Day 2. Laureate Project - Family Sketchbook Journey

Chris Riddell - Children's Laureate
5 Point Plan - the inspiration for this project

Not just for the kids 

I’ve been with my husband for 21 years this July – and I never knew he could draw! 

How can that have happened? How could I not know? 

Initially, I thought that this would be a project for the kids. It would benefit them. 
Ah, we do anything for our kids, don’t we? 




Often I catch myself saying to our children, ‘Go and do some drawing or colouring, I just need to get on with this…’ Drawing becomes a Busy-Busy task in waiting rooms or car journeys. 

No! Not anymore. 

I didn’t expect this project to benefit us, the grown-ups – but it's only Day 2 and I’ve learned something about my husband I didn’t know – he can draw! 


We’ve benefited elsewhere too. 

Last night I was watching the Hubster, calm, focused, immersed in ‘Taking a line for a walk’ and it is the most relaxed I have seen him in months! 

This is therapy people – forget Yoga or Massage – sharpen your pencils and get out your sketchbooks! 

And for me too. I’m getting so much from this project. 

I sat for my son as he drew me. We chatted. I giggled. He kept saying, ‘Stop wriggling, Mum. You need to keep still!’ It was lovely. And now I have a picture he drew of me. Not only that, I have memories of sitting around the table, together, locked in our own private creative worlds, carefully tracing an outline, watching the pencil move across the paper, but also in a shared world, of conversation and laughter. 

This is special. 

If you look at this blog and think, ‘I reckon I could do that.’ DO! Do it! Have a go. 

Sketch for 5 minutes every day, post it on Facebook, Twitter, create your own blog, or just keep your drawings in a folder to mark (and treasure) your journey. 

#draweveryday #LaureateProject #ProjectSketchbook 

Have a go!

In reverse age order today I bring you Day 2 of our #ProjectSketchbook

Our youngest has once again been most productive, here we have her cuddly doggy. She talked about shapes that made up his (her?) body and how she wanted to make her pencil move like the way the fur felt. Aren't kids ace? I love the way they talk.

Spurred on by her gymnastics class prior to Sketchbook Family Time (that sounds very grand, doesn't it?) Freya did a second drawing of herself about to do a cartwheel.

She's really trying to capture movement.

Good on yer girl!

William drew me. He had great fun smudging and shading. I loved sitting for him. It was a such a giggle, even though he kept telling me off!

He spent time thinking about shape and proportion, where my eyes were in relation to my head. The eternal question of how you draw noses (a mystery to me...)

My Eldest is enjoying trying to draw by hand pixelated computer game images. 

This is so much harder than it looks, particularly capturing the bold, solid colours.

Aha! I drew - an actual real drawing, with recognizable shapes - not just squiggly lines. 

On a roll, baby, oh yeah.

See? The Hubster - he can draw!

Extra points if you can guess which Disney character was the still life model (doll) for this sketch!

There was so much interesting discussion around the table about how disproportionate her eyes were in relation to her head. Great to be thinking about these things.