I started class by offering Alexandra some butterfly coloring activities as a warmup. Alexandra wanted to write a funny message for her mom, spelling out “Ax Exl Alexa.” We practiced proper spelling of her name and then moved on to more butterfly coloring. We practiced drawing a cat. I suggested a break to visit the baby chicks in the classroom next door.

Teddy continued work on his jewelry box today and made strong progress. In addition to the box, he creatively sculpted a small keychain out of clay, which showed great initiative and imagination.

When I arrived to class today, Cam was patient and ready to start. We reviewed a walk cycle scene from 101 Dalmatians and discussed how weight shifts make animation feel grounded. I gave a demo on walk cycles and showed him how to enable animation tools in Procreate. His assignment is to replicate the walk cycle from The Animator's Survival Kit. He’s excited to try this next step.

PJ was in a good mood and made continued progress on his horror-themed Blue’s Clues project. He decided to draw Blue as Saw. I first let him attempt it independently then guided him to break the design into basic shapes. His second version was much more on-model and closer to the original character while still maintaining his stylistic twist.

Colson was tired today but still productive. He is working on a Super Mario-style self-portrait and decided to trace the entire image as his approach for this assignment, which I allowed. He’s using confident lineweights and I did a quick drawover to help him adjust the facial features to better resemble himself.

Lucas expressed disbelief that he’s actually nearing the finish line on his colored pencil assignment. The piece is looking excellent. His hard work is clearly paying off. It is incredibly rewarding as a teacher to see how proud he is of the work that he is creating in class.

Cam shared that he got certified to keep crocodiles and brought Tootie the Tortoise to class today. We reviewed how to draw a centerline to anchor animal anatomy. He completed his first crocodile sketch and began a second in a new pose without using reference. He also finished his full-page animal drawing assignment with a dog and cat. At the end of class, I let him free sketch funny cartoon faces. Cam expressed interest in starting an animation project so next class we will begin learning the basics of animating a walk cycle.

Colson reported having a good weekend and said his mom appreciated the Mother’s Day card he made. He focused well today and completed his South Park-style self-portrait. With time left for just one more cartoon portrait this semester, he selected the Super Mario style. I broke down the shapes and proportions of Mario and gave him a quick demo before he began. I allowed him to leave two minutes early at the end of class.

Lucas was in a good mood and continued work on his colored pencil piece. He’s now in a solid rhythm- he understands the assignment fully and is steadily powering through. No additional guidance needed at this time.

PJ returned from a Mother's Day weekend trip to Orlando. He continued his Blue’s Clues x HP Lovecraft crossover project, sketching a horror-style logo on paper using the “scariest font possible.” I showed fashion images from Kazakhstan Fashion Week for visual inspiration.