Manga Drawing
Cartooning & Chibi Manga — For ages 8 through 10 — Monday, 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — 1 Hour class
Manga Drawing 1 — For ages 10 and Up— Saturday, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. — 1 Hour class
Manga Drawing 2 — For ages 10 and Up — Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — 1 Hour class (requires Manga 1 previously or submission of portfolio artwork for review prior to admission)
Manga Advanced — For ages 12 and Up — Saturday, 1 to 2:30 p.m. — 1.5 Hour class (requires Manga 2 previously or submission of portfolio artwork for review prior to admission)
MANGA, is the Japanese word for comics or printed-cartoons. But that is a remarkably simple definition for an art form that has evolved into a multi-layered, cross-cultural art and social movement. Manga appeals to young children, teens and adults, and is now represented in different "styles" that are favored by individual age and social groups. All of our Manga classes will teach conventional realistic-drawing techniques (which are all part of Manga style animation) but with a twist. All the subject matter will feature Manga characters, scenarios, design, lighting and more. It's the best of both worlds for kids that love Manga. They develop skills that translate to any kind of realistic drawing: light and shadow, line and tone, perspective and foreshortening, hands, faces and body action, yet they are able to learn while drawing the content they want....Manga!
CARTOONING & CHIBI MANGA is a combination class of both western style cartooning and eastern style Chibi manga—what we recognize as Pokemon-type characters that are cute, grotesque, or even bizarre representations of people, animals, and even supernatural creatures. This kind of drawing is favored by kids in the 6 to 12 year old range, but a majority of Chibi fans are 8 to 10 years old. Our Monday Cartooning/Chibi class will focus on synthesizing both types of characters and developing core drawing skills that apply to all kinds of drawing, both cartoon abstract and realistic-representational.
MANGA DRAWING-1, will be modeled after Shoujo/Shonen style manga which is frequently favored by pre-teens and teenagers alike. These characters are much more lifelike in appearance and behavior although there are many story lines that feature supernatural people and creatures. Gender becomes much more of a factor at this level since boys are attracted to Shonen (competition, sports, warfare, supernatural characters, etc.) stories, and girls favor Shoujo (socialization, relationships, dating, fashion, etc.) stories. The literal translation of Shonen is "boy" and Shoujo is "young girl". Manga 1 will be held on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
MANGA DRAWING-2 will be a follow-up class to MANGA 1. Students will have to take MANGA 1 previously or submit samples of their artwork to join this class. The class will assume prior skills and develop more sophisticated aspects of drawing, plus use advanced techniques that require more time to complete. Manga 2 classes may also be theme oriented, using existing stories such as Alice in Wonderland, or The Wizard of Oz, etc. as opportunities to create supporting Manga illustrations. New students who wish to join this class-level will need to submit samples prior to placement. Contact John Goodnough at 978-266-1600 to learn how to proceed. Manga 2 is held on Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
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MANGA ADVANCED is a high level class where students are expected to be able to function independently. Projects will be assigned as challenges where students are asked to work outside their comfort zones and take on aspects of drawing that they find most difficult. Teachers and students will have an opportunity to work one to one when needed but will also benefit from the group environment and shared experiences. We have found the advanced Manga students to be among the most focused, and hard working students to enter the studio.
