Month: January 2024

Posted on

LIKES

While in film and romance novels, Love starts with two people who hate each other, Real Love usually begins with Liking. Showing the hand sign for enjoyment, fondness, and attraction, a cartoon of Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White smiles as she shows the ASL hand sign for LIKE, with the word in English appearing on the game board (and the 8 hand as a pattern on the green tiles).
Palm in, the 5 hand touching the chest draws out into an 8 hand, like pulling out feelings.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #like #cartoon #myasldictionary

LIKE is also an example of how American Sign Language isn’t a direct interpretation of ENGLISH. In English, Like can mean fondness or similarity (I like you, looks-like, like what, example, the same, similar, etc.). Instead of following English word for word, ASL uses other hand signs for these different definitions. From the pages of my ASL Dictionary, a quirky clown shows the ASL hand signs for LIKE, ALIKE, SAME, ALSO, and SUCH AS. Palms down, Index fingers come together, showing how they are the same.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #like #alike #same #cartoon #myasldictionary

It’s important to know which LIKE is which, as it can make the difference between saying, “Those two dogs are the same” or “I like those two dogs.”

Posted on

THE PLAN

The next step for My ASL Dictionary is its distribution to the Smashwords platform, a network that would allow the book access to the libraries and schools requesting it.
My Dictionary’s cartoon of a graduate shows the ASL hand sign for PLAN, ARRANGE, PREPARE, and SCHEDULE, the words in English scrolling out on two sheets of blueprints. Palms facing each other, the Right and Left hands sweep from left to right (or right to left) in a smooth, straight movement, like the flow of organized events.

I started my ASL illustrations while learning American Sign Language with the University of Guelph’s Sign Club (now ASL Club). Instead of relying on English notes, I started pictures of ASL hand signs to help remember and understand each new word. A plan that also improved my skills in drawing the human hand, which is why looking at my earlier pictures of pointed stick fingers is sometimes embarrassing. A messy cartoon of a graduate shows the ASL hand sign for PLAN, ARRANGE, PREPARE, and SCHEDULE. Palms facing each other, the Right and Left hands sweep from left to right (or right to left) in a smooth, straight movement, like the flow of organized events. After fingerspelling, the words in English scroll out on two sheets of blueprints.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #plan #cartoon #myasldictionary

While I made tiny upgrades to this image from the Dictionary, I plan on drawing a better version of this hand sign.

Posted on

ANOTHER SPLASH OF COLOUR

To add to the posts of artwork from My ASL Dictionary, I created another animated ad for the book itself with the artwork from the book’s poster and brochure. A friendly reminder that this cartoon-illustrated dictionary is available.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #cartoon #myasldictionary

While still a draft, I posted the ad on Instagram, twitter, Facebook and my publisher.

Posted on

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

As Address is the first question a TaxiCab Driver asks, my ASL Dictionary has a Yellow Cab Cabbie with green eyes and a friendly smile illustrating the ASL hand sign for ADDRESS and LIVE, with the street signs on the Road showing some of the words in English. Covering both Postal Destination, Place of Residence, or Breath of Life, this hand sign is also for ALIVE, DWELL, SURVIVE, and SURVIVAL. Both A hands palms in, move up both sides of the chest.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #address #live #alive #dwell #survive #cartoon #myasldictionary

Posted on

SLÀINTE MHATH!

The next Country hand sign from My ASL Dictionary is Scotland. Instead of waiting for Saint Andrew’s Day on November 30th to present it, I chose the second national day in Scotland, often more widely observed, January 25th’s Robbie Burns Day. This year marks the 264th anniversary of the nation’s national poet’s birth, his works supporting the beauty and culture of Scotland. After Supper, Drinks, and Poetry Readings, everyone enjoys the rest of Burn’s Night festivities. Cheers, Good Health, Slàinte Mhath!
Representing the north of the border, the land of brave, a young woman in full Scottish dress shows the ASL hand sign for SCOTLAND.
The fingertips of the 4 hand trace down the arm’s triceps and then across, like the plaid pattern on a Scottish tartan.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #scotland #tartan #cartoon #myasldictionary

*This post also corrects the illustration and error in the Dictionary’s directions for SCOTLAND, which incorrectly states to drag the 4 HS across the chest.
Posted on

COOLING DOWN

During the Heat of Summer or a Hard day at Work, the temperature can balanced with a Cool Drink, a wet facecloth, or the more extreme Ice Bucket Challenge. My ASL Dictionary has a young maiden in her Summer Dress showing the ASL hand sign for temperature COOL.
Hands are waved backward several times, like fanning the face to cool down.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #cool #cartoon #myasldictionary

Posted on

WARMING UP

As Temperature is more than the two extremes, Hot and Cold, my ASL Dictionary also has the hand signs for Warm and Cool. Wearing a Parka with sunrises bright enough to melt any snowstorm, a young man with Ginger hair shows the ASL hand sign for WARM and WARMTH. Closed O hand on the chin under the lips arcs forward as the fingers open up, like blowing warm air on cold fingers.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #warm #warmth #cartoon #myasldicitionary

Posted on

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

The best way to recover from a Cold Winter day is to look for something Hot, like a warm fire or a cup of Hot Chocolate. Cartoons illustrated in 2013, My ASL Dictionary has twin scientists for the hand signs for HOT and COLD, with different hair colours to tell them apart. With his Spiky Red Hair and Beard, the second twin shows the ASL hand sign for HOT and HEAT.
The clawed C hand with thumb and fingers on the side of the mouth quickly turns outward and down, like pulling away food that is too hot. The stronger and faster the movement, the hotter the temperature.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #hot #heat #cartoon #myasldictionary

Posted on

WINTER FROSTBITE

Today, the Weather Warning reported a Wind Chill near minus 30. To help warn my friends about this climate change and illustrate how linked the final season is to the temperature, a post of My ASL Dictionary’s cartoon of a Frozen Gentlemen for the ASL hand sign for COLD, Frigid, Chilly, Shiver, and WINTER.
Starting as a Frozen image with even his Dictionary Action lines iced, he breaks free to show the ASL hand sign for COLD and WINTER.
With hunched shoulders, both S hands shake, like shivering arms in the cold.

#ASL #americansignlanguage #signlanguage #cold #winter #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

Posted on

ZIP IT

Illustrating the universally known call to hush and be still, My ASL Dictionary’s young Templar Knight shows the ASL hand sign for QUIET, SHHH, BE QUIET, and QUIET DOWN. Head leans forward as Index finger covers the lips pursed in a SHHH.
#ASL #AmericanSignLanguage #signlanguage #shhh #shh #quiet #bequiet #quietodown #cartoon #myasldictionary

A variant of this hand sign is KEEP IT QUIET, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, and KEEP IT MUM, where the index finger quickly covers the closed lips as the upper body moves backward, like sealing your lips to keep a secret.