Reading Graphic Novels in the High School Art Classroom

It’s been four years since I incorporated reading and analyzing graphic novels into my high school art curriculum. While there have been challenges, I can say with certainty that it has been incredibly beneficial for my students.

I know some people don’t think of comics as a serious or important medium, but honestly? Graphic novels are a powerful way to teach visual literacy, explore symbolism, narrative, and sequential art, and analyze style and creative voice.

In Art 1, we start with the graphic novel adaptation of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Almost American Girl by Robin Ha. We dive deep into character design, as well as essential aspects of visual storytelling such as page composition, panel pacing, setting, style, and mood. I chose The Graveyard Book because it was illustrated by several different artists, which gives students a chance to discuss a variety of styles and techniques. And Almost American Girl shows how Robin Ha’s illustration style is informed by her identity and cultural experience. Together, these books provide a strong foundation as students begin developing their own drawing and design skills.

In Advanced Art, students read Collected Essex County by Jeff Lemire and the graphic novel adaptation of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by E.M. Carroll. These works introduce more complex narratives and emotionally impactful visual storytelling. We analyze how the artists communicate mood, emotion, and tone, helping students see how visual choices can carry immense narrative weight. This helps to prepare them to develop their own artistic voice.

Bringing graphic novels into the classroom does more than supplement reading instruction (which, by the way, is an excellent benefit and the English teachers love it). It also teaches students to read images as critically as text, think deeply about narrative and style, and experiment with their own creative voice. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch them make these connections and realize that art isn’t just about perfect realism and mastery of technique. It’s about communication, storytelling, and style.

As someone who is currently writing and illustrating my own graphic novel, nothing excites me more than seeing students recognize that comics and graphic novels are not only valid forms of literature and art, but complex, dynamic, and absolutely worth reading!

Portraiture with Art 1

The Art 1 students just wrapped up their pencil portrait project. This is the culminating project of our Pencil Drawing Unit! This year the students drew school staff and teachers that will be displayed in the Media Center. This project brought together everything they’ve learned so far about perspective, proportion, and value.

Using the grid method, students carefully mapped out the outline for accuracy before diving into shading to create depth, texture, and realism. It’s been amazing watching them apply their skills from previous projects like the Linear Perspective Drawing and Still Life Drawing projects, as well as their practice assignments and drawing studies, to something as complicated and challenging as a portrait.

This project is always one of my favorites because it shows just how far they’ve come technically as artists in such a short time.

Beginning the School Year with Art 1

One of the most exciting parts of teaching high school art is watching students take the skills we’ve practiced in small studies and apply them to a major project. My students completed their first big assignment of the semester: one-point linear perspective drawings. Understanding linear perspective not only makes drawings more realistic, but it also helps young artists think critically about space, depth, and composition.

Before beginning this project, we spent time doing drawing activities and studies to learn some of the building blocks of drawing: contour lines and line weight, proportion, shading to show form, and linear perspective. In this project, students combined those skills along with other depth cues like overlapping, size variation, and placement on the page to create spaces with a sense of realistic depth.

I love how this assignment gives students both structure and freedom: structure in the rules of perspective and basic drawing techniques, and freedom in the way they design their imaginary spaces. You can see their individual styles peek through.

I see perspective drawing as more than just a technical exercise. It’s a way to teach problem solving and build artistic confidence. My students will carry forward all of these important skills into every creative challenge this school year and beyond. I’m proud of their hard work, and I can’t wait to see how they apply these foundations in our upcoming projects.

Box Factory Student Art Exhibition

Bridgman High School students exhibited their work at the Box Factory Student Art Exhibition in St. Joseph, MI. This annual event brings together student artists from across the region, showcasing a wide range of media and ideas from emerging young artists.

Many of our students displayed work in the exhibition, representing the skill, dedication, and creativity happening in our art program. Several Bridgman students also received special recognition:

• Gavin B. earned Second Place in the 3D category. (Pictured below.)

• Grace S. received both the Bridgman Community Award and the Robert R. Williams Portrait Award.

• Carter B. was featured in the Emerging Artist category for high school seniors planning to pursue art at the college level. Carter will attend Lake Michigan College next year to study Art Education. (Pictured below.)

Opportunities like these not only celebrate achievement but also give students valuable experience sharing their work in a professional setting and engaging with the broader arts community. I want to congratulate all of our students who participated in this exhibition.

Spring Photography with Art 1

Spring is in the air! As part of our ongoing photography studies, students explored the season with an eye for color.

In Art 1, photography is integrated throughout the school year as a series of short projects, most of which students complete outside of class. We explore some fundamental aspects of photography beginning with technical camera basics, then light and shadow, composition, and finally color. These projects help students to develop a critical visual eye, experiment with photography, and get valuable feedback and insight from me and their peers.

This assignment encouraged students to build on their photography skills from this school year (like contrast and composition) and to think critically about color.