Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 16, 2023

Is Bernice trying to make Nil jealous?

If she is willing to be his model, she needs to keep her lips sealed.

I bet some of the others are right.. he’ll end up drawing a body part, and not her face.

Maybe her mouth??

Indeed, when?

Of course; bespectacled cartoon characters always have beady eyes without their glasses. But Bern? You are participating in his art; you’re posing for a freakin’ painting, why do you think he wants you to shut yer piehole?

Why does he need a live model of a painting? It’s strange, too, that Bernice doesn’t understand the first role of modeling: don’t move, not even her lips. She does mention Piro but what has that got to do with the story? But wait! What if Nil (no last name) is one of Piro’s hoodlum cousins?

A bowl of fruit? Don’t give Nil any ideas.

Bernice lacks the ethereal, inscrutable air that Mona is so famous for.

Nil really could have asked anyone to do the sitting. Like Johnny Bravo, they just need to fit the costume.

good luck on getting her tk stop talking

She still has her eyebrows; he could eliminate them on the painting though!

Nils needed to explain his expectations upfront. And she’s not getting paid, so he should be a little bit more gracious.

Not really clear on the concept of modeling, are you, Bernice?

“I thought I’d be participating in your art…” You mean like, every other brush stroke?

Bernice looks cool as Mona Lisa!

Bernice zip your mouth up.

Oh, I love this. Nil is putting her in her place, which is something she needs desperately.

Bernice, sitting still is what models for artists do!

Nil seems unimpressed with Bern’s revelation. I don’t believe Nil has ever met Piro, what with them attending different schools.

After meeting the dark, mysterious Piro, Nil may seek to swap muses. 8^ )

In the first panel, Bernice looks cute, … with her mouth closed …

Oh well, too bad ….

I… I don’t like either of you.

Frame 1 and Frame 3. Totally different looks for Bernice – very interesting artwork. Also – Good reply Nil…

Back in the day, Bernice wowed Nil with her 10-dollar words and now everything is just one and two syllables. What happened to the smart, pretentious Bernice?

Face it Bern, Nil is not into what you are up to with a guy he likely has never met (though that could be a false assumption as well) and he is not going to get jealous if you keep talking about him. He just wants you to pose and keep the chit chat to a minimum. If Nil meets Piro, I could him doing some sort of head/facial composite of Walt which might be a grand slam winner in the Pitt art world thus putting the artist known a Nil on the map. People would know Walt was the model ala the star on the cabeza of course.

¿?????

Come on Bernice. It’s art and the artist needs concentration to create his art. It’s not a chat time. He’s not a girlfriend. I don’t think you’re his muse – he said that to flatter you into being his model. That’s all he wants – a model. Yeah, like a bowl of fruit.

This whole concept of Nil being this oddball artist, who needs a muse, and him deciding that Bernice of all people should be that muse… doesn’t really work. Poor idea with a dynamic that doesn’t hold believability or interest.

Ha! Haaaaa! Love it Nil! (＾⋃＾)

I don’t believe it.

Bernice is actually talking about another guy to another guy that she kinda has feelings for.

How tasteless and thoughtless can one get??

If the situation were reversed, I’ll wager most gals would have gotten up, and told the guy where to get off while abruptly leaving.

So chalk this down as reason #197 why many of Us DON’T like Bernice.

PS: Bernice willingly tells Nil but she couldn’t willingly tell her old “pal” Luann?? Reason #198.

If Bernice would, in fact, retreat into herself and entertain herself with her own thoughts and daydreams, thereby keeping externally silent and still, she might entertain herself with daydreams of Piro — and that just might produce that enigmatic Mona Lisa smile (or, maybe, a really silly-looking grin).

Nil, poor, shy, confused Nil. Leonardo chatted with his models, like many artistes do. It’s true that he’s still young and inexperienced, but a chatter model can become a problem when you want to do the details, not at the beginning of the portrait. Nil has never stopped loving Bernice, he asked her to become his muse for not lose her and he feels uncomfortable hearing she has received an invitation from a guy she liked in the past (and probably still likes). But he knows Bernice’s bad temper, anything he could tells her about this would make her angry. I’m afraid this situation between Bernice and Piro will make him suffer a lot.

The finished painting will be a caricature with a massive, blabbing mouth.

Ann ❤️ Eiffel. Now there’s a real work of art, boy howdy.

Bernice without glasses. Quite a different look. She doesn’t wear eyeliner Not sure we’ve seen this before. While she was dreaming, maybe? Nil is not concerned with the letter. He wants his project to work.

She looks like a completely different character now

Nil is speaking for all of us. Bernice, hush.

talking about anything and everything is not participating in the art Bern; being that bowl of fruit is.

Earbuds Bernice, earbuds and some good tunes!

Looks like Bernice’s relationship with Nil is about to crash. Muse is heading into messed up.

You know, art can be a painful process. Reminds me of this Peanuts comic: https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1964/05/03

she looks very different in that wig

Berice you ARE participating in his art just by being there. Now keep quiet and try to look enigmatic!

Honestly, Bernice makes Pepper Ann look like Sarah Crewe.

there are two possible ways to keep Bernice’s mouth shut, either tape it, or, have Nil kiss it.

You’re bored? Unhappy because Nil doesn’t want to hear your stupid gossip? Can’t keep your stinkin’ pie-hole shut? Well then, Bernice…..GTFO.

Bernice is doing a great job of convincing Nil that breaking off the relationship was a fantastically wise decision.

So Bernice, being the ego maniac she is, thought she would be critiqueing, and making suggestions about Nils painting. Besides during class, I’ve never seen an artist invite someone to sit and make comments while they paint. If she wants to participate in art she should pick up a brush.

(I don’t think she’s going to like her portrait! LOL!)

A chatty Mona Lisa would be progressive art and not just a ripoff.

Maybe he’ll paint her mouthless lol!!!

At first I was annoyed that Bernice didn’t understand what a model’s role in a painting is but… when I think back on it… I don’t think she’s ever understood her role as a muse.

“Shaddup! Shuttinyup!” – Muggsy to Bugs Bunny

Bernice finally got the idea.

“I don’t DO silent.”

Now! Zip it, please.

Didn’t Nil have a bunch of paintings for sale at his art exhibit? He must have made some money from that show. He should be paying for a model, not using Bernice for free.

Good question, Nil. He should’ve taken a picture of her and drawn from the photo. Next time.

So that’s what she looks like with her glasses off. Maybe she should consider taking on that sort of look for a while!

Egads! This has all been a bit ‘cringe worthy’. And I mean since Luann saw Piro last week.

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa? Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?

Bernice is comfortable enough with Nil to confide in him about Piro. Guess this is a plutonic relationship. Is Nil the temperamental artist? My guess is he’s only painting her mouth, which is supposed to be in an enigmatic smile. I don’t think she’s capable of that! ;-))

What – did you think the original Mona Lisa was yakking it up in front of daVinci?

I’m surprised he hasn’t asked her to take her clothes off!

Makes you wonder how the Mona Lisa was painted, with her yapping all the time

I’m seriously confused as to what any of these guys see in Bernice. She’s completely insufferable.

She was actually making a pretty good start on the Enigmatic Smile shtick. . . .

I really want to see this painting.

The male love interest characters certainly don’t like talking, do they? Nil, Kip, Piro…. They should form a nice, quiet club.

ok….so here’s my theory on Piro. Tara took the blame for the vending machine thing but it was really Piro. He is secretly homeless and was hungry. That’s his secret. He is homeless but genius-smart so he wants to better his life. But you know, he’s homeless so that is difficult. He doesn’t want to tell Bern because he is worried that she will be judgemental since she can be over-bearing and a rule follower to the LETTER. But…he really likes her and sees the compassionate, soft side of her.

The artist has to concentrate so the model needs to be still and quiet; hence models get paid (like Jack was). But muses can have romantic relationships with their artist and that compensates for this dull work portion. There needs to be some spark of a relationship (again) between these two.

Nil and Piro—-she seems to attract the “different” personalities

Skinny modeled for Flattop Jr.and that didn’t work out so great either.

They say that clothes make the man … or woman.

When she’s in her schoolmarm outfits, she’s a plain-jane know-it-all.

But dress her up and make her look pretty, and she becomes a chatty petulant airhead.

So will this relationship be officially over so Piro/Walt can enter the picture?

So Bern, hence Mona, will have a slightly peeved look. Perfect direction, Piro.

As they said in t he Bugs Bunny cartoons——“Shut up shutting up!”

For story line twist, let Piro spark her interest again, so she can be a Piro-maniac and set fire to her love life. Then she can really Bern.

That last panel; what a hoot!!

When has that ever worked?

The muse is bemused/confused by the devotee.

Bernice needs a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.

If the Queen of Snark can’t learn to shut her big piehole, she will never be a suitable “Mona Lisa,” and so will deep-six whatever chance of friendship (or more) with Nil might have existed….

Someone cue up ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’.

Hahaha…When? That’s funny…

Good comment, Piro.

The subject of a portrait is allowed to speak when the artist isn’t painting her mouth. Give her a break, Piro.