A reflective post for the first day of the New Year…
Five years ago, when I started sketching, I tried drawing my daughter. She was so (rightly) appalled by the result (I’d turned her into a wizened elf) that I was effectively banned from drawing her! Over time she relented, and I’ve been able to do the odd sketch when she’s reading or watching TV. The full set of these drawings captures my improvement as a daily sketcher, the various techniques I’ve been using, and her growth over the last five years.
Here’s the original offending drawing, in scratchy scratchy fine liner, and a recent one in juicy dip-pen. (I’ve learned that ‘less is more’ when it comes to sketching faces as the slightest line carries a huge significance, and our brains are experts at filling in the absent details.) She’s sat on the same sofa, but has moved from watching TV to checking her phone…
Here are the other ones from the last few years, in no particular order…
Meanwhile she’s been drawing me… These have been done from life at two-yearly intervals and are even more effective at capturing improvement and progress over time. They’re in chronological order, starting when she was six, and the last one was done this week as a Christmas present for me (this time it was me watching the TV). I think they’re all wonderful, but the latest one is particularly fine, I’m very proud of her!
Mostly drawing 
Such a great post Ed.Your daughter is obviously following in her father’s footsteps! Happy New Year, and Happy Sketching!
Thanks Jules
You had a bit more hair when she was 6? 🙂 These are all delightful, at every stage. Bravo to both of you!
– Tina
Ha! It was just better distributed…
You got rid of the _like_ button? When did that happen … but I understand … I think …
Lovely sketches of your daughter, I especially like the foreshortened gestural studies, where she is reading. Lovely.
Not sure why you can’t see the ‘like’ button, 8 other bloggers have liked this one so far? Mind you, it’s not visible when in the comments section. Hmm, beats me. Thanks for the feedback, the foreshortened ones were faster and looser and in pencil, me circling her as she lay on the ground while resting on a long walk!
Found it!
What a lovely post; you have developed so much, both of you! 😊
Thanks Viktoria, the product of regular drawing, although she almost never draws from life!