Genesis Miranda
Staff Writer
Political cartoonist and artist David G. Brown brought great basic tips to a small audience in the city of La Verne Public Library through a Motion Picture and Animation Workshop on Saturday.
Brown encouraged everyone who showed up for the weekend workshop up to sit at two tables and draw whatever they wanted.
“Art is as individual as you are,” Brown told his audience. “It is just a way for you to express yourself.”
The audience seemed to be engaged in Brown’s step-by-step explanation of how to draw a face.
Brown also showed the audience his self-published works including cartoons on the Los Angeles riots, as well anti-drug, and anti-gang messages.
Brown worked with the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department to create a book, along with a group of students, which was meant to show children and teenagers the negative effects of drugs and gangs.
Brown has been doing library presentations such as these since the mid-1990s.
“I enjoy working with young people and helping them express what they see in the world,” Brown said.
As a self-publisher, Brown explained, you have to pay for the cost of the material used to make your book.
“L.A. Phoenix” was the first book Brown created from the inspiration he got from the Los Angeles riots.
After they made some basic drawings, Brown gave his audience idea of creating a character and making a story out of it.
Brown also described the process of making a basic storyboard as he brought the new character to life by creating a storyboard.
“This workshop is a good thing for the community,” said Alexander Lorenzen, a Citrus College student attending the workshop said, “It’s a good thing to show comics as a part of literature.”
Also in the audience was 12-year-old Jayden Lebran, an aspiring artist. He brought his own drawings of characters to show Brown, who applauded his creativity and gave him some tips on how to make his characters more exciting.
By the end of the workshop, the audience stayed to keep drawing and talking with Brown.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend this workshop, it was very informative” teacher Linda Long of Los Angeles said. “I would attend more of his workshops.”
Brown ended the workshop by giving away comic books, his autographed books, and the drawings created in the workshop.
Genesis Miranda can be reached at genesis.miranda@laverne.edu.
