The first class
WELL! This was kind of a big deal. I’ve been blessed to be able to make limited edition art prints for a Star Wars Celebration event in Japan (2008) and in Florida (2010). This year (2012) Lucasfilm has invited me back to make another art print AND to teach a how to draw class in the Family Room. I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to work on the DrawingIsSimple idea.
I of course wanted it to be simple, so I looked back at how I learned to draw. I remembered that in elementary school I would check out drawing books by Ed Emberley. He used simple shapes and letters to create simple illustrations. That’s the perfect technique to follow. When I made the R2-D2 instructions for my son I noticed that he seemed a bit overwhelmed by it. When I added a blank circle to the page to get him started he jumped right in. I thought of having a special round Star Wars sticker made through my licensing agreement with Zazzle, but it was a bit pricey. I needed something for the kids to trace around so that they would start their drawings and I found the perfect low cost solution. A Quarter. It was a good size to work with, it had some markings on it to use as references for other elements of the drawing instruction, AND it only cost $0.25. You can see in the photo below that I tested the method by using a token.
I made up and instruction sheet to hand out to the class along with a quarter and we were on our way. The experience was great! The class was engaged and they were able to follow along perfectly. I only regret that I didn’t get some photos of the work that they produced. I was even able to meet with one of the Lucasfilm hosts at the event and film a video about how the drawing system works. They didn’t ever do anything with the footage, but it was a good experience.
Here’s the flyer that I made for that very first presentation.
Be the first to comment.