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Summer Youth: Creative Cartoonists (Ages 10-14)

Learn what cartoonists do, including penciling, inking in black and white and/or grayscale, making your own sketchbook, comics, and character art cards!

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Summer Youth: Creative Cartoonists (Ages 10-14)

Summer Youth: Creative Cartoonists (Ages 10-14)

Learn what cartoonists do, including penciling, inking in black and white and/or grayscale, making your own sketchbook, comics, and character art cards!

Pricing
  • Member Registration
    $ 233.00
  • Guest Registration
    $ 258.00
Tuition Assistance and Policies
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Cancellation & Other Policies
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About

On the first day, learn about drawing in graphite and character design. You'll learn about the concept of “penciling”and its variations. You'll also learn how to make a sketchbook out of a single sheet of paper, which ends up being 16 sheets. This will be your character and/or comic sketchbook, where you can work out ideas and have it be something to show friends. Many comic artists sketch in sketchbooks all the time, and those sketchbooks often get  published.

On day two, you'll learn inking, adding black and white (or grayscale) shadows with ink pens and watercolor markers (inking is a fun part of creating comics). You'll learn about cross hatching versus using bolder, darker shadows, and  about inking originals as well as copies of work. Everyone will get the chance to draw on a standard 11x17 piece of comic book paper. You'll also be able to practice inking copies of  your classmates' artwork.

On the third day, you'll learn about posters and eight-page zines made from a single sheet of paper. You'll see how to balance lettering and drawing in black-and-white poster design and how you can make a little eight-page comic or story out of a single 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper.

On day four, learn how to draw newspaper and four-panel comics. This is a great way to tell fun stories in a shorter format, with anything from one to six panels. Four-panel comics are a great way to learn how to tell the beginning, middle, and end of a story, and will translate well to your final book project.

And on the final day, you'll finish anything you still need to finish, and learn about minicomic bookmaking. This is when you fold a single 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper to make zines, and if you only use the inside four pages for your comic, the remaining pages on the inside and outside are places where you can hand fold and glue cardstock to make handmade covers. This is a really cool way to have zines that you're able to reproduce on the copier and then cut and fold, while also giving each one of those zines individualized covers. You'll have the chance to trade copies of zines and copied art with your classmates.

Details

  • Designed for ages 10-14.
  • Bring water and a snack.
  • Registration closes Monday, July 6.

Details

A materials cost of $15 is included in the price of the class. 

Class Policies

Ages 10-14 are welcome.

Instructor
Donna Letterese

Donna is a cartoonist, botanical illustrator, and educator, as well as a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists (Southern California and Pacific Northwest chapters) and Puget Sound Book Artists. Originally from New York, she earned her bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College, then moved to the West Coast. She ultimately earned her master's in illustration from California State University, Fullerton. A Kitsap Country resident since 2020, she loves getting the chance to explore, sketch, travel by ferry, and take in the landscapes, flora, and fauna of Washington. She has been teaching since 2010, teaching continuing education and classes at art centers, after-school programs, comic conventions, and libraries. She loves working with students and helping them discover their artistic passion and voice, whether that means telling a fantastical story through an illustration or comic, or realistically capturing a plant and its details at a particular moment. During her free time, she loves creating comics and handmade books, urban sketching, and exploring museums, gardens, coffee shops, anywhere with animals, and bookstores.

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