My students often explore their individuality and personal stories through their work. This year, they experimented with storytelling in various media. One student, Jorge Guifarro, a senior at the University School of Milwaukee, captured his daily life as a contemporary teen. I sat down with him to discuss his process.
Jorge Guifarro, grade twelve, AP 2D Art portfolio project, a ten-page comic delving into the universal experience of love.
What is your unique story as an artist?
Jorge: I was born in Honduras and lived there until I was four years old. My childhood was filled with vibrant cartoons. Being surrounded by animation and children’s art sparked my imagination from an early age.
A significant part of my upbringing involved my parents reading me an illustrated Bible series every night before bed. The illustrations helped me remember the stories better, which I still remember to this day.
Another of my fondest memories is the excitement surrounding the release of the Wii console, a coveted item among all kids in Honduras. When we moved to the United States, my dad surprised me with a black Wii console, and along with it came a copy of Super Mario Bros. I believe this moment marked the beginning of my fascination with visual storytelling and laid the foundation for my artistic journey.
Did that affect how you make artwork today?
Jorge: Absolutely. I remember the basic story of the game was super captivating for six-year-old me. I would draw my favorite video game characters every day, and even though I didn’t know it then, that practice helped me develop some of the art skills that I possess today.
What drew you to storytelling?
Jorge: When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I had a lot of free time at home and would spend most of my time reading comic books. The stories weaved a multilayered narrative that spans decades, incorporating various science-fiction and mystery elements. The characters would just leap out of the page, something I wanted to accomplish in my own work someday. I want viewers to not just read my work, but feel immersed in the worlds I’ve created, something that wouldn’t be possible without the power of storytelling.
Describe your point of view as an artist and what motivated you to create this work in particular.
Jorge: For my AP 2D Art portfolio, I embarked on creating a ten-page comic that delves into a universal experience shared by many high-schoolers: Love. Driven by a desire to create striking graphic-novel art, I explored the complexities of a high-school relationship. I wanted my comic to showcase how an emotionally draining experience can shape a teen’s life, pushing them toward personal growth amidst heartbreak. Through my work, I aim to evoke the same emotional connection that I experienced when I first discovered the power of comics.
Describe your process and material choices.
Jorge: Before drawing, I sat at my desk and wrote out a script. Initially, my focus was on getting all my ideas onto paper. The goal was to retell my story as plainly as possible, writing continuously without worrying about coherence. Another helpful technique was creating a keyword tree. Starting with the central theme of love, I branched out with words like heart, arrow, red, clouds, roses, and so on. This brainstorming session resulted in a long list of words in my sketchbook from which I carefully chose key symbols to use in my comic.
Once my script was completed, I made ten rough drafts, focusing on panel layouts and the reasoning behind them. These rough drafts were essential in visualizing the narrative flow and ensuring that each page’s layout served the story effectively. After finalizing the rough drafts, I took reference photos to help with character poses.
Referring to those photos as needed, I sketched in my notebook, then scanned and transferred these sketches to Clip Studio Paint. This digital workflow allowed me to ink and color the pages efficiently.
Will storytelling play a role in your work in the future as well?
Jorge: Definitely. I believe that storytelling is essential in all forms of art, whether it’s product design, illustration, or any other type of creative endeavor. For me, every artwork I make starts with a story, a purpose behind why I’m making it. This narrative is the foundation that guides my work, providing context and meaning to the viewer. By asking myself, “Why am I creating this?” I tap into the core of the concept, allowing ideas to flow naturally and ensuring that my work resonates on a deeper level. Storytelling also helps fuel my creativity, making each project a unique experience.
Conclusion
Storytelling is crucial in the art and design process, often serving as both inspiration and a defining element. The narrative guides the work, offering context and inviting viewers into the artist’s world for a deeper understanding of their work, and the story itself sometimes becomes the muse.
Andrea Worthey is an upper school art teacher at the University School of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AWorthey@USM.org
Art teachers provide a variety of lessons for students to communicate their unique stories and ideas. Young students identify starting-place symbols in various texts before designing their own personalized letter designs; elementary students create a mural based on local food systems after learning about where their food comes from during farmer visits; middle-school students create nine-panel digital collages with symbols representing their likes and interests; and high-school students learn how cellphones and comic books can be powerful tools for visual communication.
