Several of you expressed interest in my remarks about drawing with a felt-tip pen versus drawing with a pen point dipped in ink. More specifically, a lot of you wanted to see what I meant. This made me think further on the matter, and I will share some of those thoughts next week. Today, unfortunately, there isn’t time to do justice. So, I am posting two cartoons, one from 2010 and one from earlier this year. The first cartoon, the former, was drawn with a not-inexpensive high quality felt pen. The other was drawn old-school. The difference is subtle, but there is a difference. Look over them, if you’re interested, and we’ll talk about it next week.
247 responses to “Draggin’ th’ Line”
Good morning. Eating big bowl of old fashioned oatmeal with cranberries, blue berries, walnuts and almonds. Real ones. Super foods.
Jimmy I can see some differences but don’t know if tools changed them or the artist!
I know at least one boat designer who holds same opinion on his drawings. He says pens do not work well in cold weather so today’s weather in Alabama may affect your art.
This is funny, maybe. I asked Hal for road conditions in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma and this is what he gave me!
http://www.mcalesternews.com/news/pittsburg-county-designated-high-drug-trafficking-area/article_ab9875b0-bdfa-11e5-946f-5b66c1288509.html
Also how to get the best drug attorney in county to defend me!
Never got whether roads were open or not.
I notice that the things JJ draws most often (like that one hair on Arlo) is thicker in the first comic. So heaviness of line may be easier to control with the pens?
Make that the traditional pens! The felt-tips may be more limited in that way.
I’m certainly no artist, but it seems to me that the felt-tip pen produced an image of Janis that was wearing much less clothing.
“Earlier this year?” It’s only January 6, how much earlier can you get? I presume from the drawings that you mean last year, JJ.
Saved drawing silly! Economy of time. He was in a hurry.
Felt tips leave little chance to vary line width. Difference is there, but subtle. Did a series of 30-40 skull drawing with ink-o-graph [or some such] pens of different widths, so used different pens for different parts of drawings. E.g., if drawing a part of skull that is closer to viewer, use wider gauge pen. Also other techniques. E.g., if structure A, such as zygomatic arch, is in front of structure B, such as ascending part of lower jaw, have line of jaw stop just short of zygoma. Worked well.
Peace, [2 new words]
TruckerRon, I’m adding “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” to my library list!
Jimmy, it has always seemed to me that the old-school drawings had greater variability of line thickness and appeared to have a lighter touch over all. There seems, somehow, to be more texture to them.
Good analysis Smigz. There is a classic example of importance of punctuation my journalism professor used but it is a little off color.
Nuts Screws Bolts
But I think that was in headlines writing class.
This is the type of thing where only an artist will ever see the difference.
I noticed the difference right away. The felt tip pens make wider, harsher lines than the nib. The nib lines were softer and gave better shading. That being said, unless they were co-located I’m not sure the difference would be as easily detected.
Thanks for the title earworm…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLfO738Ok5Y
Yeah, well, this probably would have worked only if you *were* Mozart…
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bc/3b/52/bc3b52c5f00fa0afd97c7e59a22a6128.jpg
Or Rossini. He also wrote overtures and stuff just before needed. Peace,
So, is Mississippi snowed in yet?
We are going no where. One truck went down street south of me. I think it belonged to rural water whose office is a block south of me.
Partially cleaned out fridge and getting ready to make a sugar free blackberry cobbler as soon as I find Splenda and decide on crust. I am thinking biscuit.
Still putting away groceries. You’d think I had a house full of kids. Oh, right. I get messages from them wanting to come “home.” To eat.
I didn’t think I could see the difference, but I can, yes pens are a little better, but with an artist as good as JJ the differences can be compensated for. As for comedic material his is always superior and further deflects what ever artistic snobbery that may sneak in.
Urgent, agree with you too. Why hasn’t our humble and noble leader been rewarded with comic awards?
Jimmy I think you do something I was always guilty of, designing over the heads of the judges. In other words you are superior in your humor and art often and they just don’t get it.
Snobbery snuck in there because we, The Village, get you.
But don’t design a piece from the Memphis School if your judges ask where was the guitar or Elvis?
Elvis had left the room.
For those who may not know what the Memphis Group or Memphis Art or Memphis School is, here is a brief explanation. It was colorful, somewhat industrial and modern art I suppose. I loved it and my competition design was done at the height of the movement in 1980s.
Alas, my judges were firmly rooted in the 1960s or earlier.
https://www.reference.com/art-literature/characteristics-memphis-design-df5d1103ccf624c2#
Turned on Pandora which rang a bell of some sort. Dickens is running berserk through house from door to door barking hysterically in frustration.
Listening to Bob Seger.
No, sorry I really can’t tell the difference. I was looking for the width of the stroke, but really can’t tell.
I showed this to my wife as we recently adjusted the temperature on our heater due to some bitter cold a few weeks ago. Her immediate reaction was “Why was Janet late?” At first I guessed that she and Arlo got frisky, but he was fully dressed. My second guess is that the cold water gets her out of the shower quicker?
Jackie: To be grammatically correct, wouldn’t it be either “Nuts Screw Bolts” or “Nut Screws Bolts”?
Just wondering . . . Happy Friday!
PS I really like when you use the thick nib on Janis’ hair. Perfect!
Ghost, found these pics on Ebay. Exactly how my car looks inside and out. Mine is different body color, though.
http://9448.ecarlist.com/web/ebay_photos/33829031/