Learning story
How one hand drawing became a picture book
Across eight Fridays, five university student artists with developmental disabilities turned their own drawings and words into five student-originated picture books. The complete exhibition contains eight books.
1
Every project started with a hand drawing
The first drawings are the artists’ unretouched starting points. They were not a test of drawing skill.
2
Why this class
The program was designed to expand ways of expression and creative practice through generative-AI-assisted art making. It does not claim that one project proves a particular outcome.
3
Hand drawing to character
Students chose how their drawings changed, one decision at a time: color, expression, background, and visual style.
4
Writing the story
AI was asked to interview, not to write a story in place of anyone. Each artist answered questions about a protagonist, a wish, a difficulty, and a resolution.
5
Scenes, movement, and music
Artists combined a background and character into scenes, made short moving images, and created theme music. These were AI-assisted production steps guided by the artists’ choices.
6
What we keep
The meaningful record is not only the finished books: it is the practice of choosing, putting feelings into words, and carrying a work through to completion.