Masking
Masking is a drawing technique invented in
Japan in the mid- to late
20th century employed in
comics and
animation. It is the use of simplistic, iconic characters in order to assist readers or viewers in associating themselves with them as coupled with highly detailed, nearly photorealistic backgrounds to add visual interest. The
psychology behind this style has been extended to rendering antagonists in a realistic manner in order to show their separateness from the reader or viewer.