Month: May 2024

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DINOSAUR ERA

Even after Extinction, the History of the Giant Reptiles of the Mesozoic era remains preserved in museums, books, and film.
My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of the Chaos Mathematician Ian Malcom (survivor of the Jurassic Park books and films) illustrating an ASL hand sign for DINOSAUR.
With Stern facial expression for the creature’s weight, the closed fingers forming the head, the arm of the D hand (or Flattened O hand) moves up and down like a stomping dinosaur.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #dinosaur #cartoon #myasldictionary

Presenting the first Dinosaur hand sign taught in my ASL courses, I reason his character uses the older initialized hand sign as he is a mathematician and not an updated paleontologist.

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HUMBLE DONKEY

Stoic, intelligent, and incorrectly labelled as stubborn, Donkey’s strong backs have carried the burden of supplies, equipment, and passengers throughout history.

My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of Pinocchio’s friend Candlewick (Lampwick), rescued from his ‘beast of burden’ fate in the book and film to remain a boy to show the ASL hand sign for DONKEY.
Thumb touching the side of the head, the B hand bends up and down twice, like a donkey’s big ears.
Similar to the hand sign for STUBBORN.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #donkey #cartoon #myasldictionary

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OH DEER

Known for their long slender legs and branched horn antlers, these cloven-hooved animals live worldwide in forests, wetlands, riversides, and parks. Instead of a hunter, My ASL Dictionary uses another famous character in a deerstalker cap. A second cartoon of Sherlock Holmes shows the ASL hand sign for DEER and MOOSE. 

Palms forward, the thumbs of the 5 hands tap the sides of the head, the visual of a deer’s antlers.

The Canadian variant has the thumbs of the 5 hands touching the sides of the temple and then moving forward, like the large protruding antlers on a stag.

For the illustration of MOOSE, the largest form of the Deer species, the 5 hands touch the side of the temple to arc forward and out like its thick giant antlers.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #deer #moose #cartoon #dictionary #myasldictionary

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COUNTING SHEEP

Following the idiom that counting sheep puts you to sleep, My ASL Dictionary has a Sleepy Gentlemen in Blue Sheep-pattern Pyjamas showing the ASL hand sign for SHEEP (his tired yawn added for the animation).
The V hand opens and closes as it slides up the opposite arm like shears clipping wool.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #sheep #cartoon #myasldicitonary

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COWS

Another benefit of learning ASL was how it led me back to cartoon illustration, pushing me to improve my artwork for the hands and body.
One of my earlier 2013 ASL Illustrations is a young boy with messy hair and a cow t-shirt, his simple cartoon fingers showing the ASL hand sign for COW.
The Thumb of the Y hand rests on the temple as the hand twists forward at the wrist twice, representing the horns of the cow.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #cow #cartoon #myasldictionary

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ANIMAL PLANET

The next posts follow the hand signs for animals not on a leash.
An early challenge in creating My ASL Dictionary was its illustrations. With each picture being static, it became difficult to show hand movements that overlap each other. One of my solutions was to draw two separate characters.

After removing his hat, my dictionary’s two cartoons of Doctor Dolittle (who could talk to animals) show the ASL hand sign for ANIMAL.
Fingertips of the Bent hand touch the chest, then pivot inward twice, like the heavy breathing of an animal.

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BUGS

Ants, Beetles, Crickets, and Mantises can all be a bother, but for some, they make perfect low-maintenance pets. My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of an Entomologist (Insect Scientist) showing the ASL hand sign for BUG (the Insect, not the Annoyance).
The Thumb of the 3 hand touches the nose as the index and middle fingers bend twice like the twitching of a bug’s antennae.

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CHIPMUNKS

Adorable bushy-tailed critters that scavenge for nuts in trees and bird feeders. My ASL Dictionary has a cartoon of Dave, the single parent who adopted three singing rodents to show the ASL hand sign for CHIPMUNK.
Hand near the mouth, both Bent V hands tap against each other twice, like a chipmunk breaking open nuts for a meal.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #chipmunk #squirrel #cartoon #myasldictionary

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FROG KISS

More than pets, these reptiles are known in legends as tricksters, symbols of good fortune, and hapless princes under a spell waiting for a kiss.
My ASL Dictionary features a cartoon of Puppeteer Jim Henson in a Kermit sweater, showing the ASL hand sign for FROG.
S hand under the chin, the index and forefinger flick up into a V hand twice, the visual of the frog’s tongue that shoots out to catch its prey.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #frog #jimhenson #cartoon #myasldicitonary

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HORSE POWER

Like every little girl’s impossible wish, a horse can also be a pet. From a list of famous equines, I chose the 1961 comical talking horse, Mr. Ed, and his klutzy owner, Wilbur Post, to show the ASL hand sign for HORSE. 
The H hand bends forward at the knuckles twice, like a horse’s ears.

#ASL #Americansignlanguage #signlanguage #horse #comic #myasldictionary