AIKEN --- When pencil hits paper, faces with wide eyes and sneaky smiles take shape as children create their own comic characters at the Aiken Center for the Arts.
The artists are part of a crash course this week on the Japanese comic art form of Manga.
Sponsored as part of spring break camps, the classes are a primer for children interested in creating their own comics -- but it isn't all about drawing. The Japanese tradition of Manga has something for everyone, instructor Xavier Jones said.
Instead of just drawing a figure, Mr. Jones and co-instructor Sheldon Eastmon start classes with the background and tradition of Japanese culture. Children are encouraged to develop their characters, instead of just drawing an action figure. But their characters don't have to be like Superman or Spider-Man. The girl can be the hero, and they can even create stories for their parents.
"This is really big stuff, and it's a growing field," Mr. Jones said. "Twenty-five percent of all movies have some type of animation in them, so workshops like this allow us to expose opportunities in the field."
Mr. Jones grew up on staples such as Speed Racer in the 1960s and 1970s, but he said today's comics don't have quite the same story levels. He wants to create the energy he felt when he read comics and watched cartoons growing up.
"Many of the kids know this stuff from movies, but they don't know where it started," he said. "We're historians in comics, so we bring in the tradition of the art, going all the way back to Thomas Nast and the creation of Santa Claus."
Like any art form, Manga takes lots of practice and dedication, instructors said, but the approach and technique are a little different from that of an elementary art class.
"We show them how to draw the faces and heads first by using geometric shapes," Mr. Eastmon said. "Then we'll move on and show them tricks to make them come to life."
Though about half of the dozen pupils were well versed in Pokemon and other anime shows, beginners spent snack breaks watching cartoons and movies to break down animation effects and other aspects of the art form so they could duplicate shadings and features in their own work.
"It's challenging because we're taught how to draw one way and you come here and it's a different way," said Jessica McNeely, 12. "It's kind of cool to learn the different techniques though."
Eight-year-old Avery Kennedy sketched a curly-haired girl with her tongue sticking out.
"They've taught us how to draw the detail, and today I'm learning how their eyes and heads are shaped," she said.
Online tutorials are available for Manga, but Mr. Jones and Mr. Eastmon offer workshops at libraries and other venues in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties.
Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.
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