Students taking the spring elective, comic book making, had a special creative opportunity when Summit alumna Elisa Stanis ’16, a professional comic artist and 2D animator, returned to campus for an engaging hands-on workshop. Stanis led students through a full tutorial on comic character creation, drawing techniques and artistic strategies, offering both inspiration and practical skills.
As part of the session, students selected their favorite comic characters to practice drawing. After a lively round of nominations, two characters were chosen as the day’s focus: SpongeBob SquarePants and Naruto. Students worked through the steps of shaping expressions, constructing poses and refining details while Stanis provided real-time instruction and feedback.
The visit came at the perfect moment. Grade 7 and 8 artists in this elective program are just beginning a biography project on notable comic creators, and the chance to learn from a practicing professional enriched their understanding of the creative process. Stanis also shared insights into her own artistic journey—from her days at Summit to earning a BFA in Animation at DePaul University, with a concentration in storyboarding and character design and minors in illustration and drawing.
As a visual artist, Stanis encouraged students to keep exploring their artistic interests. Her visit highlighted the powerful impact of Summit alumni returning to share their expertise, creativity and passion with the next generation of artists.