|
Pupils
at Horsley School near Nailsworth were given top tips by cartoonist
Kev Sutherland who's worked on titles such as The Beano, 2000AD,
and Viz.
Masterclass
 All kids love drawing cartoons. It fills
a sort of gap between literacy, numeracy, and art. |
| Kev
Sutherland |
The
event was one of a series of Comic Art Masterclasses held in schools
in the run-up to the 6th Annual Official Comic Festival in Bristol.
Kev
says, "I teach the
kids all they need to know about telling stories with pictures.
So whether they want to create the new Dennis the Menace or the
new Incredible Hulk, I can teach them how."
Cartoons
"All
kids love drawing cartoons. It fills a sort of gap between literacy,
numeracy, and art, which sometimes they miss out on.
"A
lot of kids are told that they should give up on comics and they
should grow up, which is a bizarre thing that we do in this country."
Certain
age
"We
think that after you get to a certain age words and pictures together
are not properly grown up, which is a bit like telling kids that
once they get to the age of eight they've got to stop watching telly
and only listen to the radio.
| Comics are fun... they're not just for
kids. |
| Kev
Sutherland |
"So
I'm just reminding them that comics are fun... they're not just
for kids."
Kev
denies that you have to be a good overall artist to be a good cartoonist.
"I
don't think so. One of the very first things I do with the kids
is remind them that anybody can draw and that any mark they put
down on the paper can be as good as anybody else's.
Michelangelo
"They
could turn out in fact to be very expressive artists. Just because
they haven't yet learned how to draw like myself or Michelangelo
or any of the leading superhero artists doesn't mean they haven't
got it in them."
Kev
Sutherland is also organising this weekend's comic festival in Bristol.
Events
include the 7th National Comics Awards, a Dan Dare exhibition, art
classes, talks, quizzes, and signings.
| Bristol
Comic Festival |
| Venue |
Empire
& Commonwealth Museum and Ramada Plaza Hotel, Bristol |
| Date |
Saturday
May 29 - Sunday May 30 |
| Ticket
price |
£5
(under 12's get in free)
|
|
Children
at a Gloucestershire School have been getting an art lesson with a
difference - how to draw comic strips! 
