Drawing Animated Characters

The journey started with a book as the children explored drawing animated characters and developed an interest in creating drawings of their favorite Pokemon. The exploration of Pokemon was not new. Pokemon has been a favorite of the children for years. Children love collecting Pokemon cards learning about the characters and the social aspects of trading the cards with friends. On occasion, the children play the actual game. Some children explore the characters online through Pokemon Go at home. 

Drawing favorite characters is a constant for school-age children as they try to connect with an image that has meaning in their lives. Through drawing, the children express the emotional connection the character provides them. Children enjoy sharing their pictures and teaching others about the characters. Children enjoy sharing the positive attributes of their favorite characters. Sharing with others is how children make social connections. The children enjoy engaging in lively, deep discussions about the characteristics of their favorite characters. 

At the beginning of this project, children traced images from books about Pokemon. The work progressed as other children started drawing superheroes and Manga characters. The children experimented with this work as they explored a variety of how to draw books. The children learned basic symbols and shapes that artists use to create animated character drawings. As time passed, the children used premade templates less often. Instead, the children used their acquired mark-making skills to create their favorite characters. The children also created new versions of the same character. When I mentioned to one child, "I see you are working on your drawing again." they said, "I love to draw because you get to draw your dreams."

An act like drawing that an adult may see as a form of play or entertainment has a deeper meaning for children. Drawing and other activities children choose feature elements of both work and pleasure. Children's work has a higher purpose and profound meaning, creating a path to explore subjects of deep interest. This work is a way for children to express their interests and learn something new. Creative work is a pathway for children to collaborate and make social connections. 

A few weeks later, the work on drawing characters continued and evolved as the children explored new characters. The children began taking turns and drawing portraits of each other. I discovered this latest work when I noticed that two children were talking and staring at each other. I was curious about what the children were doing, so I walked over to look. The children focused on each other and tried to make out the features of a friend's face to create a portrait. I watched the children work for a moment. Then I realized my presence was interfering with the concentration of their work, so I walked away. The children worked on their portraits for much of the afternoon. Many children teamed up to create portraits of their own in the days that followed.

The creative work of the children evolved. The work started to explore the animated character, images, and ideals. Then the work transformed into exploring what character is by drawing each other. The children realized that character is something of make-believe and fun and is something we all have. The children discovered that knowing someone is not only about how they look from afar. Getting to know someone is about looking deeper into each person. The children decided to explore the person in front of them and used paper and pencil to create a deeper connection in the learning community. The possibilities of character opened up an opportunity for the children to learn more about each other. The process strengthened the bonds of friendship. Drawing forged a collaboration that brought together all members of the learning community.