Developing Storytelling Skills from Life

Working with a costumed model, April Connors demonstrates how to use traditional media to experiment with the concepts of characterization, storytelling, tone and mood. April begins with short poses that focus on warming up the arm and mind, feeling her way through gestures and actions with media suited for speed. She then moves on to longer poses where ideas can be developed, consciously choosing media that reflect the goal for each pose, whether it is a five-minute story scenario in marker, a bright and colorful character expression study, or a moody and brooding black and white charcoal sketch. The demonstration prioritizes the influence of story on character design using body language, expression, mood and costume. April explores various media such as permanent media, pastel, dry and wet mixed media, texture, brush pen, charcoal and water color. For those interested in developing their skills with characterization in the context of a narrative illustration, this title offers a variety of inspired and masterfully executed techniques, thought processes and workflow.