Create, Play & Explore 3-D Cartoon Characters

Descriptor & Goals
Make a cartoon character out of modeling clay.

Grades: K and up
Elements: form
Principles: proportion
Child Outcomes: manipulating materials, imagining
Life Skill: learning to learn, communicating
National Art Standard: understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Activity Time: 30 min.

Preparation: Time: 10 min. Materials: Samples of 3-D characters (action figures, stuffed animals, toys) Modeling material, such as Play-Dough, modeling clay (Plasticene), Sculpey or Fimo – in a variety of colors Tools for modeling, such as plastic ware, toothpicks, dentist tools  Paper or foil (app. 8”x 10”)  for a working surface that the child can turn Setup: Read through the activity. Display the samples. Set out the supplies.

Background

Making a cartoon character with personality is easy when its formed in 3D out of a modeling material. While forming it  the artist can see how the character looks from all angles and can decide how it should move.  Once formed, the artist can play with it, like one would a puppet, giving it a voice and seeing how it would act with other characters.

Ready, Set, Create

1.        Look at the action characters and other 3-D samples. Look at them from front, side, back, top, other side, bottom. What do you see at each view? How does the artist create some of the features that make this character different? (Usually by exaggerating some proportions – big nose, small head, huge feet, etc.)
2.        Knead a ball of modeling material (about the size of a golf ball) in your hands. Think about a character you could make with it. When the modeling material is easy to form, set the ball firmly on the paper or foil so that it’s flat on the bottom and will stand upright as you work.

3.        Begin creating a 3-D character by pinching, adding other colored pieces of modeling material, and taking bits away from the form. Create a head, body, arms, legs, tail, hat, shoes, etc. Be sure to pinch parts together securely. Some modeling materials will need to be moistened slightly; follow the directions given with the material.

4.        Turn your paper around as you work so that you see and create all sides of your character.

5.        Exaggerate some body parts to give your character personality. 6.        Without breaking it, carefully move your character into different positions as if it were active. 7.        (Optional) When finished, let your character dry or harden according to the directions given with the material.

Reflect:

• Describe the different sides of your character. How is making a 3-D character different from drawing one?

• What proportions did you exaggerate? How does the exaggeration help bring out your character’s personality?

• How did you construct the form so that your character can stand on its own?

Apply

• Pretend you are your character. Talk like it would talk. Walk like it would walk. Move your character into different positions that suit its personality.

• Draw your character from many different angles. Move it and draw the new poses.

Enhance

Alone or in a group, create a stop-action video using your characters. Set the characters in a scene. Set the video camera on a tripod or somewhere stationary. Run the camera 5-8 seconds. Change the characters positions slightly. Run the cameral again. Change the characters again. And so on. Though very time consuming to create, the result is real film animation. Why do the characters seem to move when you run the video you have made?

Simplify Begin with a snowman or rabbit form, i.e. 2-3 balls set on top of each other. Make sure the balls are securely attached to each other and sitting upright on the working surface. Have the children add details to all sides.  Younger children will exaggerate some features naturally. Rather than encourage exaggeration, ask them questions about the specific features: What kind of nose does your character have? Feet? Etc.

Art-i-fact on Cartooning

Learning Indicators

The children:

• Created a 3-D form with a back, front, and sides.

• Exaggerated proportions and added details to create unique characteristics.

• Extended the character by adding gestures and voice.

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