ABSTRACT
A few weeks ago I touched on props and mannerisms and their importance in storytelling. I maintain that having a prop, a mannerism, or a story point to work with makes your drawing a lot easier (and more fun). Those things work for you like a tool works for you – a shovel, a drill, a vacuum cleaner, a spoon. When you have a job to do, the proper tool helps make the action complete. A prop (tool), be it a part of the body or its adornment or some story-related object, should be considered an integral and inherent part of any drawing. Look at the chapter on props again and notice how the first thing you see is not the anatomy or the details in those drawings, but rather the gesture – the appropriate use of the props.
