List of Upcoming Manga Cartoon Sketching Classes and Summer Camps at Cary Arts Center

For the convenience of students and their parents, this is the list of my upcoming classes and summer camps at the Cary Arts Center.

Graphic Storytelling: Manga Style - (age 14.00 Y -  Y) Expand your creativity by taking cues from Japanese Pop Culture (Anime, Manga, and Video Games).Create chibi-characters, heroes, villains and dragon-like creatures in your sketchbook. Apply popular manga features to create cartoon portraits. Bring a sketchbook. Other supplies included.

A    94352 - Graphic Storytelling: Manga Style (age 14 & up)       2016 SUMMER    Sat, Jul9 - Jul9, 12:15PM -  3:15PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [1.00 meetings]

A    94353 - Graphic Storytelling: Manga Style (age 14 & up)       2016 SUMMER    Mon, Jul11 - Jul25,  7:00PM -  9:00PM    Cary Arts Center  1.00 reg   [3.00 meetings]

A    94354 - Graphic Storytelling: Manga Style (age 14 & up)       2016 SUMMER    Mon, Aug8 - Aug22,  7:00PM -  9:00PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [3.00 meetings]

Drawing, Painting, and Mixed Media : Teens - (age 11.00 Y - 16.00 Y) Interested in learning new or improving  your current drawing, painting or mixed media skills? Check out all the classes offered at the Cary Arts Center!

A    94768 - Hogwarts School of Magical Drawing (age 11-16) Author and draw your own "Book of Magic" containing: creatures never seen before; witch and wizard wardrobes and accessories;  and more!  Supplies included.       2016 SUMMER    Fri, Aug12 - Aug19,  5:00PM -  6:30PM    Cary Arts Center  1.00 reg   [2.00 meetings]

Teen Art Camps Exp (11-16) - (age 11.00 Y - 16.00 Y) Materials are included for all summer Teen Art Camps for ages 11-16.  Bring a light snack for each half-day camp.

A    92838 - Teen Manga Sketchbook (age 11-16) Design characters and fantasy creatures typical of Japanese comics using pen and ink, color pencils,watercolors and more. Beginning and advanced students are welcomed. Click on the Teen Art Exp (11-16) link to see all of the exciting art experiences that we offer.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Aug1 - Aug5,  9:00AM - 12:00PM    Cary Arts Center  12.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93632 - Teen Manga Sketchbook (age 11-16) Design characters and fantasy creatures typical of Japanese comics using pen and ink, color pencils,watercolors and more. Beginning and advanced students are welcomed. Click on the Teen Art Exp (11-16) link to see all of the exciting art experiences that we offer.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Jun27 - Jul1,  1:00PM - 4:00PM    Cary Arts Center  12.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

Saturday Teen Classes and Workshops - (age 11.00 Y - 16.00 Y)

A    94338 - Cartoon Sketching: License to Draw Everything (age 11-16) Try new art materials to supercharge and refine your current sketching skills while expanding your visual library with the classic archetypes found in Anime and Manga. All sketching levels welcomed since instructor provides individual guidance. You are welcomed to bring your favorite sketchbook and sketching tools.       2016 SUMMER    Sat, Jun18 - Jun18, 12:15PM -  3:15PM    Cary Arts Center  1.00 reg   [1.00 meetings]

A    94350 - Cartoon Sketching: License to Draw Everything (age 11-16) Try new art materials to supercharge and refine your current sketching skills while expanding your visual library with the classic archetypes found in Anime and Manga. All sketching levels welcomed since instructor provides individual guidance. You are welcomed to bring your favorite sketchbook and sketching tools.       2016 SUMMER    Sat, Jul23 - Jul23, 12:15PM -  3:15PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [1.00 meetings]

A    94351 - Cartoon Sketching: License to Draw Everything (age 11-16) Try new art materials to supercharge and refine your current sketching skills while expanding your visual library with the classic archetypes found in Anime and Manga. All sketching levels welcomed since instructor provides individual guidance. You are welcomed to bring your favorite sketchbook and sketching tools.       2016 SUMMER    Sat, Aug20 - Aug20, 12:15PM -  3:15PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [1.00 meetings]

Youth Art Camps Exp (age 8-11 or 12) - (age 7.00 Y - 11.00 Y) Materials are included in all Youth Visual Art Experiences.  Bring a light snack for each half-day camp.

A    93444 - Robots, Ninjas, & Monsters (age 7-11) Learn about the three classic archetypes that often appear in Japanese comics . Sketch and create your own Ninja and Samurai versions by combining references from Feudal Japan, modern and Sci-Fi elements.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Aug1 - Aug5,  1:00PM -  4:00PM    Cary Arts Center  12.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93777 - Fantasy Characters & Costume Illustration (age 7-12) Design and sketch your own fantasy characters and the costumes that they may wear.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Aug22 - Aug26,  1:00PM - 4:00PM    Cary Arts Center  10.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93450 - Ninja, Samurai, and Yokai Cartoon Sketching (age 8-12) Design your own ninja characters and craft comic pages and pop-up dioramas where they can face noble samurai warriors and Traditional Japanese Monsters (Yokai). For those of you that enjoy Origami, you could build your own ninja arsenal of ninja stars (double sided 4 point star, transforming 8-point star, and Giant 16-point ninja star).       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Jun13 - Jun17,  1:00PM -  4:00PM    Cary Arts Center  12.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93451 - Heroes, Heroines & Ancient Warriors (age 7-11) Sharpen your cartoon sketching skills while designing Anime and Manga heroes, heroines and warriors inspired by cultures from the ancient world. Learn origami skills to create sets of claws, giant spinning stars and lightning bolts!       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Aug15 - Aug19,  9:00AM - 12:00PM    Cary Arts Center  10.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93476 - Aquatic Creatures 4-Day Camp (age 8-11) Learn to draw underwater landscapes populated with aquatic creatures and unique plant life.       2016 SUMEDIT    Tu,W,Th,F, Jul5 - Jul8,  9:00AM - 12:00PM    Cary Arts Center  11.00 reg   [4.00 meetings]

Youth Art Camps Exp (age 6-8 or 9) - (age 6.00 Y - 9.00 Y) Materials are included for all Youth Visual Art Experiences.  Bring a light snack for each half-day camp.

A    93399 - Cartoon Pets (age 6-9) Do you like dogs and cats or is your favorite type of pet another animal? Learn to draw some of your favorite pets and create some pet cartoons.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Aug8 - Aug12,  9:00AM - 12:00PM    Cary Arts Center  11.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93373 - Ninjas and Dragons (age 6-8) Sharpen your drawing skills! Create characters and creatures found in Japanese animation and comic books. All cartoon sketching skill levels are welcomed.       2016 SUMEDIT    M,Tu,W,Th,F, Jun13 - Jun17,  9:00AM - 12:00PM    Cary Arts Center  11.00 reg   [5.00 meetings]

A    93392 - Mermen, Mermaids, & More! 4-Day Camp (age 6-8) Learn to draw Chibi mascot characters. Create underwater landscapes populated with mermaids, mermen and their aquatic friends.       2016 SUMEDIT    Tu,W,Th,F, Jul5 - Jul8,  1:00PM -  4:00PM    Cary Arts Center  11.00 reg   [4.00 meetings]

Saturday Youth Workshops and Classes - (age 6.00 Y - 11.00 Y)

A    94327 - Mythical Creatures Design and Sketching (age 6-11) Learn about designing and sketching mythical creatures such as dragons, unicorns, monsters and more!  New and experienced drawing students are welcomed due to the one-on-one instruction.       2016 SUMMER    Sat, Jul16 - Jul16, 12:15PM -  3:15PM    Cary Arts Center  1.00 reg   [1.00 meetings]

Cartoon Sketching Anime & Manga Characters and Creatures - (age 5.00 Y - 12.00 Y) Sharpen eye-hand coordination and drawing skills while creating characters and fantasy creatures found in action and super hero movies, Japanese animation, and comic books. Class is suitable for beginners as well as advanced students that wish to refine sketching skills and build vocabulary.

A    94734 -        2016 SUMMER    Mon, Jun13 - Jun27,  5:15PM -  6:45PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [3.00 meetings]

A    94735 -        2016 SUMMER    Mon, Jul11 - Jul25,  5:15PM -  6:45PM    Cary Arts Center  0.00 reg   [3.00 meetings]

A    94736 -        2016 SUMMER    Mon, Aug8 - Aug22,  5:15PM -  6:45PM    Cary Arts Center  1.00 reg   [3.00 meetings]

How To Draw Manga Character sheets

Complete the faces above.

Draw this guy's left hand and have him hold something interesting in it.

Draw this Winter's Queen left arm and the background elements behind her.

Add the limbs to this character and create his surrounding environment.

Registration for the Next Teen Manga Sketchbook will open soon

Just found out that in a couple of weeks, we'll be having a follow-up session for: Teen Manga Sketchbook (age 12-15) at the Cary Arts Center.
Design and sketch character and creatures typical of Japanese comics using pen and ink, markers and colored pencils. This will be another introductory level class that will cover character design, comic book page layout, some Kaiju/Giant Creatures construction, and address any specific challenges that the students might have.
Instructor: Alberto Lung
Sat Feb 11 1-3 p.m.

Update: Already got 5 students registered for this sketching session, so hurry up if you want to secure your spots.

Another Source for Imagine FX magazines in Naples!

Attention local readers. I was pleasantly surprised to find the 71st issue of Imagine FX at the Naples Costco. Ever since Borders closed their doors, I had not been able to pick up my favorite British magazine on digital arts applied specifically to the creation of science fiction and fantasy subjects for movies and video games. The Artist Q&A section also offers plenty of tips and drawing advice useful to analog or traditional artists. This particular issue was dedicated to Manga and showcases the work of several international artists influenced by the wide range of the popular Japanese comics style.
So now you know grasshoppers, you might be able to find this awesome reference sci-fi digital painting magazine at your local Costco. At least for their usual 30% off newsstand discount, it's worth the walk to check out their magazine rack. Recommended for teenagers and older students.

Another Manga Cartoon Sketching Demo at the Jo-Ann Store and First Trend Class announcement

Thanks for stopping by. Just spent the last few hours at the Jo-Ann store conducting a sketching demo as a preview of my Manga Cartoon Sketching trend class. The first 2-hour trend class is now scheduled for Saturday, May 26th from 10:00 am to noon. You will need something to draw with and some paper (Ideally the Sakura Pigma Sensei drawing set and a sketchbook with 50 lb/74 gsm paper). For other art materials suggestions you could check the previous post. If you would like to check out some Manga or Anime titles at your local library or bookstore before attending the class, I would recommend the works of Hayao Miyazaki ("Ponyo", "My Neighbor Totoro", "Howl's Moving Castle", "Spirited Away", "Princess Mononoke", "Nausica Valley of the Wind", and "Castle in the Sky" - you might want to check the movie ratings and reviews in Amazon to find the best fit for your child's age and level of interest) and Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astroboy).
Several kids took home a few mini comics to color at home and a few custom manga trading cards as souvenirs of this demo along with their speed sketches (which I define as a quick drawing done in 2-3 minutes). A few had to be particularly rushed, for their parties were waiting the next movie showing (the Regal Hollywood 20 movie theater is just around the corner from the store).
Sketched probably dozens of cartoon portraits during this demo. Lots of ninjas, few dragons, a couple of knights, several mermaids, bunch of butterfly/angel fairies, girl riding a brachiosaurus, and a toddler driving a mini car. The example above was the only instance where 2 sitters fitted in a single 8.5" X 11" sheet of card stock, and that was only because one agreed to play "Sebastian" for the mermaid model. We plan to hold future trend classes during weekdays, Saturdays 10:00 am-12:00 pm, and Sundays 1 pm-4:00pm.

Marker colored sketches as class performance incentives

Since I get a lot of drawing requests during class, I figured I would try using some marker colored sketches as bonus incentives to reward good behavior and performance. I made a list of the requested drawings, and quickly sketched them as coloring outlines with a Sakura Pigma Sensei 06 pen. Then I used my custom sets of Prismacolor markers to brighten them up with some color and minimal shading.
Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball characters Goku and Vegeta were heavily requested, so I came up with these six renditions after a quick Google image search
This ninja and tengu cartoon portraits were loosely based on student photographs. I really prefer making these type of illustrations rather than my poor attempts at fan art.

Turtle Craft Table for Conservancy Event at Waterside Shops and Upcoming Family Day event

Thanks for stopping by! We had a few families with children participating in the turtle tambourine craft and then meet a real life Red-Eared Slider Turtle at the Conservancy table next to us. While the children colored their paper turtle shells with markers, I was able to do a bit of speed sketching and complete a manga-style cartoon portrait for most of them: an elf, mermaids, fairies, knights, and a couple of dragons covered the range of requested themes. We also handed out free Naples Art Association (NAA) cookbooks, Artscool lunch bags, and some trading cards and coloring sheets used in my manga cartooning classes.
My next scheduled public event will be at the Nuts About The von Liebig on Saturday February 6th from noon to 4:00 pm. I will be doing some quick souvenir sketches and some cartoon portraits for the attending children. We'll also have some manga sketching worksheets and trading card coloring sheets for the kids that want to dive right in and start doing some cartoon drawings of their own.

Manga style Coloring Trading Cards

ATC samples colored with Prismacolor and Copic Sketch markers.


Coloring ATC pages featuring manga-style sketches to be used in cartooning classes and special events.

Assembling a Manga Sketching Kit

Just put together a custom sketching kit for Daniela, one of my nieces in Peru, that I just recently learned is really into Manga and Anime. I included a selection of several of my favorite sketching pencils and brush pens along with a reliable 2mm lead pointer and foam eraser. For drawing support I bundled it with a gift set of Naruto Hardbound Sketchbook and Journal by Rock Paper Pencils. The full rundown of tools included in the pencil case:

1. Sakura 127 0.7 mm mechanical pencil with spare Pentel Hi-Polymer leads
   
2. Staedtler Mars Technico 2 mm leadholder with Mitsubishi Uni F refills.
3. Tombow Mono 4B graphite pencil.
4. Sakura XRFW-100 Foam Eraser.
5. Maped Tattoo canister pencil sharpener (not shown).
6. Staedtler 2 mm rotary lead pointer tub.
7. Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen black brush pen.
8. Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen Shades of Grey
   6 pen set.

This assortment should meet the needs of most fledgling artists in Middle School through High School after they have had some initial practice sketching and drawing with regular No. 2 pencils. They would then be best able to appreciate the different feel and advantages of mechanical pencils: mainly eliminating the need for frequent sharpenings and having a uniform length, balance, and grip all the time since they do not get shorter after each sharpening. The Pitt brush pens offer some of the performance of a brush with their ability to smoothly lay down an organic line of varying width with the convenience and clean-handling of a modern pen with their self-contained reservoirs of waterproof India inks. Their brush nibs might not be as resilient and durable as I would prefer, but at least they are reversible prolonging their useful life. The hardbound sketchbook and journal provide an adequate permanent personal record of the artistic development and progress of each students though I suspect that many older students might prefer a plain black sketchbook instead of the Shonen character branded books shown above.

A few Sample Warm-up Worksheets for upcoming After-school Manga Cartooning class

Ok guys if you dropped by to get a head start on the material for the After-school Manga Cartooning class, you could try using the following worksheets as a reference for your daily practice doodles which I trust you have been doing all summer. By now, I expect most of you should have used up at least half of the pages from your sketchbooks.Sample doodle sheet drawn with a graphite pencil.
Worksheet with a large selection of facial traits and head shapes that could be used to draw many distinct faces for a basic cast of characters. Let your imagination fly and create a few characters for your next manga project or short story. These last 3 pages were drawn with a 08 Prismacolor Archival marker.
Constructing assorted faces by starting with different types of head shapes. Round faces with thin necks would be suitable for younger characters while square faces with broad necks would better fit older characters with greater physical strength.
Step-by-step head construction sequence with a bit of age progression in the final step. When sketching in a typical manga cartoon style, just a few wrinkle and expression lines can add several years to the character. Youthful characters tend to sport slender necks and pointy chins. To age them to adulthood: try broadening the chin, thinning the hairline, and widening the base of the nose.

Cartoon Sketching at Children's Museum Birthday Party - Photo Journal

Did some cartoon sketching for the double birthday party at the Miami Children's Museum this past Saturday. Turned out be be a great choice of venue especially since it was a rather rainy day, and the staff did such a great job setting up and decorating the reserved classrooms for the event. Any gig where you do not have to worry about battling the elements is off to a great start.
I did not know we were going to have such a large dry erase board available at the party venue, but luckily I had one of my black Expo markers in my rolling case (leftover from my after-school manga classes). Thus I quickly doodled a few more cartoon samples on it as a demonstration of my sketching speed.
Ta-da!
A few colored samples and the two blank templates available were shown on my side easel.
Birthday girl Nicole and a friend stopped by for the first time at the cartooning corner once we finished setting up.The little guests starting looking over the pictures in display to figure out what to ask for in their own souvenir party sketches.
The very first drawing request of the afternoon was for a forest ranger from the single sketchbook that I brought along to the party.
Once we got started, there was a steady line of guests watching and enjoying the creation of several cartoon sketches while patiently waiting and deciding their own drawing requests.
Not surprisingly, most girls wanted to be drawn wearing mermaid tails or butterfly wings in their cartoon versions.
Several boys in a row wanted to be drawn as the "Caped Crusader: Batman" which luckily happens to be a favorite childhood hero of mine.
Nicole managed to stopped by for a second visit to the Cartooning Corner as the other birthday activities started winding down.
Most boys requested the always popular themes of superheroes or dragon sketches, but Mikey (tallest kid in the crowd) surprised me by asking just for a drawing of himself without the extra fantasy elements. Thus I went with a fairly straight cartoon portrait approach. Unfortunately my helper did not manage to document the finished drawings given the deluge of requests towards the end of the party and the fact that we had to pack up in a bit of a hurry. It was a lot of fun, and I estimate we managed to complete 20-25 sketches in the second half of the party.

Blank Cartoon Sketching Templates for birthday party

Designed these blank templates for my nieces' birthday party at the Miami Children's Museum.This "Thank you" blank sketching template features both birthday girls as Japanese princesses (Hime) and leaves enough room for adding a little friend in kimono, ninja, or samurai garb depending on the guest's preference. Also printed the cartoons of the two of them on a fabric transfer sheet to make a couple of t-shirts as bonus present.
Youngest birthday girl in fairy mode waiting for a few friends to join her in the clear sky.
This blank template features the other birthday girl in mermaid mode and has plenty of blank space to add a couple of friends as merfolk and few fishies.

Sketching lesson pages - Practice sheets

A few sketching lesson sheets drawn in a plane on my way to Raleigh, NC.Doodling "horned" monsters.
Using fish part symbols to create fantasy aquatic creatures.
Sketches inspired by traditional Japanese monster symbols.
The ever popular fire flame sketching symbols.
A couple of lightning symbols.
Some of my sketching symbols for portraying water in motion.
Feel free to print these practice lesson sheets if you need a couple of pointers or basic guidelines to get your daily doodle practice started. I would really appreciate any comments or feedback on their usefulness you might glean in the process.

Artscool Manga Cartooning at The von Liebig Art Center - Photo Journal of day 4

Feedback request from students: if you remembered to take them home, please let me know your opinion on how well the Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser samples work for you. Have a great school year and keep on drawing! You will only continue to improve as you continue sketching and using up your supplies.
Holding impromptu mini contests has proven to be a good way to motivate students to generate character desings within a set time limit.
Volunteers and students appreciating the monsters/character design entries.
"Winged Pegasus" was the prize chosen by the first place winner.
"Monkey in a diaper" was the second place prize for the character design contest and drawn in color upon request with Faber Castell Pitt Big Brush Artist Pens.


Sequential art pages created by gifted student.
Colorful work done with watercolor pencils and a waterbrush.
Crayola marker sketches.
Highly naturalistic work drawn by talented class volunteer.
A few pencil sketches.
Colored character and manga comic page.
Chibi people and cats & dogs.

Colored pencil sketch of a Chibi ninja.
Pencil sketch of a Xevoz soldier action figure.
Using a Real Bug Chafer Beetle encased in resin for drawing reference.
A list with few suggestions for elements that could be included in their comic book covers.
Students hard at work.
Students with their colorful Manga comic book covers drawn with watercolor pencils.
Happy siblings with their colorful pieces.
Bit of colored pencil work.
Castle drawn with Sakura Pigma Sensei pigment liner pens.
Manga covers commenting on Mickey Mouse Corp.
A young artist quite content with his piece of "Screaming Vegetables" drawn with colored markers.
Students detailed dragon sketch was drawn with a Faber Castell Pitt Artist brush pen.