<p>It's called an <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArtShift" rel="noreferrer">Art Shift</a>, traditionally used in western media for homages, parodies, or flashbacks; <em>e.g.</em> <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1991/02/26" rel="noreferrer">Tracer Bullet</a> or when Calvin and Susie <a href="http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/7/9" rel="noreferrer">play house</a> in <em>Calvin and Hobbes</em>. These art shifts usually last for one or more scenes, often for the duration of a specific subplot. The Japanese use art shifts in a very different way-- single-shot/panel shifts are quite common in anime and manga, and are used for comedic emphasis. <em>Kimi ni Todoke</em>, for example, uses this <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LN0KF.jpg" rel="noreferrer">quite frequently</a> (<em>Kimi ni Todoke</em> vol. 10 / ch. 42 spoilers). It is often used in conjunction with other anime/manga tropes (<a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrossPoppingVeins" rel="noreferrer">Cross Popping Veins</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DullEyesOfUnhappiness" rel="noreferrer">Dull Eyes of Unhappiness</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GivingUpTheGhost" rel="noreferrer">Giving Up the Ghost</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoseBleed" rel="noreferrer">Nosebleed</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SnotBubble" rel="noreferrer">Snot Bubble</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SweatDrop" rel="noreferrer">Sweat Drop</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VisibleSigh" rel="noreferrer">Visible Sigh</a>, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KewpieDollSurprise" rel="noreferrer">Kewpie Doll Surprise</a>, etc.) to convey emotion humorously, or on a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NonStandardCharacterDesign" rel="noreferrer">specific character</a> to show that they're acting in a way that's different from the rest of the world. It can also be used on a group of characters to show a sudden (and usually temporary) shift in tone.  Shifting into a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperDeformed" rel="noreferrer">chibi</a> art style usually implies a comedic or <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Moe" rel="noreferrer">moe</a> tone.</p>

<p>As to your specific examples, the art shift creates an emphasis on joke-- in the first example, how Faye is forced to <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SubvertedTrope" rel="noreferrer">subvert</a> her usual <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IneffectualDeathThreats" rel="noreferrer">threats of violence</a>, and in the second example, how Faye <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ComicallyMissingThePoint" rel="noreferrer">completely misssed the point</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-22T08:38:38.027Z
2018-02-22T08:38:38.027Z
j4eo
<p>I'm a big fan of web comics, and have a question about a drawing or story-telling technique that I've seen. It seems effective, but I'm not quite sure what it's effective <strong><em>for</em></strong>.</p>

<p>Here's an example, from the most excellent <a href="http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3667" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Questionable Content</a> by Jeph Jacques. First, a frame in his usual style:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XrCq2m.png" alt="Jeph Jacques usual style, January 30, 2018"></p>

<p>He's usually quite consistent, but once in a long while there's a frame where he uses a much simpler drawing style:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bOUt5m.png" alt="Jeph Jacques simplified style, January 30, 2018"></p>

<p>Another example, from <a href="http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3663" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this strip</a>; compare...</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sFQbkm.png" alt="Couple, usual drawing style"></p>

<p>... to...</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/XrNqym.png" alt="Couple, simplified drawing style"></p>

<p>It's an interesting and entertaining motif, but I'm not clear on just what he's communicating with it, and why it feels effective. Is it an ironic aside? Or is it a pause in the action to let the characters (and reader) consider?</p>

<p>And, what is the history of this? Did Jeph make this up, or have previous cartoonists used it as well?</p>

<p>Any ideas?</p>

<tropes>
Story-telling technique where the drawing style briefly gets much simpler?
# Story-telling technique where the drawing style briefly gets much simpler?
Posted by: username_0 on 2018-01-31
I'm a big fan of web comics, and have a question about a drawing or story-telling technique that I've seen. It seems effective, but I'm not quite sure what it's effective ***for***.

Here's an example, from the most excellent [Questionable Content](http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3667) by Jeph Jacques. First, a frame in his usual style:

![Jeph Jacques usual style, January 30, 2018](https://i.sstatic.net/XrCq2m.png)

He's usually quite consistent, but once in a long while there's a frame where he uses a much simpler drawing style:

![Jeph Jacques simplified style, January 30, 2018](https://i.sstatic.net/bOUt5m.png)

Another example, from [this strip](http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3663); compare...

![Couple, usual drawing style](https://i.sstatic.net/sFQbkm.png)

... to...

![Couple, simplified drawing style](https://i.sstatic.net/XrNqym.png)

It's an interesting and entertaining motif, but I'm not clear on just what he's communicating with it, and why it feels effective. Is it an ironic aside? Or is it a pause in the action to let the characters (and reader) consider?

And, what is the history of this? Did Jeph make this up, or have previous cartoonists used it as well?

Any ideas?
**Tags:** tropes
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-22. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
It's called an [Art Shift](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArtShift), traditionally used in western media for homages, parodies, or flashbacks; *e.g.* [Tracer Bullet](http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1991/02/26) or when Calvin and Susie [play house](http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1989/7/9) in *Calvin and Hobbes*. These art shifts usually last for one or more scenes, often for the duration of a specific subplot. The Japanese use art shifts in a very different way-- single-shot/panel shifts are quite common in anime and manga, and are used for comedic emphasis. *Kimi ni Todoke*, for example, uses this [quite frequently](https://i.sstatic.net/LN0KF.jpg) (*Kimi ni Todoke* vol. 10 / ch. 42 spoilers). It is often used in conjunction with other anime/manga tropes ([Cross Popping Veins](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CrossPoppingVeins), [Dull Eyes of Unhappiness](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DullEyesOfUnhappiness), [Giving Up the Ghost](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GivingUpTheGhost), [Nosebleed](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoseBleed), [Snot Bubble](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SnotBubble), [Sweat Drop](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SweatDrop), [Visible Sigh](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VisibleSigh), [Kewpie Doll Surprise](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KewpieDollSurprise), etc.) to convey emotion humorously, or on a [specific character](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NonStandardCharacterDesign) to show that they're acting in a way that's different from the rest of the world. It can also be used on a group of characters to show a sudden (and usually temporary) shift in tone. Shifting into a [chibi](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperDeformed) art style usually implies a comedic or [moe](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Moe) tone.

As to your specific examples, the art shift creates an emphasis on joke-- in the first example, how Faye is forced to [subvert](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SubvertedTrope) her usual [threats of violence](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IneffectualDeathThreats), and in the second example, how Faye [completely misssed the point](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ComicallyMissingThePoint).
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