice you can ever hear. I wholeheartedly believe in laughing at everything (yes, even babies and old people!) as its easier to get through life with a big, goofy grin on your face.
I laugh All, the, time. For no reason at all. Yes, it IS a very scary sight indeed!
Since we as designers and as students work under tight deadlines with something due every other minute, I think it is important for our health and well-being to laugh now and again so as to not get over-stressed and do something crazy.
Another factor where a good sense of humor plays in, is in advertising of any kind. As a consumer myself, I find advertisements, and/or designs stick in my mind if the concept behind the idea is humorous- it feels good to laugh! :c)

[Reference: "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" by Bruce Mau Design]

Week 1 ~ Taking time to be a flaneur

Whenever I look out of the large 4 pane glass windows that line my lounge, I feel like taking a walk around the seemingly vast space spread out in front of me; the Southern Oval of Curtin University. So one day...I did.



I believe trees are one of the main reasons that we are alive, in that they provide the oxygen we require in order to breathe. Perhaps that is the subconcious reason for the feeling of immense respect I have for everything green (and alive!) Yet do not mistake me for someone who would rather chain themselves to a tree about to be cut down than attend the 175 Multimedia Lecture- Theory & Practise, on Thursday mornings!



Another idea to explore is how we, as humans, try to see, percieve or concieve of patterns in everything we look at. I took a leisurely walk around the Southern Oval located right outside my flat, and as is usually the case I ended up taking photos of trees, and leaves, and bark! Now, I might be barking up the wrong tree, but I believe this assignment's main purpose was to urge students to become "flaneur's"; to stop for an hour or two and take a leisurely stroll around in order to let your mind wander and make connections between ideas, images, sounds and sights.

"...he walks for pleasure, he observes but does not interfere, he is not in a hurry..."["How to be Idle- Tom Hodgkinson"]

"Tree"

"Human as tree"


I took pictures of the tree above ("Tree") as the branches spreading out were intertwined in such a intricate manner, I couldnt help but want to take a photo of it and trace over it in Adobe Illustrator! That got me thinking into shapes and forms, and how we were all organic and pretty much made from the same material, since we eat vegetables...and what are those but the fruits of trees!

I took the other picture of my flatmate in the Oval ("Human as tree") as I was experimenting with shape- human body shape, and what better model than someone who can do "Parkour"! The sun setting over the horizon also gave me a great chance to check out the settings on my new digital camera. I also took advantage of the light as it gave me a good, strong horizon line where the green grass meets the bright sky- a study of contrasts.

After putting all the photographs on my computer I kept feeling like I was missing something. I finally noticed the similarity in shapes between the tree and the body!
I love how the form of my flatmate seems to echo the length, line and simplicity- the FLOW of the line of the trunk from the bottom of the picture frame all the way to the top where it spreads out. The green of the grass is somewhat reminiscent of the green leaves on a tree- remember those big blobs of green paint that symbolised trees during art class- when we were all in Kindergarten?

This experimenting also produced the following two photographs:

"Tree 2"


"Human as Tree 2"
Again, the tree's shape is echoed by the shape of the body. Its a very rough comparison (as rough as the bark, perhaps) but the strong triangular shapes in the lower part of both pictures form a strong sense of connection between the tree and the human body.

Another interesting point is perspective- rotating the photograph around until up is down and down is....you got it! I shall definitely explore that in future posts. Now for one final tree photograph I took after the sun went over to the Other Side.