In the Studio with Sirron Norris

Murals by Sirron Norris can be found throughout San Francisco. Whether inside of restaurants, on roll-up doors of local businesses, or on the walls of The City’s famed Balmy Alley, his cartoon-style artwork is instantly recognizable and loved by children of all ages. Check out his interview:

Sirron is a teaching artist working in several local schools, and he also teaches digital arts at the Bay Area Video Coalition, and drawing classes in his Mission District studio and gallery. We stopped by his space to uncover his inspirations and learn how to draw our own cartoons! Here are two drawing demos where he shows how to draw happy, sad, and mad faces (first video) and various face perspectives (second video).

In your classroom, cartooning can be used to illustrate concepts and historical events. The possibilities are endless, and students should feel empowered to develop their own visual aesthetic and dynamic characters, as well as narrative stories and dialogue. Introduce your young artists to Sirron Norris and his work to inspire future projects. Follow-up with cartooning activities from our Educator Guide, as well as discussion and writing prompts about the role of political cartoons.

Share your feedback about how you’ve used cartooning as a creative tool in your classroom–leave a comment or links to photos of student artwork below. To learn more about Sirron Norris and find information about visiting his studio, check out his web site: www.sirronnorris.com