Written by: Helen Gu, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter
Graphics by: Katherine Geng, FCSN Voices Graphic Artist
Art is a fantastic medium for students of all ages to develop their creativity and their imagination. The Cartoon Character Drawing Class, taught by Riley Xu, opens students to the possibilities of art. The students are taught to replicate their favorite cartoon characters through simple lines and shapes, paying attention to the details of their features. Through this class of around four to five students, they develop their attention to detail, their own unique art styles, and creativity, growing with the art skill needed to make their favorite characters from the film world their own outside of the classroom. Taught by someone who loves art herself, the class is aimed to open students to the endless possibilities of artistic expression.
Riley teaches students how to draw Garfield.
Riley, the teacher of the Cartoon Character Drawing class, says that she was inspired to start this class due to her own passion in art. "I remember my first drawing was of Dora the explorer," she said, adding that she "learned to draw through drawing cartoon characters." As she found her passion through drawing cartoons, she hopes to open that door for others as well. To her, art is representative; it is a way to replicate the things she sees and make them her own. Rather than create art in abstract forms, she enjoys creating accurate replicas of what she encounters. She hopes to spread her passion to other people through teaching them. Riley believes that art can be as interesting to special needs students as it is for her. "It gives them the ability to make each cartoon character their own," she states. "They can see something on TV shows and think, 'I can make this.'" Along with that, they have the power to make their favorite characters more personalized to them.
Each class begins with choosing a specific cartoon character to focus on. Then, the students begin line exercises. It is a warm-up and preparation for the instructions for the actual character drawing, as well as a good technical exercise. Riley pieces together the cartoon characters with lines and shapes. Riley has had to change her approach to drawing for the students: "When I started, I typically learned to do it from shapes," she says, "but these students might have a bit of trouble drawing perfect ovals or circles." She tries to lay a foundation for them, tackling body parts line-by-line. Riley notes how observant the students are, and how they see what she is doing and are able to replicate that on their own papers. "There's a lot of constructing and trusting the process," she explains. At the end of the class, all the students hold up their completed projects for everyone to see and celebrate their accomplishments together. Then, they discuss what characters they want to draw next time.
A Garfield drawing in progress.
Riley finds the most meaningful part of teaching to be seeing the end results. "As an artist, sometimes you don't trust the process," she says. "Even in my own art, being able to see the finished product is the most satisfying part. Seeing that in other students who I have helped is even more gratifying." She is also happy with how much progress the students have made throughout the semester. "There was this little boy who really wanted to draw Bruno from Encanto," she recalls. Over the course of the semester, they never got to drawing that character due to the difficulty. On the last class, they finally decided to try. "It was a 3D cartoon, so I wasn't sure if they were able to pull it off, but they did," she says, proud of how much they have learned.
To those who wish to connect with special needs students through art, Riley advises to give them freedom to do what they wish. "You just have to let them do what they want to do, as the best results come from that," she recommends. Teaching students has opened her eyes to the way they think. Riley recalls one student she has who has an aversion to specific shapes. "He refuses to draw ovals, even when I call them long circles," she says. "Sometimes, you just have to leave them alone and let them do their own thing." The end results always turn out well, and the students have lots of fun learning along the way.
Riley Xu, the instructor of FCSN's Cartoon Character Drawing Class
A completed Mickey Mouse cartoon drawing
Riley has been spreading her love of art to these students for seven months. She has seen how drawing their favorite characters can open them to a world of possibilities and lots of fun in the process. Throughout the time that she has taught this class, Riley's students also have taught her more about art. "I've learned that everyone's perception is incredibly different," she says. "The students all have their own styles that come out in their drawings, and it has shown me what art is: expressing yourself." She remembers one of her students, who, rather than following the instructions that she gives, analyzes the piece as a whole before copying it down. Observing the way each student uniquely replicates her drawings has opened her to "the existence of art and expression within them". Art is unique to everyone, including each of these students, and one of the most meaningful things to them is being able to process what they recognize. Riley hopes that through teaching the students these fine arts skills, they can bring their imagination and talent outside of the classroom and use it as a lifelong skill. Those interested in the program can contact Riley Xu at rileyxu2000@gmail.com.
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