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. 1d ago

    Ep. 24 - Master Drawing the Face – Week 2: Muscles & Structure | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    👍🏽 Please SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHARE for more great content! ✨ Social Media: @sankofaanimation & @aliciadianneart Watch on Youtube: ⁠youtube.com/@AliciaDianneArt⁠ Website: ⁠https://⁠⁠www.aliciadianne.com⁠ Drawing References: Sketch Fab: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/colourcoded-head-muscle-chart-8c1bcc3685cd40b3bd6b42e0445522a5Sketch Fab: https://sketchfab.com/ Now that we’ve studied the skull, it’s time to build the face on top of it! ✏️ In Week 2 of Master Drawing the Face, we’ll explore the basic muscles and forms that shape the human face. You don’t need to memorize complicated anatomy—instead, we’ll focus on what artists actually need to understand to make faces feel solid, expressive, and believable. We’ll look at how the muscles affect the surface of the face, how they connect to the underlying skull, and how changes in muscle structure can influence expressions and facial features. We’ll also study Elizabeth Catlett’s powerful figurative work and look at how she captured the strength, structure, and her incredible journey as an arts activist! In this workshop, we’ll explore: The major facial muscles artists should knowHow muscles sit over the skullHow facial structure affects the way we draw formsHow muscle structure contributes to facial expressionsWhat we can learn from Elizabeth Catlett’s approach to the human face🎨 Weekly Challenge: Pick a face sculpture of your choice by a professional artistDraw the face on one layerOn a second layer draw muscle over it (traditional or digitalShare with the hastag: #SANKOFAFACEWORSKOP I can't wait to see what you create!

  2. Oct 1

    Ep. 23 - Master Drawing the Face – Week 1: The Skull & Jean-Michel Basquiat | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    👍🏽 Please SUBSCRIBE, LIKE & SHARE for more great content! ✨ Social Media: @sankofaanimation & @aliciadianneart Watch on Youtube: youtube.com/@AliciaDianneArt Website: https://www.aliciadianne.com Drawing References: ArtStation (Manuel Cadeño)SketchFab (model by HEC)Music: Incompetech We’re kicking off our new Master Drawing the Face workshop series by going back to the foundation of the face: the skull! 💀✏️ Before we start drawing eyes, noses, and mouths, we need to understand the basic shape underneath them. This week, we’ll study the skull in a simple, artist-friendly way and explore how its structure helps us create more believable faces from different angles and perspectives. We’ll also take inspiration from the powerful and expressive skull imagery of Jean-Michel Basquiat, looking at how he used skulls, faces, symbols, lines, and bold visual marks to communicate emotion and ideas. We’ll study what we can learn from his approach to simplifying and exaggerating the human skull. In this workshop, we’ll explore: The basic shapes and structure of the skullHow the skull affects the shape of the faceDrawing the skull from different anglesJean-Michel Basquiat’s skull paintings and drawingsUsing the skull as a foundation for future portrait drawing Weekly Challenge: Look up "Day of the Dead Wood Block Print" on Pinterest or other search platformDraw 10 different skulls of varying designsShare your work with the hashtag: #SankofaFaceWorkshop

  3. Sep 16

    Ep. 22 - Behind the Animation: Pose2Pose’s “The Fire” — A Goofus & Abby Short | Creator Conversation with Pose2Pose

    👍🏽✨ Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, Rate our channel, and Share with a friend for more great content!! ✨ What does it take to create an animated film from the ground up? 🎬 In this episode of the Sankofa Animation Network podcast, I sit down with the team behind Pose2Pose Animation Studio to talk about their very first animated project, The Fire—a short featuring their original characters, Goofus and Abby. We’ll go behind the scenes of the project and hear how the Pose2Pose team came together, where the idea for The Fire began, and what it was like bringing their characters to life through hand-drawn 2D animation. We’ll also talk about their love for classic animation, the creative decisions behind the short, and the challenges and lessons that come with producing an independent animated project. Whether you’re an aspiring animator, animation student, or simply love seeing artists create their own opportunities, this conversation offers a look at what can happen when a group of creatives decides to stop waiting for the “perfect opportunity” and start making something of their own. ✏️ In this episode, we’ll explore: The story behind Pose2Pose Animation StudioHow The Fire came to lifeDeveloping Goofus & AbbyThe team’s approach to 2D animationInspirations from classic animationChallenges of creating an independent animated shortLessons learned from their first projectWhat’s next for Pose2Pose and Goofus & Abby 🎬 Watch "The Fire" here: https://youtu.be/cGE6qruFpyM?si=lYjzW5_Fkxsw4Pfl

  4. Sep 2

    Ep. 21 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshops - Week 8 Topic: The WHY of Your Story - Moral & Theme | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    ✨ Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE for more great content!!! A great story can entertain us, make us laugh or cry, and take us somewhere completely new—but the stories that stay with us often leave us with something to think about. In Week 8 of Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshops, we're exploring the moral or "theme" - discovering what your story is really trying to say.Your theme is the deeper idea or truth underneath the events of your story. It might explore identity, courage, friendship, faith, family, freedom, belonging, love, or overcoming adversity - giving your audience a lesson, insight, or question they can carry with them after the story ends.We'll explore how themes naturally emerge from a character's journey and how you can use them to give your story greater meaning without making it feel preachy or forced. We'll also look at memorable examples from animated shorts and discuss how their underlying messages influence the characters, conflicts, and choices we see on screen.In this workshop, we'll explore: How to identify the deeper meaning behind your storyCommon themes found in animationHow a protagonist's journey can communicate a larger truthUsing character choices and story events to reinforce your themeHow personal experiences and beliefs can inspire meaningful themesTurning a big idea into a clear story message✏️ Creative Challenge: This week's challenge will help you dig deeper into your values and notice how your current work may already be reflecting those truthsYour story doesn't have to tell people what to think. Sometimes the most powerful stories simply invite us to see something differently.Grab your sketchbook, your story notes, and maybe a little quiet time to reflect. This week, we're going beyond what happens in your story and asking the bigger question:Why does this story need to be told? 💕✨

  5. Aug 27

    Ep. 20 - Sketch to Story VIP Drawing Workshops - Week 7 Topic: Rules of Your World: Creating Laws for Your Universe | Studio Session with Alicia Dianne

    ✨ Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE for more great content!!! A world becomes truly interesting when it has rules. In Week 7 of Sketch to Story, we’re taking our world-building a step further by exploring the laws, limitations, and systems that make your fictional universe work. Whether you're creating a fantasy kingdom, a futuristic society, a supernatural world, or a story grounded in reality, your audience needs to understand—the importance between what is possible and what isn't. Your world’s rules can shape your characters’ choices, create conflict, and even become the source of your story’s biggest surprises. In this workshop, we'll explore how to establish consistent physical, technological, and magical rules for your story world. We'll look at how popular films, animation, and other storytelling mediums establish their own rules and use them to create believable and engaging worlds. Why every fictional world needs rulesThe difference between world rules and world-building detailsEstablishing what is possible—and what isn'tCreating rules for magic, technology, science, or supernatural elementsHow limitations create conflict and story opportunitiesKeeping your world consistent without making it predictableSketching visual examples of the mythological creatures✏️ Creative Challenge: Complete a World Rules Reference Worksheet for your Fictional World! Download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yBo5RINGxKg8Md-A_SfYgWYSSuyTb3mE/view?usp=drive_link Grab your sketchbook or tablet and let's keep turning Sketch to Story—one world, one reality, and one creative decision at a time. ✨

  6. Aug 19

    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

    ✨ Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE 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? 🌎✏️✨

  7. Aug 12

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

    ✨ Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE 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.

  8. 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

    ✨ Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & SHARE 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.

See All (25)

Trailer

About

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

Information