‘Anime Your Way’ Drawing Class Held

By LAURA ROBISON

The Progress

As part of the 2023 Summer Reading and Activities Challenge put on by the Clark County Library District, a drawing class was held on Tuesday, June 6 at the Old Logandale School. The class was instructed by guest artist Carlos Nieto. Assistant Librarian Raegen Moore was on hand to provide all the materials to attendees and to host the event.

Nieto showed the handful of participants how to draw anime characters, step by step. Anime is a Japanese style of animation. No previous art experience was necessary to attend the class.
Nieto began by using simple shapes and easy-to-understand instructions. Doing this, anyone can gain the knowledge to create their own unique anime characters, he said.

Class members were given their own folder with the blank paper and drawing charts. Thy started by using an old compact disc to draw a circle and create the beginnings of a face. Adding guidelines where eyes, ears, nose and mouth would be placed followed. All this was done in pencil so the guidelines could be erased later.

Nieto then had each participant develop a mouth chart, showing the class members how to use lines and shading to get the desired effect of a happy, sad, open or closed mouth. He helped each student learn how to fill in the eyes, eyebrows, nose, ears and chin as well. Students even got to choose what kind of hair their characters would have.

“There are no rules,” Nieto said. “Do what looks good to you and put your own spin on your drawing. Use your imagination to draw, erase, start again, and add features as you go. Learn to develop your own way of doing things.”

At the end of the class, each participant had a completed character, and each one was unique.
Sonya Baker; along with her kids Sophia, 17, and Steven, 19; were at the drawing class.
“This was interesting and fun, and I learned how to draw eyes,” Sophia commented. “I have been drawing my whole life and I learned a lot today,” said Steven.
“My son is autistic and drawing helps him,” Sonya said. “Mr. Nieto helped each of my children with their interests.”

Nieto was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and became interested in art and drawing in high school. He considers himself to be self-taught, but wanted to expand on his art – learning about architecture- drawing 3 dimensionally and seeing different perspectives. He spent time in college taking classes to build his skills.

Soon after he built a portfolio and sent it to several studios. Film Roman, the studio that produced The Simpsons and King of the Hill, hired Nieto as an illustrator for the two shows. He worked for the studio for three years.

Nieto was then an Artist in Residence at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. But left in 2019 to pursue his passion as a free lance artist.

Nieto developed Anime your Way after his own creative process. He currently travels the U.S. presenting anime drawing programs at libraries, schools, jails, juvenile detention centers and shelters

For more information about Carlos Nieto or learning about anime, visit animeyourway.org.