The first in a possible series of ‘How You think Life will be before you have Kids’ vs ‘How Life Actually is With Kids’.
Consider Micheal Mcintyre….. (You Tube clip – trying to leave the house with kids).
I had this idea a while back and haven’t had enough time to develop the drawings – these are still roughs, but I wanted to get them up here and gauge people’s response. Not just to the drawing (there some aspects I like, some that make me cringe a little and need work) but maybe also to some of the techniques and also, of course, to the idea itself.
Bloke with washing (see how I am not sexist!) is not really one-legged. He has a badly drawn ‘behind’ right leg.. and his top-body doesn’t really match his bottom half, and boy has a terrifying alien face… needs work!!
My favourite drawing is the ‘What walking to school is really like’ one. I’d like to maintain that technique, however I find it surprisingly hard to be consistent in this way.
I’ve experimented a bit with tone, line – as you can see. But still the thing that I don’t like is the ‘awkwardness’ of the figures. I like the figures to be accurate, which takes a fair bit of drawing – but still also look quick, quirky, a bit ‘clunky’ and 3D – aspects which are contradictory…
I’ve also planned a beach one – but that is only at a really rough stage.
So – any suggestions for subject matter? Ideas, expectations and realities of parenting for you? Preferences of ‘style’ (bad word on my MA)….. Please leave a comment, I am interested to hear what you think. Did they make you laugh? Do you recognise this experience??
Natalie Eldred 
Absolutely a great idea. Lots of material to mine. Mealtime is certainly a place where expectations and reality turned out to be worlds apart. I look forward to following the series.
Oh yes! Definitely – do you recall a time when you just could not even finish a cup of coffee? It’s getting easier now that they’ve grown up a bit, but yes – indigestion – a familiar foe.