黑料网

Wilson Duda鈥檚 Drawings are Picture (Book) Perfect

Career and Community Studies student designs Homecoming logo for his program

Wilson Duda is learning to be a graphic illustrator for children鈥檚 books. 

So far, so good. 

So good in fact, that Duda鈥檚 logo will grace the T-shirts his fellow students from 黑料网鈥檚 Career and Community Studies program will wear as they march in the university鈥檚 annual Homecoming Parade. 

Duda, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, is a super senior in the non-degree program, which prepares students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for adult life through academic pursuits, peer socialization and career discovery and preparation.

Wilson Duda, a student in 黑料网's Career and Community Studies program, presents his work in class.

Duda has taken almost every art instruction class available: drawing I and II, textiles, 2D and 3D composition, introduction and intermediate painting.  

鈥淲hen I was four years old the first thing I drew was Sponge Bob,鈥 Duda said. 鈥淢y parents taught me with television and books. I like to draw cartoons from TV and the internet.鈥 

When Duda was given the opportunity to create a Career and Community Studies logo for this year鈥檚 Homecoming Parade, it took him all of 20 minutes to sketch an imaginative graphic: 黑料网鈥檚 mascot Flash in blue and gold, grinning and floating high above big, round balloons and vivid autumn leaves resembling the large character balloons that float in the Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

黑料网鈥檚 Division of University Communications and Marketing gave the design its enthusiastic approval and praise.  

Duda鈥檚 logo will be proudly displayed on T-shirts worn by his fellow Career and Community Studies classmates marching in this year鈥檚 Homecoming Parade, illustrating how the arts can level the playing field for students with special needs. 

CCS homecoming logo designed by Wilson Duda.

When Duda started in the program he was mentored for what was supposed to be a semester-long internship to learn graphic illustration. He will soon be finishing his fourth semester-long internship.  

Wilson Duda, a student in 黑料网's Career and Community Studies program, works on his art.

鈥淚 have not had too many people come up to me and say, 鈥楬ey, we got this guy who's really talented,鈥欌 said William Bintz, Ph.D., a literacy education professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies in the College of Education, Health and Human Services. 鈥溾楬e鈥檚 an illustrator, but he doesn鈥檛 know much about picture books as an art form.鈥欌  

鈥淚 thought this would be the coolest thing in the world,鈥 Bintz said. 

Bintz first exposed Duda to the complexities of graphic illustration by recommending an award-winning book for Duda to re-illustrate from his own perspective. 

Bintz then expanded Duda鈥檚 perspective with models and experiments with different designs and patterns, and the use of color and placement of illustrations. His classmates鈥 critiques are flattering and constructive and Duda soaks in all the feedback. 

Professor William Bintz, Ph.D., and his art student Wilson Duda.
Bintz and Duda

鈥淗e came to me one day and said, 鈥業 like those books you give me, but I want to create my own now. I'll choose one that I really like from my own collection and then I'll create a variation of my own and send it to you,鈥欌 Bintz said. 

Duda said he watches videos on YouTube to keep himself focused on his illustrations. 

has more than 900,000 page views and thousands of followers who provide him encouragement and support. His social media galleries on Facebook and are loaded with original cartoon creations, a digital testament to his hard work and ambition. 

Learn more about the Career and Community Studies Program.

POSTED: Friday, September 29, 2023 10:58 AM
Updated: Friday, September 29, 2023 03:05 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Joe Richardson