Cartoons, drawings, projects, kids, art, creativity

Puppet Class - Toasted Marshmallow

2009-11-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

In this clip, one of my puppet class students had a wonderful idea to make a prop that is both an uncooked and cooked marshmallow. Then they use the sun (and this character who is made of fire) to do the cooking. The bat and hedgehog provide commentary...

The Puppet Class - Cats Got No Candy!

2009-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

In our puppet class, we first make the puppets and then we act out scenarios with them.

Along the way we also go through lots of glue, and put together some kind of a stage.

In this clip I had asked the kids to come up with Trick-Or-Treating scenarios, since it was almost Halloween. This is what they did.

One thing that's especially cool here is the fact that the door is also a puppet. Door on a stick.

And, you've gotta love the voices and the random fight that breaks out between the skull and the happy face...

I just love the improvisation and creativity here. Love it.

Arts Education is Arts Education.

2009-11-05T08:44:00.001-08:00

In our day of standardized test scores, those of us interested in fostering creativity always need some ammunition in our corner.

We need to justify why kids should spend time drawing and making marks, even though they do this without any prompting at all. Even a kid with nothing but dirt and a stick will make marks.

But, drawing is not math and it's not reading.

Or is it?

If you go out and look around in the InterWebs for articles advocating arts education and touting the benefits of the arts to the growing mind (and by that I mean growing minds of all ages), you get some kind of strange results.

A whole lot of effort has gone into showing that the arts improve math scores, for example.

Now, maybe that is true. And if you find math beautiful, you will most likely find Bach

beautiful. In fact, here is a clip of the Crab Canon by Bach translated upside down and backwards and onto a Mobius strip which is really mathematical and cool.

But the real reason for all this effort is because we've created this hierarchy of subjects, and math and language are at the top. In fact here's Ken Robinson's talk on creativity and schools. He explains this very, very well.

So if you want resources, you want money and time and effort spent toward fostering visual and movement and musical thinking, you've got to hook yourself onto that math and verbal wagon. Right?

Um, maybe not.

See, music is music. It exists precisely because it is not math. Drawing is drawing, which is not reading. It's drawing.

So while I appreciate all the discussion of Multiple Intelligences and the many other multi-faceted approaches to education that incorporate the arts, I have this to say:

The arts are inherently valuable. They are what give us our culture. They are a huge part what we look at when we want to understand an ancient civilization (See: Egypt). They are what we use to comprehend and articulate our place in the world and the universe. They are our highest forms of thought and communication.

They don't need to improve math scores. They are not just for hobbies. They are part of us as people. The need for music and dance and theatre and drawing and all of it are there because they are there, pure and simple.

Yes, all of our various ways of using our brains overlap, all the time. But if you don't nurture all of the various modes of thinking, there's nothing to overlap with. That button doesn't get pushed. That idea doesn't fully form. That story doesn't get told.

So, art is art. Let's now talk about what art does to make us who we are, with or without improvements in test scores.

Where's the cocoa? Where IS IT???

2009-11-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

The household ran out of unsweetened cocoa this week. This is not okay.

I just walked downtown and got more. Now things are better.

Whew.

Don't look now...

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-08:00

There's gonna be a lot of nudity out there this time of year, folks.

Tales of a Lost Queen - New Pages

2009-10-30T15:09:00.001-07:00

Page 58
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

Five new pages in the Graphic Novel this week, a disturbance upstairs and Liesel exits this time and place... again. I wish I didn't have to sleep so I could stay up all night drawing this.

Humor in Unlikely Places?

2009-10-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

A major investment bank just licensed this one.

This makes me go, "Hmmmm....."

Milton Glaser: Drawing is Thinking

2009-10-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

I couldn't say it better myself, so I'll let Milton Glaser say it.

Notice, he's drawing as he speaks, but it's not, "Look at me draw this thing that you couldn't possibly draw and I'm so good at this..." but rather, "Here I am thinking out loud."

The rest speaks for itself. I especially like how he points out that art schools seem to think that they need computer programs in order to teach drawing. Please.

MILTON GLASER DRAWS & LECTURES from C. Coy on Vimeo.

Richard Avedon at SF MOMA

2009-10-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my parents gave me a book called "Vogue Book of Fashion Photography." I still have it.

I drew from that book like crazy. I even did batiks and other stuff based on the images.

The images I liked best had this singular quality to them, very focused but very complete at the same time. And a lot of them were by Richard Avedon.

This week I got to the Richard Avedon exhibit at SF's MOMA. A lot of the images from my book were there, plus a whole lot more.

Avedon's work is really interesting because he is so totally focused on telling a story through his lens, but it's as if he's not there. The subject is all you see, even though you know a whole lot went into making the image. The result is this very simple, very unencumbered view of the subject.

One of my favorite sets of images showed Avedon's father over the last few years of his life, first in a suit and eventually in a hospital gown. He was clearly losing his alertness, and the last image looks almost like his head has come loose from his body. It's only about 6 images or so, but it tells you an enormous amount of information about this man.

If you're near San Francisco, it's well worth seeing. Especially if, like me, you've been looking at Avedon's work all your life as if it were pieces of mental furniture.

7 New Graphic Novel Pages

2009-10-23T13:44:00.001-07:00

Page 51
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

Some characters from earlier pages reappear... in a new time and place. Remember you can click the "Graphic Novel by Betsy Streeter" set and then go to the upper right and click SLIDESHOW to see the whole thing. Enjoy!

Check out Forbidden Planet!

2009-10-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, they've got everything.

Including, a mention of my Graphic Novel-in-progress!

I'm so grateful.

And now, it's time to get cracking on lots of new pages, clearly...

The Box and the Good Guy File

2009-10-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

In Twyla Tharp's book "The Creative Habit," she talks about the Box.

Whenever she starts a project, she takes a regular ol' box and starts putting things in it.

She puts in anything that seems to connect to her project - videotapes, books, pictures, objects- whatever seems relevant.

Then when she's looking for ideas or trying to move forward, she consults the Box.

I have a similar habit with regard to my Graphic Novel - I have a basket into which I put images that I find that I think may come in handy.

They include things like interiors of churches and bookstores and libraries, people walking through the forest, and a proper illustration of a motorcycle.

I don't necessarily know how I am going to use all these images, but they strike me and I hang on to them. I tear them out of newspapers and magazines, or junk mail, or wherever they show up. Sometimes I print them off the computer.

They are not just reference material, though - these images create an environment that helps me complete my imaginary world. I surround myself with images that enhance that world, and it gets a little more tangible every day.

So if you're working on something, maybe start a Box or a folder or something, and just throw stuff in there that grabs you or seems relevant. Then, go back and look through it every so often. It can be your very own fountain of inspiration.

One other twist on this: Someone I once worked with had a "Good Guy File," where she put every nice note or email or compliment she got. When she was having a bad day, she'd go look through her Good Guy File. Made her day every time. So while you're making a Box, maybe you can start a Good Guy File too. Such great things to have around.

Graphic Novel reaches Page 50!

2009-10-20T11:28:00.001-07:00

Page 45
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

Alrighty, here are the next 6 pages - remember, you can go to the set "Graphic Novel by Betsy Streeter" to view the whole story from the beginning.

Here Liesel is returning to the present to consider what she's learned about the Tromindox and the escaped queen, her head filled with questions about her own identity.

My Dream Art School

2009-10-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

If I could build an art school for kids, or for people of all ages really,

I'd have a big room with big tables,

and a wall with tons of shelves filled with art supplies floor to ceiling. With one of those rolling ladders to get to it all.

On the other side of the room would be

racks of all kinds of paper, an area to lay art flat while it dries, and cubbies to hold works in progress.

It would be filled with light from skylights above,

and have light wood floors and glass windows and doors in the front.

The entry area would be covered in display space where we could put up whatever we had made, or things that we liked. We would also hold exhibitions there.

We would have two rules:

1. Be respectful of the space and supplies,

2. Be respectful of the people and their work.

People would come in, and spread out a project on one of the tables.

Or join in some activity that was already happening.

There would be drawing, cartooning, painting, sewing, and puppets.

There would be performances and video shoots.

There would be claymation.

When people finished for the day, supplies and projects would be neatly put away.

There would always be interesting conversation and projects and classes going on,

and we would give tours and hold talks. We would have interesting, funny and cool people visit and talk to us.

We would also have a library of art books, design books, literature, and any other books that would fire our imaginations. We would also show movies from time to time.

It would be a place where you could pick up a material or a project, or read, or just mess with some medium you haven't tried yet. It would also be a place where you could see lots of artists making things right next to you, and share their energy.

I can see this room very clearly in my mind.

This is how I would make an art school.

Vampire invades Paris apartment

2009-10-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

Vampire invades Paris apartment
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

Taking a little break from the graphic novel and cartoons to draw a vampire, since it's that time of year, and who doesn't love a vampire breaking into a Paris apartment? Not me, I tell you.

Graphic Novel - New Pages

2009-10-16T14:44:00.001-07:00

Page 37
Originally uploaded by betsystreeter

The Tromindox has taken possession of the Book of the Future, and now intends to trade it for something of great value.

Note: On Flickr the best way to see this stuff is to click SLIDESHOW. You can go to the "Story in Pictures" set to see the whole thing, or just start at this image and go forward if you've already seen the rest. I'll re-embed the whole thing here shortly...

Holiday Idea - Draw Nothing!

2009-10-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

I was drawing with a Women's Club in a nearby town today, and we were talking about Drawing Nothing and how you can create drawing games that kids and grownups can play together.

They drew some crazy stuff and laughed and talked and drew some more crazy stuff and we had a really good time.

One of the women said, "I'm already thinking about this as an idea for the kids at Thanksgiving."

What a great idea!

You've got various relatives around, and maybe a lot of kids, who are kind of hyper, and who need something to do around the table - why not give them some paper and pencils and Draw Nothing?

Here's a refresher on Drawing Nothing, just in case you've got an occasion coming up where it might come in handy.

How To Draw Nothing

View more presentations from betsystreeter.

Enjoy!

18 Heads? Seriously?

2009-10-09T15:26:00.001-07:00

Last week I was illustrating for a class field trip at 826 Valencia in San Francisco.

This can be kind of a pressure situation, since the kids come up with some crazy stuff and you have to draw it as you go while listening to ongoing critiques over your shoulder... ("What is that?" "That's not right." "You need more claws." and so on).

This one hit a new high - the introduction of an 18-headed character.

For a few minutes, it was "eight" heads... and I was hoping it would stay that way. But it soon bounced back up to eighteen. Oh well.

Oh, and the heads were to be in the shape of peace signs. And there was to be nail polish.

So, I grabbed the Sharpie and gave it a go. The kids were pleased, although they told me I only had put 16 heads and needed two more.

The 18-headed creature was named Sharpenson, and it protected Water Girl from Icer the Ice Boy who threw ice cubes at her all the time.

I love drawing at the 826 Valencia field trips, you never know what you'll have to produce on the spot. 18 heads is definitely a new one.

Story in Pictures - up to Page 25

2009-10-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

The best way to view this is to click over to the Flickr Set, then click "Slideshow" at the upper right. You can even jump forward to the parts you haven't seen if you want using the pictures across the bottom.

The queen has died, her baby is spirited away, and a mysterious book provides an escape... but not for everyone.

By the way, this is really good viewed while listening to Death Cab for Cutie for some reason. Something about the emotional content of their music fits really well.

If you like this, please share it with your friends - once I've completed the opening scene I'm going to be looking for ways to put it out in serial form. It's a pretty vast story so there's going to be a whole lot of material I suspect.

The Pumpkin Totem Pole Lives!

2009-10-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

The glue gun has done its work. The wings are on, and the thing is standing up...

It's two-sided, so all the kids in the class could do a pumpkin face, or a bat, or a wing...

How, you might ask, does it stay vertical?

Well, I stole an old basketball hoop game from our backyard that had been around quite a while - the kids played with it for a long time, then the wind knocked it over and it broke. So we were left with a pole and a base.

So, I cut holes in the tops and bottoms of the pumpkins and strung them on there. It's like a gigantic bead project. The kids were using it like an abacus to do math on briefly.

Then, the owl's wings are on sticks and stuck into the sides of the top pumpkin.

There was a little extra pole at the top so I mounted a couple of bats up there. There are two more that will go on wires and spring around.

Now there's getting it over to the school... that will involve a parade of me and my kids and a red wagon I think.

Unpublished Gross Cow Cartoons

2009-10-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is one that never got published in Brainwaves.

I was pondering various types of punk animals and things like that...

But it didn't seem terribly family-friendly I guess, and it kind of made me cringe.

Every so often I just leave one in the archives, to have its secret little unpublished life until I decide to bring it out later.

Come to think of it, here's another one:

I guess every so often I just have to get gross with cows and then I can go on with my life.

Story in Pictures - New Pages

2009-10-06T09:44:00.001-07:00

In which we find out more about this mysterious book, the queen dies, and her baby is spirited away. You can view it here, or go to the Set on Flickr and hit "Slideshow" at the upper right to see it bigger.

More about this project: I am using this slideshow to work out ideas for a larger story, so there may be some details missing (I'm not going to give everything away) but you can get the overall themes and continuity as well as the look and feel.

When my first child was born I wrote a short novel for young readers, meant as a letter to my kids. These visual passages are based on that story, with a lot of new details added. I'm combining it all into a larger project.

Scarecrow Totem Pole Project - the next step

2009-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Our third-grade totem pole scarecrow is going to look most excellent. As I mentioned earlier, I showed the kids some examples of Haida art, along with some sample eyes, noses and mouths that I put together on one page.

I pointed out how bright and bold the Haida designs are, and encouraged them to go for it - then out came the foamies and scissors and glue and pens.

We've got wings for our owl at the top, and faces for pumpkins, and even bats to put on there.

Bear in mind these kids did all of this in about 40 minutes. They got the concept, and they went for it. I love that.

There's a bunch more not shown here - time for me to get out the glue gun and see how this whole thing is going to stay together - without toppling or melting or anything like that. I told them my job is to get the thing to stand up, their job is to make it look cool. They did theirs, now I've got some engineering to do.

Learning Landscapes

2009-10-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is so simple it's almost embarrassing that schools don't have these everywhere.

It's a grid, with numbers, used to play a ton of games.

So there's math, and space, and running, and yelling.

You can do musical chairs, or math problems, or geography, or work individually, or in teams...

Anyway take a look at Learning Landscape. What a cool playground.

Story in Pictures - 5 New Pages

2009-10-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

I've appended the next 5 pages onto this slideshow - you can view it here, or you can go see it big on Flickr (click "slideshow" at the upper right on the Flickr page to see it/share it etc.)

This is being done in pencil, biro (ballpoint) and prismacolor in a Moleskine I bought in Chicago.