Sankofa Animation Network Podcast

Alicia Dianne
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Visual Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Envisioning a world where Black and Brown stories are preserved, celebrated, and reimagined through animation and the arts.

  1. 22h ago

    Ep. 19 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 6 Topic: Where Does Your Story Live? An Introduction to World-Building | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter! Join the Campaign! ⁠⁠https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists⁠⁠  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Your characters are starting to take shape—but where do they live, work, dream, and face their biggest challenges? In Week 6 of Sketch to Story, we’re stepping beyond the character sheet and into the world around them with an introduction to world-building. A great story world is more than just a pretty background. The places your characters inhabit can reveal their culture, history, values, struggles, and dreams. From bustling cities and quiet neighborhoods to magical kingdoms and imagined futures, every environment has the potential to influence the people who live there—and the stories they tell. In this workshop, we’ll explore the foundations of world-building and begin asking important questions about the settings we create. What does your character’s home look like? What kind of community surrounds them? What details make their world feel familiar, strange, beautiful, dangerous, or completely unique? Whether your story takes place in a real-world neighborhood, a historical setting, a futuristic city, or a completely imagined universe, this workshop will help you start building a world that feels connected to the characters who live in it. Grab your sketchbook or tablet and join us as we explore the question at the heart of every great story world: Where does your story live? 🌎✏️✨

  2. Aug 12

    Ep. 18 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 5 Topic: Designing Your Antagonist | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter! Join the Campaign! ⁠https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists⁠  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Every great protagonist needs a challenge—and sometimes that challenge comes in the form of a character who is determined to stand in their way. In Week 5 of Sketch to Story, we'll turn our attention to one of the most important characters in storytelling: the antagonist. We'll look at popular antagonists from film and explore what makes them memorable, intimidating, funny, sympathetic, or downright unforgettable. More importantly, we'll move beyond the idea that every antagonist has to be a traditional “villain.” An antagonist can be a rival, authority figure, opposing force, former friend, or anyone whose goals directly conflict with the protagonist's journey. Through discussion and live sketching exercises, you'll begin developing a custom antagonist for your own story, considering their personality, visual design, motivations, relationship to the protagonist, and the conflict they create. In this workshop you'll explore: Popular antagonist types and examples from film and animationHow an antagonist's goals should challenge the protagonistCreating visual contrast between hero and antagonistUsing expression, costume, and posture to communicate personalityWhy a compelling antagonist needs motivation—not just “because they're evil”How to design an antagonist who makes your protagonist's journey more difficult, meaningful, and entertaining ✏️ Creative Challenge: By the end of the session, you'll have the beginnings of an original antagonist designed specifically for your own story. Bring your sketchbook or tablet and get ready to create the character your protagonist is going to love to hate. 😈 Let's keep turning sketches into stories—one character at a time.

  3. Aug 6

    Ep. 17 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 4 Topic: Designing Your Cast – The Power of Sidekick Characters | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter!: ⁠https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists⁠  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Every memorable hero has someone who helps shape their journey. Whether they're the comic relief, the voice of reason, the loyal companion, or the reluctant skeptic, sidekick characters often become some of the most beloved personalities in a story. In Week 4 of Sketch to Story, we'll explore how supporting characters strengthen a protagonist, raise the stakes, and bring depth, humor, and heart to the narrative. Through guided discussion and live sketching exercises, we'll design a variety of secondary characters while examining the roles they play in storytelling. We'll look at examples from animation to see how great sidekicks challenge, encourage, or complicate the hero's journey—and why no great protagonist should have to carry the story alone. In this workshop you'll learn: Why sidekick characters are essential to compelling storytellingPopular sidekick archetypes, including:How supporting characters reveal different sides of the protagonistDesigning sidekicks with distinct personalities, silhouettes, and visual appealSketching exercises focused on creating memorable supporting castsWhether you're building an animated series, graphic novel, comic, or children's book, this workshop will help you move beyond a single protagonist and create a cast of characters that feels dynamic, balanced, and unforgettable. Grab your sketchbook or tablet and join us as we continue turning sketches into stories—one character at a time.

  4. Jul 29

    Ep. 16 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 3 Topic: Designing Your Protagonist – How Audience Shapes Character Age | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter!: ⁠https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists⁠  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Who is your story really for? One of the first decisions every storyteller makes—whether they realize it or not—is choosing an audience. In this week's Sketch to Story: VIP Drawing Workshop, we'll explore how the age of your protagonist often reflects the age and experiences of the audience you're hoping to reach. Through guided discussion and live sketching exercises, we'll draw models from different age groups—from young children and teens to adults and elders—and examine how age influences character design, personality, conflict, and the kinds of stories audiences connect with. We'll also look at examples from animation, graphic novels, and film to understand why so many coming-of-age stories feature young protagonists, while other genres naturally lend themselves to older heroes. In this workshop you'll learn: Why a protagonist's age is one of the strongest clues to a story's intended audienceHow different age groups influence character design, proportions, and expressionHow life stage shapes goals, conflicts, and character growthTips for choosing a protagonist that best serves your storySketching exercises featuring characters across multiple age groupsWhether you're creating a children's book, graphic novel, animated film, or original comic, understanding the relationship between audience and protagonist will help you design characters that resonate more deeply with the readers and viewers you hope to inspire. Grab your sketchbook or tablet and join us as we continue turning sketches into stories—one character at a time.

  5. Jul 23

    Ep. 15 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 2 Topic: Finding Inspiration Through Genre | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter!: ⁠https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists⁠  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Where do great story ideas come from? This week in Sketch to Story: VIP Drawing Workshop, we continue our exploration of inspiration by looking at one of storytelling's most powerful creative tools: genre. Together we'll discuss how genres shape the stories we tell, influence character design, and inspire the worlds we create. Through guided drawing exercises, we'll explore the visual language of thriller, coming-of-age, and fantasy, discovering how each genre evokes different emotions, themes, and artistic choices. Whether you're developing a graphic novel, animated film, children's book, or simply looking to strengthen your visual storytelling, this session will help you see familiar genres with fresh eyes and generate new ideas for your own creative projects. In this workshop you'll learn: How genre can become a powerful source of inspirationVisual cues that define thriller, coming-of-age, and fantasy storiesWays to communicate mood and emotion through character designTechniques for brainstorming original story concepts through drawingPractical sketching exercises to expand your creative thinkingGrab your sketchbook or tablet and join us for another encouraging session of drawing, discussion, and creative exploration. Let's discover how studying the masters can inspire stories that are uniquely your own.

  6. Jul 11

    Ep. 14 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshop – Week 1 Topic: Finding Inspiration – Folklore & Nature | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Sketch to Story: Creative Writing for Visual Artists is now on Kickstarter!: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists  Please SUBSCRIBE & Rate for more great content! Where do your best story ideas come from? Sometimes inspiration isn't found by staring at a blank page—it's found by looking around us, listening to the stories passed down through generations, and paying attention to the world we're already living in. In Week 1 of Sketch to Story, we'll explore two rich sources of creative inspiration: folklore and nature. We'll discuss how traditional stories, cultural legends, myths, animals, plants, landscapes, and natural phenomena can spark original characters, worlds, and story ideas. We'll also look at how artists and storytellers can draw inspiration from these sources while developing ideas that feel personal and original. Through guided discussion and live sketching exercises, we'll explore how a simple observation—a strange-looking animal, an interesting plant, an old folktale, or even the shape of a landscape—can become the starting point for an entire story. In this workshop you'll explore: How folklore can inspire characters, themes, and story worldsFinding story ideas in animals, plants, landscapes, and natural phenomenaTurning observations into visual concepts and character designsUsing cultural and historical inspiration thoughtfully and creativelyCombining different sources of inspiration to create something uniquely your ownSketching exercises designed to help you generate original story ideas Whether you're developing a graphic novel, animated film, comic, children's book, or simply looking for your next creative spark, this workshop will help you look at the world around you with fresh eyes. Grab your sketchbook or tablet and join us as we begin our Sketch to Story journey—starting with the inspiration that's been around us all along. 🌿✏️ Let’s find the story hiding in the world around us. Join the Drawing Workshop!: https://www.meetup.com/sankofa-animation-network/events/315559953/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

  7. Jun 28

    Ep. 13 - All About Jaydi's Story | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Be sure to like this episode & SUBSCRIBE for more great content! There's only a limited time & space available to join for FREE workshops during the KickStarter campaign for Sketch to Story:Creative Writing for Visual Artists! Join me HERE!: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOacXe1eevp7errFEZi5Y7ha7sO3EMZvNe6lKafTBlyhYNWA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=101613106762086632253 Follow out Kickstarter campaign and get Sketch to Story at the LOWEST price with perks by being a Backer!!! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aliciadianneart/sketch-to-story-creative-writing-for-visual-artists

  8. Jun 10

    Ep. 12 - 5 Ways to Draw Stories from Your Experiences | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    Ever struggle with the blank page for story ideas? You may have a character and even a setting but you don't know what to make happen? This is the episide for you! I'm sharing 5 hacks to get you going with ideas from your own life experiences! No uncomfortable vulnerability or exposure required!

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Envisioning a world where Black and Brown stories are preserved, celebrated, and reimagined through animation and the arts.

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