Last week I was invited to teach an art lesson at a local high school. Given that it was on such short notice, I decided to use a modified version of a lesson developed at RISD with fellow MAT Amanda Gross. This assignment was designed to make drawing more approachable to students at all levels by focusing on humor instead of realistic rendering.
One of the main goals of this lesson is to encourage students to see drawing as a means of communication. Graphic Novels and humorous illustrations were used as a starting point. Students viewed this work and discussed what techniques artists use to communicate humor. Exaggerated features, proportions and motion lines were identified as characteristics that help their drawings convey humor.
Each student started by choosing a funny memory from his or her life. With only one frame to tell their story, editing became an important part of the process. What elements are essential in telling this story? What devices can be used to convey humor? Armed only with black pens and working within a five inch frame, students were encouraged to make the most of simple implements. Variation in line quality was introduced as a means of creating depth and texture and emphasizing motion. Below is their inspiration as well as a few samples of student work.
Samples of Student work:
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