* GRACE *

Drawing, Comic Strips, and Scholar Group

I’m teaching an Art class this year for my Art class for my daughter’s Excelsior Scholar group. It’s not something I’m necessarily talented at, but I have enjoyed learning about different artists and their styles of art. Practicing it has also been enjoyable.

In November, we learned about Roy Lichtenstein as well as the type of drawing and painting he did. Something that has interested my daughter as well as some of the other girls is drawing comic strips. Even though Mr. Lichtenstein didn’t write his own comic strips, he did, however, turn a few frames of a comic strip into gigantic paintings using Ben-day dots such as this one found here. I’ve taken that and gave the girls an idea of coming up with their own comic strips. Several girls shared their own comics last time and seemed to really like it.

Many websites on the internet in reference to drawing aren’t necessarily wholly appropriate for sharing with the youth, so I’ve found these links that I believe to be safe to view and use for learning material.
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For those who are interested in learning more basic drawing techniques, here are some links that may be helpful. If you find an appropriate link to share or a book that has been helpful to you, please comment at the bottom of this post.

Learn Basic Drawing Techniques

• Basic Drawing
• Comics and Cartooning Links
• Drawing and Painting Lessons Links
• Free Art Lessons

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If you would like to learn more about how to draw a comic strip or to improve your skills in this area, the following information, videos, and link may get you started:

Tips for creating a comic strip or book*

• Story Idea – What story would you like to tell? Who are your characters
• Design your characters – What will your characters look like?
• Write your story – Write out your script. Who will say what? When? Where?
• First Draft/Rough Sketch – With pencil, roughly sketch out what you would like the comic to look like. Make it large enough to add some details.
• Penciling – Make a cleaner, penciled drawing of what you want the final to look like. Keep the pencil marks light or they will be difficult to erase.
• Inking – Draw over your penciled lines with ink, usually in black. Erase pencil marks and color as desired.

If you would like to share your comic, you can scan it into your computer or use a copier.
* These steps are summarized by me, but I learned them from Bruce Blitz.

Learn more about how to make comic strips:

Make a Flip book:

Make your own comic book:

More videos from Bruce Blitz found here.