The OCC Fashion course Design in Everyday Life, taught by plush toy designer Shane Geil, had the awesome opportunity to meet and start a character development project with the one and only Paul Frank, a former OCC student and great supporter of the OCC Fashion department. Paul frequently creates his own prototypes of characters by wadding up newspaper into shapes and covering them in masking tape. This quick and inexpensive method brings life to the characters that he sketches.
The assignment was to create an animal head that will eventually be painted and mounted on a wooden board like an old style hunting trophy. Some of the animals chosen included a few elephants, a flamingo, a polar bear and even a koi fish. The class was buzzing with excitement and creativity as Paul walked around and gave advice and ideas.
To learn the creative process used by one of Orange County's most successful designers was an amazing experience. It was an encouraging reminder that designing what is in your heart can be manifested with such simple tools. As a student in the class I am excited to see how mine turns out! This was just one of the many once in a lifetime opportunities given to the creative students in the fashion program here at Orange Coast College.
- Megan Fisher
