Available for virtual visits in : Kootenay’s (B.C), New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Saskatchewan
Home Province: Ontario
Craft: Graphic Novelist/Illustrator/Cartoonist
Genre: Picture Books/Beginner Graphic Novels/Middle Grade Novels
Target Audience: Ages 6 – 8
Cost for School and Public Virtual Presentation with CCBC subsidy: $200.00, plus applicable taxes
Website : johnmartz.com
Virtual Workshop Information:
CREATING CHARACTERS WITH SIMPLE SHAPES
(Grade 5 and under)
I teach how to draw my characters, revealing how their designs are built of simple shapes. Children are encouraged to create their own characters using the same simple method. In this presentation I also encourage young artists to learn to draw by copying the work of others, modifying it, and transforming it into something new. I share examples of my own childhood drawings, and identify the various pieces of inspiration that led to their creation.
HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT LOVE MY BAD DRAWINGS
(Grade 6 and older)
What makes a good drawing good? We all struggle with our own limitations as artists, but we can channel those limitations into strengths by understanding the purpose and function of an image. Drawings don’t need to be flawless to accomplish their goals. In fact, many stories and voices are better served by simple, unrefined drawings. We’ll take a close look at the relationship between words and pictures, study the work of artists who transcend “good drawing”, and learn to be happier cartoonists by casting away the shackles of perfection.
Book List
Crocodile Hungry – written by Eija Sumner, illustrated by John Martz Tundra Books, February 2022 – Picture Book
Burt’s Way Home, Tundra Books, July 2022 (originally Koyama Press, 2016) – Available for Pre-order
Evie and the Truth About Witches, Tundra Books, 2021 (originally Koyama Press, 2018)
A Cat Named Tim and Other Stories, Tundra Books, 2021 (originally Koyama Press, 2016)
How to Give Your Cat a Bath – written by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by John Martz Tundra Books, 2019
Do Frogs Drink Hot Chocolate? – written by Etta Kaner, illustrated by John Martz OwlKids, 2018
Who’s on First? – written by Abbott and Costello, illustrated by John Martz Quirk Books, 2013
Black and Bittern Was Night – written by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by John Martz Kidscan Press, 2013
Dear Flyary – written by Dianne Young, illustrated by John Martz Kidscan Press, 2012