Sketch 8: Combophoto
Photo Credits:
photo by takeabreak (Flickr)—ruler
photo by Phillip Huntichings (Flickr)—crane
Author: Dan
Sketch 7 Reflection
I decided to make less of a story and more of a statement that describes a story. I did add multiple images, but there was a common them to the comic. The story has a great deal of truth when reflecting upon the history of the United States. My comic lies between both “truths” of Sacco’s book and Spiegelman’s comic, but it is skewed towards Sacco’s. This is because Sacco uses his specific experiences and his reporting in order to show his version of “truth” to the story. Similarly, I rely on my experiences to focus on delivering the theme of my story. For this sketch assignment, I decided to go more bold and stray away from a traditional comic with one massive image, with smaller images, to portray a greater theme of the comic.
Sketch 7: Tell a True Story
Collin Combs Sketch and Reflection
I was drawn to this image because the man in the picture was throwing something. I first noticed that he was not throwing something that was meant to traditionally be thrown. Also, he is in a parking lot of some sort. For me drawing, however, I decided to focus on just the motion of the guy and the object he was throwing. While I was sketching the image, the mans taught shirt was what I began to notice the most.
Literary Narrative Comic: Draft
When initially starting to turn my narrative into a comic, I found it useful to have the standardly written narrative. It enabled em to better plan how I wanted to make my panels, and it allowed me to further extrapolate my drawings that would accompany them. While writing, I also incorporated many styles from McCloud, Spiegelman, and Sacco. This, I deduced, would allow me to possibly select one in the end and apply that to my final draft. However, after the positive feedback I received for my comic, I may decide to keep the comic interesting with these multiple styles. Also, the comments I received appreciated my use of the “books”, and at the end the pencil, as people. I thought it was an interesting take. Additionally, the comments noted that I adequately used camera angles to show movement and different subjects. Perhaps what I am most proud of is how each comment adequately noted the theme and mood of my comic.
Tracing Maus Reflection
The Tracing Maus project was certainly grueling, yet it was an enjoyable process. Tracing the pages took me hours. However, it did not feel like work. While annotating the pages, I was able to recognize unique patterns that I certainly did not comprehend while casually reading the book. While annotating, I was challenged by having to understand what Spiegelman was trying to convey. Interestingly, though, the conclusions I deduced made logically sense in conjunction with McCould’s sentiments. To address the assignment, I was forced to write a significant analysis. I did enjoy to write analysis because one thought leads to another. The meaning to this is that When I write one thing, my next idea festers from the prior idea. Writing in chunks about different, smaller ideas was markedly easier. The “chunks” were three distinct ideas that were, essentially, a pre-apportioned organization of the essay. This, itself, distinguished this assignment from a traditional, linear letter. I was better able to understand the “secret language of comics” from this assignment. When reading McCloud’s work, it is easy to allow his ideas to flow right by reading. However, for this assignment, when I specifically focused on analyzing how Spiegelman used thses strategies, it was quite fascinating. After writing this paper, I certainly understand Maus better; this assignment unlocked another dimension of Maus. Prior, Maus was a spectacular collection of memoirs. Nevertheless, it became a great comic to me. By comic, I am referring to its magnificent structure. The single greatest insight I received from this assignment was the process of writing a comic. I understand a new perspective on how one can produce a comic. Especially, now, I feel as if when I continue to write my personal narrative comic, this assignment will play a heavy influence.
Tracing Maus Reflection
The Tracing Maus project was certainly grueling, yet it was an enjoyable process. Tracing the pages took me hours. However, it did not feel like work. While annotating the pages, I was able to recognize unique patterns that I certainly did not comprehend while casually reading the book. While annotating, I was challenged by having to understand what Spiegelman was trying to convey. Interestingly, though, the conclusions I deduced made logically sense in conjunction with McCould’s sentiments. To address the assignment, I was forced to write a significant analysis. I did enjoy to write analysis because one thought leads to another. The meaning to this is that When I write one thing, my next idea festers from the prior idea. Writing in chunks about different, smaller ideas was markedly easier. The “chunks” were three distinct ideas that were, essentially, a pre-apportioned organization of the essay. This, itself, distinguished this assignment from a traditional, linear letter. I was better able to understand the “secret language of comics” from this assignment. When reading McCloud’s work, it is easy to allow his ideas to flow right by reading. However, for this assignment, when I specifically focused on analyzing how Spiegelman used thses strategies, it was quite fascinating. After writing this paper, I certainly understand Maus better; this assignment unlocked another dimension of Maus. Prior, Maus was a spectacular collection of memoirs. Nevertheless, it became a great comic to me. By comic, I am referring to its magnificent structure. The single greatest insight I received from this assignment was the process of writing a comic. I understand a new perspective on how one can produce a comic. Especially, now, I feel as if when I continue to write my personal narrative comic, this assignment will play a heavy influence.
Sketch 6: Reflection
Crafting a self-portrait through this photograph would be definitely considered different that the “sketch” assignments prior. Namely, this assignment had zero drawings. Though, I do see a purposeful use of it, and I appreciate the assignment. As a person, this is partially representative of me. I often times like to spend my time in the library and, of course, go to class. However, it lacks my social personality and, most importantly, many other interests. Surely, the “school backpack” I bring around class everyday is expected to not contain all my interests. Many of the things I am interested, for example watching sports, cannot be contained in backpack. One major choice I made in this assignment was organizing the contents neatly. It ought to be noted that for the items that were nearly uniform and I had multiple of (the books and notebooks), I fanned out to be more organized and aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, I put my laptop in the foreground of the image because many of the things I do throughout the day-socially, academically, and leisurely- I do on my laptop. The greatest challenge of the assignment was accepting that I do not bring around much stuff and will not be able to express who I truly am through this one image. In addition, It was a rather difficult call on whether I wanted to take a photograph from above of from the angle I eventually used. Representing oneself in a catalog of the stuff in one’s bag is ought not to be considered a form a writing. Writing should include letters, sentences, and structure. Though an image, or multiple images, can tell a story, they are not “writing”. This picture does not fulfill the requirements of being writing.
Sketch 6: What’s in Your Bag?
Items:
Four notebooks for four of the classes I am in (Note: the White one is for freshman writing)
One Folder for a class (freshman seminar)
Maus Volum II– clearly, we were reading this book and I just have not removed it.
Palestine– Currently the book we are reading in class. Interestingly, right before this picture I finished the reading (Chapters 1 and 2) due Tuesday.
Laptop- essential for all my classes
Chapstick
Pencil Case
Water Bottle (With many stickers)
Backpack (I use this as a multi-purpose backpack to avoid taking things in and out of it and leaving items in my room)
Sketch 5: Triptych
When I first began, admittedly, it was difficult to think of ideas. This is especially because I wanted to kept terse yet meaningful. Thus, I decided to make inanimate objects have human characteristics. Then, those inanimate objects turned out to be drinks. This idea came from, initially, Veggie Tales and Sausage Party. Both give foods personalities and human characteristics. This comic strip was different than anything else we have done this semester because we actually drew an entire sequence rather than one image. It was challenging at first because I have never really made a comic before. In my second window, I decided to use a technique that McCloud described where I focused in on one subject. Also, I ha dot accompany the images with words that told a story. One interesting thing I did was I already knew how the story would turn out. Thus, I drew the images first and then filled in the boxes with text.
