SchoolArts - April 2009

STORYTELLING

Top left: sample of thumbnail to rough sketch to ink. Bottom left: students inking. Above: Emily Curran, grade eight.

light box. Students should not fill
in large areas of black; instead they
should make an outline for later ink-
ing. Erasing damages the ink inten-
sity so the less pencil the better. The
newsprint is still
used for reference
purposes.

Inking

Inking is often the most difficult part of the process for students. The only lines the reader sees are the inked lines. My students used drawing sets like Sakura’s Pigma Sensei to create their art. Since the set has a mechanical pencil, vinyl eraser, and pens with various sizes, it is perfect for the creation of graphic storytelling. I have also used brush and ink, grease pencils, or toothbrushes.

To minimize damage to the ink,
students use the smallest pen first,
tracing only the contour lines, and
then erase all pencil. They finish by
laying down values, textures, spot-
ting blacks, and
line weights with
the different pens.
Spotting blacks is
important because
it allows for bal-
ance on a colorless
page. Line weights
act as a quick way

to establish light source—thin lines closer to the light, thicker lines further away. I emphasize inking within the natural bend of the wrist, turning the page as they work.

Graphic storytelling
calls for a thorough
knowledge of anatomy,
design, perspective, but
most importantly—how
to tell a story.

acrylic paint will provide a quick fix. You can also redo a panel, pasting it over the original. One of my students had a wonderful four-page comic, but it was missing lettering. I had her type the text, print it, and cut and paste onto her original boards.

John Thompson is an art teacher at Carroll McMath Middle School in Denton, Texas. jthompson2@dentonisd.org

Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.