Thoughts on baby drawing
King James Bible, Psalms 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength"
King Jim Thompson Bible, Psalms 1:0 "Out of the photographs of babies and sucklings hast thou created a challenge in drawing that might turn out shitty"
With this wisdom from the KING JIMDRAW BIBLE I try to express what a major pain it is to draw very small children. Due to their youth and undeveloped facial features they can be incredibly difficult to draw. Not so much difficult to draw in the sense of technical skill but in terms of shear boredom.
What exactly can you draw? It is like attempting to draw a ball of dough. There is nothing there, the eyes are closed, the hair is often not there and facial features largely undefined.
With that in mind I have always struggled to draw them when I am asked to. What i ended up doing with them is to go straight into the subtle epidermal layers to find something to draw so I don't fall asleep. This is only possible if you learn how and when to use a HB, H, H2, H4, H5, 2B, 3B, 5B and just maybe a 6B pencil in conjunction with one another. Then you can get something approaching a real representation of human skin.
Perhaps I over did it in this drawing that I did back in 2005. The kid is my niece Lily who is now approaching 13 years old and she now actually has a face to draw. In this one perhaps I have inadvertently given her a skin condition.
So, artists beware, drawing babies is boring, so find some way to make it creatively interesting or have the life sucked right out of you as you fall into a baby drawing induced slumber.
I always make babies look like Danny Devito for some reason.
A lot of babies look like Danny Devito I guess.
Oh, Frank. That episode was almost dangerous it was so funny.
He has a head like an orange. Tis' a strange man that stopped growing, aged 8.
Danny...I always go in my mind One flew over a Cuckoo nest... nurse ratchet didn't really know how to take care of baby divito:(
Yep, they're all a ball of goo till about six months, coming into this world rather generic and boring. I know this and yet...
I'll take a thousand pictures of my gooball😄
I wouldn't ask any one to whip out an H6 for her though, she doesn't have a feature to justify it. Your pic looks awesome, but I'm sure your 13 year old niece can't recognize herself in that baby.
She totally has Danny Devito face there! See I told you @jimdraw JUST look at them side by side
my god
Well, 1. Baby has hair, Win. 2. Baby is being expressive, double win. 3. Baby with father creates additional interest, a sort of life affirming type motif, triple win. I can also draw the beard and everything. However, you need dramatic lighting for a good contrasty drawing. 4. Command that baby to grow up immediately! Portraiture awaits.
I keep telling her to be three and grow a personality.😂
Fine shading and perspective, that baby is so expressive...it seems you caught it all.
To me it's still beautiful as all baby's are...
And that precious new baby smell...of course after the diaper has been renewed;))
lovely piece.
Thank you. Not sure about the baby smells, i can just about tolerate my own stench. I am also fully toilet trained since 1982, always proud of that one.