XPPen Collaborates with CMU on Course ‘Chinese Mythology and Animation’, Contributing to the Cultivation of Artists and the Communication of Culture

In the spring of 2024, Carnegie Mellon University started a new course “Chinese Mythology and Animation Creation”, aiming at helping students develop research skills in the humanities and enhance their artistic creativity. The course alternated between literary analysis of Chinese storytelling and mythology texts, and a studio session focused on technical skills development and other technology for animation and time-based media development.

To assist the students in the course, XPPen provided 25 pen tablets (Artist Pro 16 Gen 2) along with other XPPen equipment and accessories. XPPen is delighted to become a partner of Carnegie Mellon University and participate in the growth of artists, helping students explore the intersection of art, culture, and technology.

XPPen Strongly Supports Teamwork During Creation

The course “Chinese Mythology and Animation Creation” was team-taught by Professor Johannes DeYoung and Professor Gang Liu. In the class, students were organized into groups for learning and co-working on story writing and animation making. XPPen tablets contributed to an enhanced social format in the classroom, providing a studio-like environment where students could easily share work, while instructors could provide over-the-shoulder feedback and instruction. “XPPen devices created an accessible, level playing field for students coming from a diverse breadth of backgrounds”, said Professor Johannes DeYoung.

XPPen Helps Students Find Inspiration In Chinese Culture

In the course, students delved into Chinese storytelling, freely explored various elements of Chinese mythology traditions, and tried writing their own stories. Based on the story, students finished their final animation, blending Chinese cultural elements with their unique artistic expressions.

Picture from students’ animation “The Four Symbols”

The animation “The Four Symbols” showed students’ imagination of Chinese 4 mythical creatures: Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu.

Picture from students’ animation “Arrows to the Moon”

The animation “Arrows to the Moon” drew inspiration from the ancient legends of “Chang'e Flies to the Moon” and “Houyi Shoots Down the Suns”. It told a story of a dragon facilitating the reunion between the couple Chang'e and Houyi.

Picture from students’ animation “Baize’s Tale”

The animation “Baize’s Tale” portrayed the story of the Chinese mythical creature Baize using the traditional art of shadow play.

XPPen acted as a reliable friend while Students were turning their own stories into animation. “XPPen was useful to have as a secondary tool to support my development process and I enjoyed the screen size to support my graphic displays”, said Stacey Cho, one of the students in the class.

XPPen is delighted to play a pivotal role in fostering cultural exchange, enabling artists to draw inspiration from diverse cultures. Embracing the brand philosophy of “Boundless Inspiration for Authentic Creation,” XPPen remains a steadfast companion for artists, witnessing every spark of inspiration and empowering artists to express themselves freely and without limits.