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If anyone here needs a mental warm hug, we’re ready to provide you with one. This heartwarming gesture is made possible by the UK-based artist Hector Janse van Rensburg. He decided to channel his incredible talent for watercolor painting into one of the most wholesome comic series out there, originally titled 'S**tty Watercolour', alternatively known as 'Swatercolour'.

As we learned about the 'Swatercolour' comics from the artist himself: “They sometimes approach difficult issues like mental health, but the aim of the comics is not to solve the issues but to show a different perspective on them. That new perspective often comes from the cat, who is based on my cat Ona who passed away a few years ago.”

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Bored Panda got in touch with Hector Janse van Rensburg and asked some further questions regarding his work. Firstly, we were wondering how the artist comes up with ideas for his new strips. The comic creator shared with us: “For the cat comics, I used to do one every day. I wouldn’t get out of bed until I thought of one. The comics usually followed a similar pattern of a mental trap that is resolved over the 4 panels, so thinking of bad patterns of thought was where I began. Working through them with the involvement of my cat then led to the comic. My cat died before I started that series, but just thinking of what she might say if she could talk helped me come up with ideas.”

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    Artist Helps Calm Anxious Minds With The Comforting Cat Comics (38 New Pics)

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    Tabitha
    Community Member
    9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So many times in my life this has been me coming home to my cats. Unlike people, my animals have always cheered me up, and never let me down.

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    Asked how his style has evolved over time, and what factors influenced these changes, Hector said: “When I started, I was awful. I’d churn out about 30 paintings a day without much thought, and I’m not sure what was going through my head as I drew. As I became more popular, I think self consciousness kicked in and I felt the need to be more aware of what I was doing, and to be more proper about the whole business of anatomy and perspective and such. I’m still not very good but I practice a lot, read a lot, and look at work I admire with profound confusion. I think a lot of my style is down to the fact that I am effectively unable to visualise anything, so a lot of it amounts to groping around in the dark, relying on symbols more than form.”

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    Artist Helps Calm Anxious Minds With The Comforting Cat Comics (38 New Pics)

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    We also wanted to find out Hector’s opinion on some topics related to the art of comics. The illustrator told us what makes a good comic, and what common mistakes artists should avoid: “I’m far from an expert, but I think for a good comic or any creative work, you should begin with a thought or impulse and by the end you should see something of that impulse looking back at you. Everything - story, perspective, form, anatomy, medium, length, etc. - is to be employed in service of that basic idea. And for people to take an interest in what you make, you need to make sure people care about that initial impulse you had. If you’re really good then you can make them care.”

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    Lastly, we asked the illustrator about the most rewarding aspects of being a comic artist. We found out: “Comics in particular are interesting because you can control time in a way that you can’t do so well in a normal illustration, where everything happens at once. So seeing people respond positively, and knowing that we shared a moment of time, is rewarding. And from a creative point of view, I think you will make better work if you are curious about life, which is something I’d like to push myself to be. I have the philosophy that if I can’t draw something, it’s because I don’t understand it well enough. And I can’t draw well, so I will keep trying to understand. Maybe forever!”

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    Artist Helps Calm Anxious Minds With The Comforting Cat Comics (38 New Pics)

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    Lisa Catlin
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is no such thing as a perfect life, only an excellent one.

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    Artist Helps Calm Anxious Minds With The Comforting Cat Comics (38 New Pics)

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    Lisa Catlin
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, for now. Bravo, Hector Janse van Rensburg for creating these sweet illustrations that deal with mental health issues. Very lovely.

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    #33

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