Artists-in-Schools › Donald Guess, Jr

Artist's Narrative | Programs Available | Availability

Artist's Narrative

Donald Guess, Jr. is the publisher of the Guess Who Speaks Up e-Newsletter, the Cartoon Worlds web site, The Market Place web site, and a freelance illustrator and cartoonist. Many people know him best for his delightful caricatures that appear regularly in newspapers, magazines, Internet web pages, and newsletters. His caricatures are also popular as portraits for gifts, and at meetings, picnics and parties. Donald Guess, Jr. is the former editorial cartoonist for The Columbus Post newspaper, American Diversity magazine, and the Columbus Free Press newspaper. His cartoons appeared in the Columbus Post newspaper from 1995 through 2004. Prior to this, he served as the editorial cartoonist for the Columbus Free Press newspaper from 1987 to 1995. He rejoined the Free Press in 2001 as a contributing cartoonist. He has also been the cartoonist for DTN Productions newsletter and website, Hallmark of Etiquette, since 1992.

In 2003 Donald began publishing the e-newsletter, "GUESS Who Speaks Up," that can be found on the Cartoon Worlds web site. His artwork appears in every issue of the e-newsletter. a combination of hand drawn art and computer illustration is used to produce graphics for the e-newsletter. He designs cartoons, newsletters, comic books, buttons and posters for his company Cartoon Worlds, and sells them on the Market Place web site.

Donald also creates illustrations, logos, brochures, flyers, and caricatures for various clients and companies. His fine art work concentrates mainly on the creation of watercolor paintings and penciled graphite pictures.

Donald teaches cartooning classes for children throughout the year. He received his training from the Columbus College of Art and Design, where he received a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration.

Availability

Upon request.

Programs Available

Comic Strips: Lecture and Demonstration (Grade levels K-12)

Comic Strips is a lecture/demonstration period where the students can try a hands on approach to experience being cartoonist. Many examples will be used from comic books to newspaper cartoons, including some examples that may come from Donald's e-Newsletter the GUESS Who Speaks Up, or his editorial cartoons that were published in The Columbus Post newspaper and The Columbus Free Press. Examples of comic art will range from funny comics to realistic, serious stories and super-hero comics. The lecture will cover plotting a story, creating the setting, using narrative, scripting the story in general from the writers point of view, and choosing the audience that the comic shall appeal to in age, and subject matter. There will be a brief discussion of the history of comics in America. A demonstration of drawing a comic strip will be used to show and discuss how the artist uses the different techniques of blue pencilling, pencilling, and inking the finished piece.

Activity Options:

Comic Strips

• Duration: 40 min.
• Fees: $205
• Requirements: Teacher present. Paper, pencil & eraser, chalkboard & chalk, or erasable board & markers, large tablet of paper. Maximum number of students: 60.

Caricatures: Lecture and Demonstration (Grade levels K-12)

The Caricatures workshop can offer artists' examples and examples from newspapers, magazines and books. Some history of caricature art will be discussed, Going back to the Bolognese painters who are credited with inventing caricatures, brothers Annibale and Agostino Carracci.

Donald will use students and teachers as models for examples of how to draw caricatures. Topics will include what to look for when attempting to draw a caricature of the personality. Examples will be shown of quick caricature and detailed caricature work that resembles full portraits. Discussion of caricature art will include exaggeration of subjects, using caricature in realistic art, and bringing to life.

The presentation will also include uses of caricature art and where to sell it. How to make a living drawing caricature, touching on parties, cartoons, comics, illustrated books, animated cartoons, and advertising will all be discussed.

Activity Options:

Caricatures

• Duration: 40 min.
• Fees: $205
• Requirements: Teacher present. Paper, pencil & eraser, chalkboard & chalk, or erasable board & markers, large tablet of paper. Maximum number of students: 60.

Cartooning Workshop (Grade levels K-12)

This is a workshop, lecture and demonstration period to help students experience and realize their control over the page through the art form of cartooning. This workshop is composed of a continuous lecture and demonstration, where Donald has the students use simple shapes to create and explore their own creativity in art. The workshop will employ group and individual participation from the students. A demonstration will use selected students from the class to have sample caricatures drawn of them for the student to keep. Students will then have instruction on how to put together shapes that they have already mastered, such as circles, squares, triangles, etc, to create a drawing. Donald will also share what it is like to be a cartoon artist.

The structure of this workshop works well with all grade levels. It becomes more detailed for the middle and high school levels. The lecture may include choosing a college and working as a cartoonist.

Activity Options:

Cartooning Workshop

• Duration: 2 hours
• Fees: $255
• Requirements: Teacher present. Paper, pencil & eraser, chalkboard & chalk, or erasable board & markers, large tablet of paper. Maximum number of students: 60.

Faces Figures and Portraits Workshop (Grades levels 3 - 12, Adult)

This workshop helps students to focus on and learn some of the fundamentals of drawing the human figure.  The techniques presented in this workshop can be used in storytelling for school newsletters, newspapers, illustrating student stories and articles.
 
This workshop focus’s on using faces, figures and portraits to tell a story.  Students will be given an article, poem, or story piece to illustrate using the techniques from this workshop.
 
Students will be shown different ways to design the page or the canvas.  How to use familiar places to make their figures feel comfortable on the page.  They will also find out about using emotion to give life to the subject in their picture.
 
We will touch on using light and shadow for dramatic effect.  Using color to help pull your viewer into the picture.  Using color schemes to help convey mood.  Students will learn different ways to show motion and action in their pictures.

Activity Options:

Faces, Figures and Portraits

• Duration: 45-90 min. sessions
• Fees: 45 min. session: $205.00
  90 min. session: $255
  2 days (90 min. sessions): $360
  3 days (90 min. sessions): $540
• Requirements: Teacher present. Paper, pencil & eraser, chalkboard & chalk, or erasable board & markers, large tablet of paper. Maximum number of students: 60. Paper, pencils, erasers, markers, color chalks needed for students.

Creative Line Drawing Workshop (Grade levels 3-12, Adults)

This workshop is can be presented for both the beginning student of art or more experienced students. Creative line drawing shows the basis of using line to make simple and complex drawings. This workshop takes very simple lines, shapes, and shading, and shows students how to use these techniques to create a wide variety of drawings.

You and your students will learn how to create simple cartoons and attempt more realistic drawing. Donald may show examples of his own work, including cartooning samples, simple line techniques, and realistic drawing.

Your students will learn how to make stick figures come alive on paper using the very simple techniques taught by Donald Guess, Jr. You will learn many techniques using line that will allow both children and adults to express their feelings on paper.

Activity Options:

Creative Line Drawing Workshop

• Duration: 90 min.
• Fees: $255
• Requirements: Teacher present. Paper, pencil & eraser, chalkboard & chalk, or erasable board & markers, large tablet of paper. Maximum number of students: 60.

Complete a request form online, or download a printable copy.

The gold star indicates this artist has participated in at least one professional development workshop concerning the alignment of their planned arts activities with state of Ohio content standards in arts and other academic subject areas.

Artists-in-Schools Homepage