Step 1: ZAP!
Does your character have an awesome backstory? Are you having trouble thinking of something? Just want to share some ideas? We want to hear about it! Please navigate to the Google Classroom page for Character Backstories!
…Did you do it? If yes, good, keep moving! If not, shame on you, villain! Say you’re sorry and try again.
Today, we focus on how to get your character in action.
Take some time (10 to 15 minutes) and research ways that artists brainstorm character facial expressions and body positions. How can you draw a character in a different angle? How is your character’s body type affected by movement? How is your character’s costume affected by movement? Does your character wear a mask? How can the character emote through the mask? What does your character look like when he or she (or it) is happy? Sad? Angry? Maniacal? Anguished?
Using one sheet of paper, sketch out your character making three different facial expressions. On the same paper, draw your character in three different poses or from three different angles. These sketches will be very loose, so don’t worry about eraser marks or mess-ups. Just keep moving to try to get your ideas onto the paper!
Step 2: BAM!
Now that you’re an expert in drawing your character, its time to give him, her, or it a context!
Today your assignment is to sketch out a six panel comic strip showing your character using at least three different views (facial expressions, poses, or angles).
This comic is very open ended, so don’t get too stressed out about it! You can choose to have backgrounds or not, you can choose to have secondary characters or not, you can have a complete storyline or not. You could use the information from your origin story or not. You do not need to have your character talk if you feel you can express the storyline through action alone. You can have boxes describing what is happening, like a narrator’s box. You can show important moments in what would otherwise be a longer, more complicated story, or you can have a smaller, simpler story. It would even be interesting to consider what your character does when they aren’t working as heroes or villains. How to they brush their teeth? How do they grocery shop? What would your hero or villain look like as a child?
Feel free to have a sense of humor with this project!
For today, only work your draft in pencil, tomorrow’s mission is to ink.
Step 3: POW!
How did your comic creation go? Was it really difficult? Was it super easy? Had you ever done it before? Will you ever do it again? We want to hear about it! Please navigate to the Google Classroom page for Comics Reflection!
…Did you do it? If yes, good, keep moving! If not, shame on you, villain! Say you’re sorry and try again.
Today, using pens, sharpies, colored pencils, and markers, your mission is to ink your 6 panel comic strip from Step 2.
When coloring and inking your comic, there are some style choices you need to make. Will you outline in color or in black? Is your comic in color or is it black and white? Are your colors flat or will you shade with dimensions? Do you have a light source?
Take the whole class period to finish your comic and share with your peers.
