Hollywood 2 Havering

 

The Art You Grew Up With Exclusive Disney and Marvel Artist Masterclasses are coming to Bower Park School as part of the H2H (Hollywood 2 Havering) event.  Some of the top artists working in the industry today share with you the skills and tricks that are used in practically all of the creative industries including Comics, Graphic Novels, Television, Films and Video Games. This is a great rewarding career!

You'll have quality time with four of the industry's best talents; Disney's Alan Batson, Marvel's Gary Erskine, and cartoonist Huw-J. Between them, they are responsible for some of the most renowned and respected comics and books, characters and stories you've grown up with; Spider-Man, Iron Man, Superman, Captain America, Monsters Inc, Disney Fairies and Princesses, Winnie the Pooh, and much more! 


Alan Batson

Having served in the advertising field for many years as an Art Director gaining vital experience in all aspects of design, Alan went into the character design market for the animation and games industries. He has worked as a designer for characters, merchandise and publishing on projects for a varied client base including Hanna- Barbera, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, the BBC and Hasbro. 

Alan has been trained by Disney and has operated a freelance career working closely with the Walt Disney Company for over 20 years on Standard, Classic and Pixar characters. He has just completed working with West Midlands based studio, The CharacterShop, as production designer on Friends and Heroes, a 39 episode children’s adventure series. He is currently working on Toy Story 3 titles, and a project for Disney Fairies. 

Artwork - Alan Batson 

After doing our classes, and listening to some of the industry's greatest talents, we de-mystify the comic, film and the video game industry by showing you the techniques needed to create your characters, how a story is told in picture form, how to make your character look like a hero, even fashion design - how to clothe and style your characters".  It's fun, anyone can do it, and an amazing opportunity to learn from the best in the industry."

In the age of remote web clips, and video instruction, nothing beats being in the same room with a high profile industry professional, being able to ask questions and get the immediate answers you need. This is truly a special opportunity to get a taste of how it's all done, and more importantly, how YOU can do it too!

Gary Erskine

Artwork - Gary Erskine 
 

We asked Gary Erskine, one of the leading Comic Artists in the Industry about his career and about getting into the industry, He said

“I was working in Forbidden Planet, Glasgow and Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were touring with The Sleaze Brothers comic. I showed them my Judge Dredd samples and Dan gave me a short eight page story for Strip magazine. 

My first break came when my samples were also shown to Steve White at Marvel UK and he offered me Knights of the Pendragon. The rest kinda fell into place after that long and successful run. Being published in a regular monthly book puts your name and talent out there for the rest of the industry to see. Editors would just call up and offer projects on the strength of what they saw in Knights.

I always tell people to work hard and always draw. Look at other art beyond comics. Inspiration should come from everything you see or read or experience. Practice ALL the time!

I believe that these classes can inspire anyone to see more of their own potential. Advice from a professional can be the most important motivation for some and I know that I valued ALL constructive criticism and direction from my peers.”

 

 

Huw-J-

Artwork - Huw-J-

We spoke with Huw-J, one of the artists teaching the Marvel Masterclass, and asked him what he felt were some of the benefits to doing the class. He said "The Classes have taught the kids to feel more confident about their self image, determination, and their creative ability. We help the kids develop a passion for communicating their ideas and worldview through their drawings."

Book your place now, and make the first steps to get closer to your Heroes