A weekly 2D Cartooning and Animation Clinic for young designers of Fairfield and Westchester counties will be debuting at Makeinspires Mamaroneck on Monday January 23 from 4:45pm-6:15pm. Spots are available for students in grades 5-8 for this class instructed by professional cartoonist and educator Phil Lohmeyer of Greenwich. The clinic has been made possible by a partnership between Lohmeyer’s organization The Comic Tree and Makeinspires (formerly Macinspires), a makerspace organization producing STEAM Education Programs for grades K-12. Says CEO and founder Travis Sluss, “Makeinspires is excited to give our clients the chance to meld analog and digital cartooning skills, as Phil teaches these young designers how to deliver animated content from concept to completion.”
For over 15 years, Lohmeyer has been educating students on drawing comic strips at camps, community centers, museums, libraries, and schools. Lohmeyer started teaching his techniques while working as a professional inker for Beetle Bailey comic strips in the mid 2000’s. For his Makeinspires partnership, Lohmeyer adds an Animation element using Stop Motion Studio, graphics software Pixelmator, and video production program iMovie. The Makeinspires class will focus on turning original comic panels into animated clips. Says Lohmeyer, “I’m looking forward to this 10-week clinic of cartooning exploration, where students will explore visual narratives with storyboards, and animation elements such as staging, expression, squash, and stretch.”
Parents can sign up for the 2D Cartooning & Animation clinic through the Makeinspires website, online at makeinspires.com/steam-classes. Says Mamaroneck Makerspace Manager Caleb Boardman, “In the industry, the need for traditional artists who understand motion graphics has increased. We have been teaching 3D Animation for years, but this is our first time offering hand-drawn 2D Animation, to meet this increased demand.” The animated cartoons created through the new clinic will be on display at the Makeinspires YouTube page, and posted at www.TheComicTree.com. To learn more about this cartooning program at 1139 W Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck starting on January 23, email education@makeinspires.com or call (914) 630-7338.
