Drawing Manga, Superheroes and Fantasy Figures for Ages 12-18

Schedule for Winter – Spring – Fall 2024
Schedule for Summer 2025

Character Supply List
Comics Level 1 Supply List (for new students)
Comics Level 2 Supply List (for returning students)

Drawing Manga, Superheroes and Fantasy Figures is designed to correlate with our Drawing and Painting Fundamentals program. Students may take the two classes together to learn complementary information, thereby accelerating their skill development considerably. However, it can be taken on its own, and there is no prerequisite.

 Our Drawing Manga, Superheroes and Fantasy Figures class features two complimentary programs to satisfy everyone’s creative needs.

Character Design and Development

The program centers around the figure, where anatomy, construction and movement are studied in conjunction with each other. Children and teens with a strong interest in Japanese animation (Anime), superheroes, comics and role-playing art are especially drawn to this class. For examples, we look to professional artists to set a standard of excellence. The accumulated knowledge of these fine anatomists, draftsmen and painters inspire our students to produce work of higher quality. In addition to figure construction, students learn about costume design, gesture, facial expression, inking and color techniques.  After these skills are understood, they are encouraged to create their own Manga, Super Hero, and Fantasy Figure characters from local artists who excel in figure design.

Visual Storytelling through Comics and Graphic Novels

This program is designed to teach students how to develop a visual concept through sequential art, which is the largest growth industry within the world of book publishing today.  Students explore visual story telling techniques, including: story development, page layout, perspective, camera angles, dramatic lighting, lettering and advanced inking techniques.  After these skills are learned, kids create their own comic or graphic novel pages, which are published each term in Bill Hauser’s and David Witt’s Art Academy fanzine, Sandwhich, which comprises their final project.

THESE CLASSES NEEDN’T BE TAKEN IN SEQUENCE.

Character Design Artwork

Visual Storytelling Artwork

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Homeschool Drawing and Painting Fundamentals for Ages 10-18

Schedule for Winter – Spring – Fall 2024
(Not Offered During Summer Term)

Supply List

Our Homeschool classes follow the progression of our Drawing and Painting Fundamentals program. Students begin with black and white drawing exercises in pencil and pen and ink. After basic skills are learned, children advance to color in watercolor and oil. All levels of study, from beginning to advanced students are accepted.

Throughout history, drawing has always been considered an artist's most prized possession. It is the foundation upon which all other aspects of art are formed. This is true whether an artist chooses to be expressive in a realistic or abstract style. That is why we give the craft of drawing special attention at The Art Academy.

Drawing in Pen and Ink

In our Homechool program, special emphasis is placed on teaching the fundamentals of drawing logically and simply. Our methods promote refined draftsmanship, which dramatically improves a student's drawing abilities. With continued practice children can then achieve higher levels of understanding and success.

Many of our initial drawing exercises are executed in pen and ink so students become familiar with the expressive qualities of line. This improves a student’s eye/hand coordination and focus.

Students continue to advance their drawing skills when they move on to painting.

Pen & Ink Artwork

Watercolor

After students have demonstrated a basic understanding of drawing they begin painting in watercolor. While we emphasize line in drawing, painting is a medium devoted to the understanding of mass and color. Watercolor is a great medium to learn these concepts.

As with drawing, we approach the study of color in a systematic way. This helps prevent students from spending months or years mixing colors that interact on paper or canvas in an unpleasant, unintentional manner.

By following revered principles of color theory and color mixing, children create fresh, lively pictures the first time they paint without experiencing any undue frustration.

There is much to learn about painting; and watercolor methods easily translate to other forms of painting and color mediums. Students build upon these skills when they advance into oil painting.

By the time students are ready for oil painting they have thoroughly grasped the refined drawing, watercolor and design principles that will directly translate into the oil medium.

Ages 14-18 Watercolor

Oil Painting

Often considered the most challenging form of painting, oils are introduced to students after they've developed a firm understanding of drawing and color mixing.

Our first objective is to pass safe studio methods on to students. We ensure a solvent-free environment where health and safety come first. After learning clean painting procedures students begin to advance their artistic vision by exploring the fascinating world of oil painting techniques.

At The Art Academy we teach several methods of oil painting. This approach allows students to receive a well-rounded education that promotes development of a personal aesthetic based upon time-honored principles of art history.

Indirect Painting and Glazing

Indirect Painting and Glazing are methods of working in oils that were commonly practiced from the fifteenth through the nineteenth centuries. They have proven to be extremely durable techniques. At The Art Academy we teach several variations of glazing and underpainting, including grisaille, verdaccio, bistre, local color underpainting and the mixed tempera-oil technique.

Direct Painting

Direct Painting is a method of working in oils popularized during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is the technique of nineteenth century Impressionism. One of the hallmarks of direct painting is color mixing through clear observation. It is an excellent way to improve a student's sensitivity to color.

Ages 14-18 Oil Paintings

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