Published on: 23 April 2014




Boys were invited to attend a lunchtime workshop run by Perth-based illustrator and cartoonist James Foley recently. Boys from Years 7 to 11, and a group of Year 6 boys, were given a lesson in drawing cartoon faces with simple but effective tips on conveying character and emotion.

Teacher librarian Lia de Sousa said thanks to Parents’ Association grants, the Senior Library had been lucky to host several prominent ‘young adult’ authors to work with boys. “Knowing that graphic novels and comics are very popular, we wanted to offer boys with an interest in cartoons or illustration an opportunity to work with a professional illustrator,” Ms de Sousa said.

James Foley is best known for his illustration work on a number of picture books including the award-winning book The Last Viking. As an established cartoonist, James has also created work for a range of publications and organisations.

About 20 boys attended the workshop with James’s friendly demeanor quickly putting the boys at ease and putting their drawing skills to work. “The boys were highly engrossed and keen to learn with James interacting with the group, taking on suggestions and answering questions,” Ms de Sousa said.

The Senior Library will invite James back to run more illustration workshops later in the year. Any student can attend the sessions, even if they did not attend the first workshop.