Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud has opened my eyes on multiple subjects, from the aspects of comics I've previously mentioned to the very origins of modern day comics! A few characteristics can be clearly seen in some parts of the graphic novel Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, which I've been reading alongside McCloud's work for a class assignment.
On pages 44-45 of McCloud's educational graphic novel, the technique called the "masking effect" is explained to the readers. Essentially, from far away, an object or person is simplified to its most basic, recognizable shape. However, when redrawn to be closer in a different panel, the object is much more detailed, revealing new designs or words that weren't seen in it's previous appearance. On page 17 of Fun Home, a vase, candle, and a few paintings in a corner of a room are drawn with decent detail on panel 3. On panel 4, however, when the rest of the room is revealed, the items are drawn simply, which fits the simple design of the rest of the room. This technique is used quite often throughout the graphic novel. This can both save drawing time for the author, as well as make the comic aesthetically pleasing.
The masking effect is also frequently used in animation, my favorite example being:
Does this look unsure to you? - Spongebob Squarepants "Just One Bite" episode
So far, I'm really enjoying both graphic novels. McCloud's work is a real eye opener, and Fun Home is an extremely entertaining autobiography that makes me want to read more autobiographical graphic novels in the future.
