“What is time?”

So, whilst walking to school on Friday, trying to get there on time, unflustered, not too cold, without stepping on dog poo, dropping anything, forgetting anything or having any major tantrums, whilst simultaneously answering questions such as “Mummy what is time?”, “Why do we get older?”, or “what is for school dinners today?” Alex suddenly stops and says “I’m wearing Sam’s shoe”, and he was – they both had one shoe of each others’. Sam probably would have worn them all day….

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Inspired a little by ‘DoodleMum’, I have drawn a scene from ‘my life as a mum’. My two boys are only 16 months apart in age, and many friends have told me that I should draw some of the scenes from (the wreck of) my life, one even suggesting a title: ‘two under two’. Although now they’re both at school aged 5 and 6, I will need to think of a new title.

I think there are some unique aspects of life with two boys so close in age… so, there could be more.

Now, as this is a blog which is really detailing my creative process and my development on the road to being the best illustrator that I can be (and with a little luck, being published!)… I will add the process of working out the drawing:

I can’t be entirely happy with my drawing unless the figures are correct anatomically… and it’s hard to keep the line ‘fresh’ and ‘lively’ if that is laboured over. I am pleased with this though, because I like the line drawn with a dip-pen as it adds an element of randomness and takes away a little control (line is thick when the nib is full of ink and then gets thinner as it runs out). And because it is drawn entirely from my imagination – which, in case you are not aware of this fact – is proper difficult! But I really enjoy the challenge of doing this. It’s frustrating when it doesn’t work, especially if you then realise you have to draw it all over again because you haven’t chosen the best layout, composition or expression. Or you decide on a position change for one of the characters, so they ‘tell’ the story better.

I think it could still do with being a bit more ‘alive’ and perhaps that may come with the process of colouring or simply from practising a lighter, looser line.

It is something that I think Doodlemum does really well.

It needs some colour and so that is on it’s way, that’s my next job. It’s something I have not been great at in the past, so I will try a few different ideas and then upload them here. I’d be grateful for opinions when I do.