By Niki McClure, Managing Editor
Art took on a different dimension this summer as Penn-Trafford students brought their doodling skills to the next level in the new cartooning summer course.
Art teacher Brenda Christeleit taught the course, which took place during the summer for one week, running daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open to incoming freshmen through newly graduated seniors, this intensive course served as an outlet for abstract art styles seen in students.
“I see kids constantly doodling cartoons and Manga characters. I thought what if we explored that a little bit more and hit the interests,” Christeleit explained about how the class got started. “Mr.Cap approached me, actually, and he asked ‘do you have any ideas for a summer class?’ and it was right there.”
The students were required to complete a capstone project which was a 10-page blog of a cartoon based around an original character they had created earlier in the week. To view the blog go to: http://pthsart.weebly.com/cartooning.html
There was field trip to Pittsburgh during the week too.
“We had a day where we went down to Pittsburgh and we toured the Andy Warhol museum. He was very heavily influenced pop culture and cartoons. He even did some silk screens of cartoons and then he would put his own twist on them,” Christeleit explained. “We walked across the bridge and we went to the ToonSeum where they had an exhibit of political cartoons.”
To connect the field trip experience to the classroom, students then made their own political cartoon after being inspired by the museums they visited that day. Other projects the students worked on included caricatures, character mash ups, creating a character with nine rules and a story board.
Senior Alyssa Mountan had a positive experience in the class.
“It was an excellent challenge that tested my art skills and storytelling abilities. When I finally finished it, I marveled seeing the ideas that I had been storing away for so long finally being put on physical paper,” Mountan said.
Freshmen Madelynn Petrillo also spoke highly of the cartooning class.
“My artwork is normally an anime/manga style,” Petrillo said. “I didn’t realize how much time and effort it takes to make one simple comic book page. This class was a blast.”
The cartoonists’ creations are currently displayed in the front lobby. The boards contain each day’s assigned project. This course is anticipated to be held again next summer for another opportunity for unique artistic expansion.