×

Make a comic book

What?

Learning about their area and the impact of the railway through drawing a comic book page

Learning aims

• Understanding basic drawing skills and creating narratives based on local railway heritage

Materials

• Paper
• Pens
• Clipboard

Activity

Are there any signs in local area to show the significance of the railway heritage? What will have changed in the area before and after the railways began? What characters travelled on the railway? What would they wear? And how would they speak? What sounds would they hear?

Ask children to get in to pairs.

• Take 2 minutes to complete each task. The drawing doesn't have to be detailed, they should be quick sketches.
• Start by asking them to draw the person sitting next to them.
• Next, ask them to do the same drawing but this time they should only look at the person and not look down at their piece of paper.
• Draw the same person again but this time without picking their pencil up from the page. Drawings should be made with one continuous line.
• After the portraits do some short figure drawing exercises. For this task you will need a teacher or volunteer to take part! Pose for 30 secs and then change.
• To finish, go outside and try and make a drawing of the landscape while walking.

Creating a comic book page

• Start by picking a landscape, for example, something from their route to school. Do they remember any buildings, trees, stations or other landmarks?
• Ask them do draw it from a bird's eye perspective, then from a worm's eye perspective.
• Next, give each child a gridded piece of paper with four squares. In each square ask them to draw:
• A building/landscape from bird's eye perspective.
• A building/landscape from a worm's eye perspective.
• A character's face (this could be someone travelling on the railway from the past or present).
• A character doing an action.
• Ask them to think about the sound the action might make. Explain about comic book sound effects and 'onomatopoeia'. Add sound effects to the picture.