On the Drawing Board

It’s no secret to people in the Valley, living as they do near animation studios, that good jobs are available to those who have a talent for drawing.

This week the Los Angeles Public Library has launched a major effort to provide a first step for kids interested in learning to draw. Free classes are offered this afternoon at the Woodland Hills branch.

The program will provide classes at many sites through the fall and about half of the 70 sessions will be in or near the Valley. This program is mostly for teenagers, but younger kids will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Central Library will hold a Teen Comic Art & Animation Festival in October, a competition open to young artists citywide. The event will include marathon animation film screenings and display booths representing comic and animation companies (job information will be available.)

The program is a response to recent stories that a shortage of local drawing talent has driven media companies to hire people from overseas, a situation that has been exacerbated by the reduction or elimination of art classes in public schools.

Georgette Todd, manager of the library’s Young Adult Services, said a significant number of sites have been added to this year’s drawing program. Now in its third year, the Teen Comic Age ’98 program started at 45 branches and is now held at 70, about half of which are in the Valley.

“Many of the teens who have participated have gotten jobs in this field [animation or comics],” said Todd. And, if nothing else, “It certainly opened up their thinking,” she added. And she was referring not only to their attitude to art, but also to libraries.

“Kids were estranged [from libraries] by their limited reading skills,” she said. “We found that comics and cartoons were a real form of expression for them. They enjoyed art and working with artists from the community.”

Today’s class in Woodland Hills will be led by instructors Ruben Gerard and Max Espinoza, two of the dozen industry professionals who have committed to providing lessons in the fundamentals of comic-book drawing and screen animation.

“If youths have never drawn before, it looks difficult,” said Gerard, “but we demystify it.”

He and Espinoza, partners in a comic-book publishing venture, begin their classes by pointing out that even when kids write their names, they use drawing skills.

“A drawing is made up of little parts--and you can draw Batman by arranging and modifying letters like ‘m’ and ‘v’ and ‘t,’ ” said Gerard.

If you’re skeptical about this concept, Gerard points out, “This is how professionals came up with these [superhero] characters--by playing around with these shapes.”

BE THERE

“Comic and Cartoon Drawshop”, 4 p.m. today; Woodland Hills Branch Library, 22200 Ventura Blvd. (818) 887-0160. This week is the start-up of a 70-branch Los Angeles Public Library program leading to the third annual Teen Comic Art & Animation Festival and Contest in the fall. For workshop information, call (213) 228-7510.