"I give a quick history lesson of cartooning because it's important for kids to know cartooning is not just fun kids stuff, it has actually been very important to our history as well as our future," Martinez explains. "I like to show that cartooning can be a very effective way to communicate despite language barriers, cultural divides, or sometimes even misunderstandings with friends or parents."
Martinez instructed kids 12 and under (with quite a few older kids and parents joining in on the fun) how to draw Yoda, giving his eager students a few tips and tricks.
"One reason I chose to draw Yoda is because he has always been one of my favorite characters," Martinez admits. "Judging by the reaction I get from kids when they find out we are drawing Yoda, it seems he is definitely a fan favorite too. Yoda's face is filled with character, which is very important to my lesson. While he seems very hard to draw at first (with all of his wrinkles and bumps) my lessons shows that his face is actually quite easy and made up of simple shapes."
After the panel finished and young artists took their favorite sketches with them, and Martinez reminded the young artists to keep practicing what they learned, to visit the Learn to Draw section here on starwars.com and to continue drawing their favorite characters at home.
"One of the great things about art is your art belongs to you," Martinez says. "As long as you paint or draw what comes from your heart, you can never paint or draw something wrong. I think the most important keys to being an artist are to keep an open mind, challenge yourself often, and create what you love."
