Water is tricky to draw. First, you turn on both the hot water and the cold and then stick your hand under it. When it feels just right, you plug the drain. When enough water has run into the tub, you sit down, and inevitably you’ll feel like you’re being boiled alive. Water is also tricky to depict. I was getting better at it when this cartoon ran in 1995. The wave in the first panel doesn’t look very convincing, but the foam in the last three panels looks about right. When drawing water (with a pen), less is more. Water is about negative space, what you don’t draw. That’s the way it is for me, anyway.
Wavering
By Jimmy Johnson
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248 responses to “Wavering”
‘draw’ vs. ‘depict,’ good one!
When Jimmy “draws a bath”, I always like it when he draws Janis in it.
Less is more. Drawing water literally can take a long time and may not advance the story. Fortunately you have 4 panels to make your point.
Hitchcock and many of the directors of his error would not show the guts and gore, but would cut away just before, then show the reaction shot of the victim or someone observing. This created more fear and suspense as the imagination is a powerful tool.
Today’s real time strip with the anvil is a good example.
I’m slow. It took me until “boiled alive” to get it. Up until then I thought “Oh, boy! We’re getting the inside secrets!”
Negative space is what all forms of art are about. I learned this when I took up art form floral designing and competition design, which is based on “If you can sell it for an FTD arrangement, it isn’t art.” It was what you did with the negative space where you put nothing that the judges paid attention to.
I think you are a good minimalist cartoonist but not to the point of it not being art, JJ.
Love, Jackie Monies
Trapper Jean, this is in reply to your pink flamingos and VW Beetle. We lived in one of those Texas subdivisions with real homeowners and associations with rods up their rear axis. I had a fabulous front yard because I like to garden but we also had a sinkhole marsh in back yard discovered when the pool people refused to put in pool or decks.
Husband said if I won Yard of the Mouth he was going to put a ripped up hammock between two pine trees, lay in it in a holey t-shirt and unshaven and throw beer cans into the nasturtiums.
Maybe we should trade husbands (gasp) but I have moved over to your side and think a VW covered in morning glories would make a marvelous planter. I was going to use one of my husbands 23 foot boats for same purpose but he decided he’d just burn it up finally.
Love, Jackie Monies
Thanks for the tune, Jean dear. I’ve always liked Reba…and not just since she wore “that dress” to the awards ceremony. 😉
Yard of the Mouth? I think we need an edit feature. Don’t worry, I’ve typo’d much worse here!
Although, as I recall, it was an eye-catching dress… 🙂
I also like it when Jimmy draws Janis OUT of the bath.
http://www.gocomics.com/arloandjanis/2013/12/26#.U5m_2_ldWa8
Well Steve. in some neighborhoods I lived in “Yard of the Mouth” might fit it better.
Last Houston subdivision the yard of the month kept being won by our resident drug dealers who must have been pretty high up based on cars and lovely home and yard.
Darn, I am a nervous wreck! Keep waiting to hear from daughter on husband. Called mom in for breakfast several times, set her bacon and grease on fire and burned my fingers on left hand trying to deal with it.
Mistyping is least of problems!
Love, Jackie Monies
I fell in tub like that last summer up on Mackinaw Island in antique hotel. Skinny tub, no hand rails. I am no longer skinny and got caught in bottom of tub. My daughter would not call security, drained water out and then dragged me out about how Janis is coming out.
Last night I was thinking about old friends, stuff you do when you are too nervous to sleep.
I really need to tell you about one of our past best friends who drowned his wife in a hotel bathroom, ending in a murder trial about as famous as OJ Simpson’s and has had several books written about it, a made for television movie and been the subject of American Justice and a lot of magazines and newspapers.
Isn’t it funny what you think of lying in the dark? And Ghost, don’t you dare say anything about choice of friends! He and wife were most prominent socially and professionally in New Orleans. He killed her at a realtor’s convention in St. Louis.
In fact, all the murderers and victims I think I have know (well maybe most) were socially prominent and they were crimes of financial gain for money or passion?
Love, Jackie Monies
Four of twelve. Keeping the ratio alive.
Dearest Virgin, please don’t tell me you have gone over to the “on topic only, please” side.
Re kinetic weapons yesterday—in Robert Heinlein’s “the Moon Is a Harsh Mistress,” the Moon colonist rebels fight against Earth by catapulting rocks down at it.
I guess I should have said “down” at it….
NK, the infamous “Gravity Well?” That is not my favorite RAH novel but I like it fine.
Jackie, I am keeping you and your family in my prayers.
Ghost, I recommend this site for you, much sexier than Janis: http://apesandbabes.com/liberty-meadows-by-frank-cho-1321/
Heh, another for VM’s own agony column 😛
Danger! Falling rocks next 384,400km.
From Wiki about a Bugs Bunny cartoon:
As he gets ready to leave with the bunny beauty, Bugs looks at the audience, breaking the fourth wall, and comments: “Ah sure, I know. But aren’t they all witches inside?”
http://apesandbabes.com/wp-content/gallery/brandy/witch-brandy.jpg
Lily, “not my favorite…but like it fine” is a good description of my feelings about it too. I couldn’t get over having Mike the computer “die” at the end. I was a lot happier when he turned up again in that late novel when EVERYONE turned up. I only like happy endings. So sue me.
Frank Cho has some issues. However, I enjoy seeing the illustrations he does of his issues. 😉
I think I remember I asked a long time about how Mr. JJ draws water—a good answer (beginning got me too—what a kidder) at last! Danke! Negative space, eh—
Which one was that, NK? To Sail Beyond the Sunset? The one where Her Wisdom Milady Star announced that Oscar had disappeared? That made me sad. I loved Oscar Gordon, hero by trade
In reference to The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, one of the best lines is after Mike has been chucking rocks at the earth a while he asks if he should continue to target Chyenne Mt. When asked why, he says to the effect, ” Because it is no longer there”.
“Miracle Max”…ha!