Unleashed

Elaine had her check up and first vaccination on 15th February. The best news was that her hip/leg bones seem to be properly aligned now so she no longer has the wear the harness. Although the harness bothered me far more than it ever did her. I also took offence to the smiley face on the velcro strap - as if a random smiley face makes the whole thing fun. 

15th February - no more harness!

 I wanted to have at least one picture with Elaine's eyes open so I spent ages last Sunday painstakingly drawing from a photo. I was feeling quite good about it until I came back to it after getting myself a drink and discovered that I'd created a rather sinister portrait of Voldemort-as-Baby. I managed to change the nose so she looks more human now but I'm not happy with it. I think it's good practice to draw from photos/2D media but when I do it, even when the proportions are correct, the subject somehow looks less lifelike. So I think I'll leave Voldemort to the sketchbook. Worryingly, I drew from life the other night and, after a good start, produced an excellent likeness of the Elephant man. In my defence, it was a strange angle with a lot of foreshortening but still...poor baby...she's going to end up with a complex at this rate. However, I saw a documentary on the genius painter Lucian Freud and was comforted to see that his painting 'Baby on a green sofa', although brilliant, also depicted the infant as a minger. (Just google 'Lucian Freud, baby', if you're interested).

Here's a slightly more normal one to finish off on:

Monday 20th February - 4 months old today! She was asleep on my lap so her face was quite squashed up

Let sleeping babies lie

Maybe one day I'll be fast enough to sketch Elaine when she's awake but until then here's the last of the backlog drawings.

31st January

Friday 3rd February Asleep in cot

8th February

Monday 13th February. 15 weeks old.

Baby or miniature George Foreman?

Since I'm still posting with back-dated drawings I have the luxury of editing out the real stinkers (yes, there's worse!) but some have to be posted, just for the 'learning factor' (i.e. comedy value). Here's an example:

21st January 2012

From the neck down I'm fairly satisfied, but what have I done to her head?! She looks like George Foreman...or is it Joe Frazier I'm thinking of?...and she's got a big dent at the back of her head from the many rounds in the ring. Oh, well.

23rd January 2012
Bit more baby-like

Halloween Baby

My due date was 1st November but baby decided enough was enough and made her appearance at 10:52 on Monday 31st October. Doesn't seem like she'll be a procrastinator; from waters breaking until birth was less than 2.5 hours.

Saturday 5th Nov. First ever sketch of baby Elaine! All her clothes were a bit big, hence the apparently empty sleeve.

7th Jan. 2012 She was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and had to wear a harness 24 hours a day to keep her hip joints in the correct position. It didn't seem to bother her fortunately. I've given her a bit of a Star Trek character look here. Bit of a Klingon nose going on.

14th January 2012 Ah, that's a bit better. Sketched while she was sleeping on my lap with her head lolling at a strange angle.

16th Jan. One of the 'old baldy' efforts but it shows the harness keeping her legs at the correct angle.

17th Jan. She's a healthier colour than this in real life! It's a bit freaky actually. But I'll keep it in so that when I look back in the future I can see how I've improved (hollow laugh).

Rather disappointingly, drawing babies is just as difficult as drawing adults. Quite a few of my efforts have turned her into a gurning, bald old man. Or a strange dwarf-like creature. But children often are strange dwarf-like creatures, I suppose...

The rest of the pregnancy pics

5th October '11 Seeing a jar of rollmops brings back memories of waves of nausea by just a whiff of said fish. Or any fish. Or the dishwasher before a cycle. Or the bin...etc, etc.

11 October '11 Sometimes being pregnant was just plain weird!

15th October '11 Proportions a bit iffy and I had planned to add watercolor but standing in one position is too tiring (that's the excuse anyway).

24th October '11 Bump in the bath

16th October '11 More dodgy proportions

26th October '11

25th October '11 Slumped watching TV, glass balanced against belly.

Sunday 30th October '11 Those lovely maternity jeans. Only about 24 hours before the birth

Do it. Do it right. Do it right now.

7th October 2011 'The egg'

8th October 2011

Well, they're maybe not the most flattering portraits but at least I've started. Technically, I feel I'm cheating a bit since I did these last year but it was pregnancy that finally got me drawing again so it seems like a good starting point. I was agonizing about what to write and did consider having a cup of tea and a think (and possibly watch an antiques or cooking show on TV...there's always one on, regardless of the hour) but I've managed to pull myself together.
Here's one more for the moment:

Dodgy photo of dodgy coloured pencil sketch of me in my dodgy barely fitting pajamas. Ah, the glamour.
10th October 2011.