Tag Archives: character design

Inspiration, Flowers, & Youth Design Team

During our studio sessions, we learn to engage in the moment, to be enthralled with the process of drawing. Instead of always having high expectations for final artwork, we embrace the challenges and sweet little successes, even if those successes amount to just a few well-placed contour lines on a paper filled with frustrating attempts. Shown above, Mike works through the challenges of blocking and sketching studies of a statue bust. Persistence in solving problems can yield inspirational results for both student and teacher.

We are also learning that we never know where inspiration will come from, or when it will arrive… Continue reading Inspiration, Flowers, & Youth Design Team

High Schoolers Matthew & Daryna Draw Their Stories to Life

Japanese manga comics are a popular form of entertainment and creative expression. Two of our high school Drawing Lab students wish to take this form of artistic storytelling by the horns and draw their way to having an audience of loyal readers. Matthew Acuna and Daryna Reyna have spent the 2013 spring semester starting to build college level portfolios with Rob Court, drawing coach. They were given assignments such as creating character model sheets, story layouts, and studies in movement and expression.

Both Matthew and Daryna are prolific storytellers, highly skilled drawers in various media, and they fill sketchbook after sketchbook with fantastic concepts. They can quickly shift from manga to a traditional drawing style that accurately depicts real life objects and scenes–a rare skill with young artists. Furthermore, when adapting their ideas to digital media, drawing with a stylus is second nature to them.

Let’s take a look inside the creative minds of these two budding manga sketchers.

Continue reading High Schoolers Matthew & Daryna Draw Their Stories to Life

SI Youth Sketchers Build Character

After spending time building observational drawing skills in previous sessions, everyone was up for a fun summer session of character design sketching. While working from their sketchbooks and online references, the SI studio crew went right to work–if one can call it work. Afterall, drawing characters from their imagination is what these kids love to do. Rena (above photo) busts out a sketch of a very famous, villainous comic character. Below are highlights from the classes. Continue reading SI Youth Sketchers Build Character

SI Currents: Street Fair; Student Highlights; Girl On Fire

It’s summer in Santa Cruz and drawing classes at the Scribbles Institute are heating up. Adult and youth students continue to make great strides in drawing from observation and imagination. The drawings of one adult student, in particular, blazed consistently. And to keep the heat on we’re getting a booth in the Church Street Fair during the Cabrillo Music Festival in August. Scroll down for the latest SI Currents: Continue reading SI Currents: Street Fair; Student Highlights; Girl On Fire