Zine Personal Diary - Mixed Media

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will explore sequential art, which is the art of telling a story through pictures. They will plan and create an 8-page zine containing a mystery story, applying storytelling and visual design skills. Students are encouraged to express themselves freely by illustrating and writing their zines in any style they prefer. They can choose to add color, ink their drawings, or use any method they find suitable to bring their stories to life.

Lesson Objectives

• Understand the concept of sequential art and storytelling through pictures.

• Create an 8-page zine containing a mystery story, applying storytelling and visual design skills.

• Express themselves freely through illustration and writing.

Brainstorm Discussion

A zine, short for magazine, is a small, self-published booklet or magazine, often created by individuals or small groups, containing text, images, or artwork on a variety of topics. They are often photocopied into physical prints for circulation.

1. Have you ever made a zine before?

2. What are the elements of a mystery story, such as a problem or puzzle to solve, clues, suspects, and a resolution?

3. Do you have any ideas for a mystery story? What is the setting, characters, and the problems they need to solve?

4. Visualize your story as a movie. What happens? What are the most meaningful moments?

What you do

1. Fold Paper: Create an 8-page zine format by folding a sheet of paper in half vertically, then folding it in half horizontally. Unfold to reveal 8 sections.

2. Story Layout: Plan your story layout on the folded paper, allocating space for text and illustrations on each page.

3. Outline: Outline your story in pencil. Include where to introduce the mystery, provide clues, develop suspects, and resolve the mystery.

4. Character Development: Create profiles for the main characters in your story, including their names, appearances, personalities, and roles in the mystery.

5. Writing: Write your mystery story across the 8 pages. Include dialogue, descriptions, and suspenseful moments. Remember to create a cover for your zine, with a title and eye-catching artwork.

6. Illustrations: Illustrate your story with drawings that complement the text. Use pens, markers, or colored pencils to add visual interest.

7. Optional: Get creative! Use colored paper, magazine cutouts, or any other supplies you like. Draw and write your zine in your preferred style. Color it, ink it, use any method that suits you.

Terminology

• Sequential Art — Describes art forms that use images in a specific order for the purpose of graphic storytelling or conveying information. The best-known examples of sequential art are storyboards, comic books, graphic novels and illustrated story books.

• Zine — A small, self-published booklet, often created by individuals or small groups, containing text, images, or artwork on a variety of topics.

• Publishing — Making something available to the public, like putting a book, magazine, or article out for people to read or buy.