UAE hones skills in ‘Manga’ comic art

 

Emirates Business

The UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY) and Goethe —Institut Gulf Region concluded their ‘Manga’ comic art workshop recently at Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children in Dubai (AJCCC). Aiming to develop the skills of Emirati talented illustrators in the field of Manga comic art, the workshop was held as part of the 5th edition of the ‘Books — Made in UAE’ project, which is co-organised by UAEBBY and Goethe-Institut Gulf region, in collaboration with AJCCC and sponsored by Knowledge without Borders (KwB).
The five-day workshop, which was conducted by celebrated German comic artist and ‘Mangaka’ Inga Steinmetz, was launched last Sunday to build up the skills of comic artists and illustrators by instructing them in the Manga style. Established to help illustrators create new stories with inspiring and exciting narratives, participants at the workshop were introduced to the styles of the genre and the techniques used in this specialised form of comic art. Among the aspects they focused on were how to engagingly convey facial expressions, emotions, hair styles and clothing.
They were also given tips on background visualisation, perspective and how to use time effectively in the narration of a story.
Prior to the commencement of the workshop, Inga Steinmetz asked the attendees to create stories with subject matters relevant to ‘Nature’ or ‘Friendship.’ She also asked them to submit summary outlines of the main pillars on which their stories were based. The participants answered a number of questions relating to the theme of their respective stories, such as what happens to their characters and the narratives’ possible end scenarios.
They then spent the next five days learning how to craft Manga illustrated stories under the expert tutelage and guidance of Steinmetz. By the close of the workshop, the participants had successfully completed a short version of their Manga comic stories, all of which will be exhibited at the ‘Illustrators’ Corner’ to be held on the side-lines of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.

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