FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!
By FRANCO
I used to teach a lesson in my art class where I would talk about shapes and colors and how to create mood and movement within a picture frame.
I would demonstrate how rounded shapes and angular ones would make objects appear different to the viewer.
I would also talk about how colors could change that same picture frame, such as purple being used to represent darkness or twilight, and how it could create a sense of foreboding and darkness.
I would do all of this and tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood, using just shapes of circles, rectangles and triangles, and the colors black and white (which are not really colors — that would be a different lesson) and purple and a spot of red (sparingly at the end, which would always freak them out).
This lesson was always a favorite of mine and for the students. It was simple and effective and it got the point across and made students see artwork in a way they had never thought of before.
The part that got me was always the wonder I would see in their eyes. How weird they thought the whole thing was and by the end, how they understood what I was trying to say. How they looked at pictures and how they could change with just a simple addition of shape or color. The wonder they would have with the project that I tied to that lesson. It metaphorically opened a new door for them.
To me, that was the entire thing then, and what it is now. How I approach each project. When I see a new project by someone. The wonder I have that never goes away. What is behind a closed door. What happens when you open and go through that door? The wonder of artwork and stories is something I never hope to lose.
Now that I am retired from teaching, people often ask me if I miss it. Or what do I do with my time. My answer is always self-serving. Sometimes I do miss the classroom but I always fill my days with creating… and with wonder.
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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!
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MORE
— Sketching My Way Through NEW YORK COMIC CON. Click here.
— Introducing Franco’s SCENES FROM THE 13TH DIMENSION Sketchbook. Click here.
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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.
Check out his new Kickstarter, for Skelly & Ghost, a heartwarming tale of two friends on a quest to find something they’ve lost.
