Art club - Drawings and Dragons

Like the original game, Drawings and Dragons is based on two main figures: 

• the players 

• the Dungeon Master 

Every player can create and play an imaginary character and live incredible pen and paper adventures in a fantastic world, designed and guided by the Dungeon Master. 

The game is entirely based on the imagination and the descriptive skills of the participants: it is indeed an interactive story that comes to life thanks to a constant dialogue between the Dungeon Master and the players. 

The Dungeon Master is an omniscient narrator who impersonates all of the NPCs (Non Playable Characters, which means all the characters outside the ones created by the players) and describes the setting and the events in response to the actions and choices of the players.  

In order to make the game more realistic and exciting, players must roll a dice to determine the efficacy of their action; this introduces factors such as chance, luck and misfortune and adds an internal consistency in what is achievable in the game. 

Each player has his/her own character sheet, which helps him/her to visualise better his/her character. 

On this character sheet, in fact, it is possible to see all the information about the character: from his/her name or age to what kind of equipment he/she is wearing or carrying in his/her backpack. 

The children can also create their own personal diary, called The Traveller's Diary, in which they can report the information considered useful or exciting or significant. 

There is no indication on how to collect this information, each child is free to draw or write or to use the language he or she considers most comfortable and appropriate. 

Drawings and Dragons is mainly divided into two parts: 

• Dice and Dungeon: it is organized like a normal Dungeons and Dragons session, in which the Dungeon Master tells the players an interactive story, in which the children can make decisions, improvise solutions, improve their characters, interact with the group and complete their missions. 

• Draw and Design: it is a moment in which the children can recreate the most exciting moments of their adventures through sculpture, drawing, paint, videomaking, poetry and other artistic languages.  

An optimal lesson lasts 1h30m and it is divided depending on the children’s necessities, wishes and energies.  

DAY 1
Creation of the character 

DAY 2
Theoretical introduction  

DAY 3
Tutorial mission 

1. If children clearly understood how to play:               

DAY 4
The campaign starts 

2.  If children did not understand how to play: 

DAY 4
The tutorial goes on until they feel confident 

DAY 28
Exhibition of all the Traveller’s Diaries and the Arts and Crafts created along the journey. 

SIMONE CORDIANO

Art is the medium through which I investigate and express those shades of life that escape words.  

Like many others, I began by daubing the walls and the tables at home with gouache, when I was too young to speak. Thanks to my family, who has always supported me (and tolerated me!), my primary school and high school teachers, I have had the opportunity, space and time to practice traditional and experimental techniques and to discover the work of numerous artists. After completing my studies at the Bruno Munari art school in Crema, I enrolled in the Painting School at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Here, a part from perspective, proportions, still-life drawing, watercolour, acrylic and oil painting, I had the chance to know, experience and deepen my knowledge about photography, sculpture and chalcography. I graduated in 2019 with honours, discussing a thesis entitled "Sull’importanza del gioco e del giocare” (“On the importance of play and playfulness"). Although my interest in education and art pedagogy was already evident, it was my first experience as an educator that has completely conquered me: after working for one year at ICS International School as a specialist teacher of art and design for primary classes, I enrolled in the Master of Art Education at the Academy of Fine Arts of Lisbon, still in progress. At the same time, I am happily carrying on with my work as a teacher of art and design, always at ICS International School, for the 3 and 4 years old children of Early Years.