Seventh grader Josh Miller, of Chappaqua, is working on perfecting facial proportions and shading on Danger Dan’s Evil Twin, while sixth grader Macie Aronsky, of Armonk, is writing the backstory for her character, Nature Girl. Someday, they might become famous comic book artists, or graphic novelists, or have their own animation series, but for now, it’s all in a day’s work at “Cartooning and Comics,” a course at Irrelevant Elephant Art Studio in Mount Kisco.
“Students in this class develop their own characters and stories, while also learning and practicing basic drawing skills,” says Laura Craig. Craig teaches the class and is director of the studio, which is celebrating its one year anniversary.
Cartooning is obviously fun, but it is not just child’s play. It is an ancient art (cave-painting) that has modern applications – game design, TV storyboarding, fashion illustration, animation, political commentary, advertising, and more.
“I like how we do something different every week, so we get to learn a lot of things,” says Macie, when asked what she enjoys most about the class. Josh says, “I like all the creative ideas we use to make our projects; it’s not just ‘draw this object.”
Cartooning & Comics is offered on eight Tuesdays, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $250. The next session starts in January 2013.
Other studio classes specifically for 6th to 8th graders include: Fashion Design & Illustration, and Sketchbooks, Paper & Collage.
Irrelevant Elephant (IE) Art Studio offers a variety of classes for all ages, from “Mommy ‘n Me” to adult figure drawing with an undraped model. IE is located at 293 Lexington Ave., Mount Kisco.
For more information, call 666 2767. www.ieartstudio.com.
