Self-Portrait with Letterforms

Self Portrait Starter Photo

This is the photo I am creating my self-portrait in letterforms from.  Try saying that 4Xs in a row...

"Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud

The topics mentioned in "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud have come up constantly in my own work, or in contemplation of my work.  The idea of seeing oneself in inanimate objects has been a fascination of mine since I was a little girl.  I remember sleeping so close to my wall, that sometimes I felt myself melding into it, becoming part of it.  Going outside the first house I lived in with my husband and laying on the pavement with my potted plants surrounding me as if I were one of them or some small creature.

We spend the most time with whatever it is that we love or are committed to the most, be it our families, our computers, our gym equipment, or churches.  We in turn associate ourselves and others according to their hobbies, jobs and tools.  Even when choosing to buy a car people ask themselves which model fits their personality or represents or relates to them.

The universality in icons is that they represent a broader group, sect or type of person or personality.  It could be scaled down to gender, clothing style, religious preference or profession.  We are given clues or hints on how to interpret the cartoon or icon by inanimate objects that adorn the area or person of the icon.   We in turn can become the icon when we associate ourselves with what the icon or cartoon is acting out or saying.

I enjoyed reading this and have definitely discovered more about cartooning and perception through this excerpt.

Ex.4

Ex.3

Ex.2

Using the Same Letterform with Differing Sizes to Create Depth