After my blog on June 15th – Drawing your own child – I was curious, from all the posted comments, if my fellow illustrators had experienced similar problems to me in drawing their own children, so I asked them:
‘Did you draw your own children when they were growing up and were your children an inspiration or daunting because you felt you just couldn’t quite capture them?’

Here are their answers – but more importantly some very beautiful drawings and artwork that my colleagues made of their kids growing up!

Anky Spoelstra
http://www.ankyspoelstra.nl/
Wij maken ieder jaar een kerstkaart met ons gezin. Soms een foto, soms een tekening en soms een combi van beiden. In 1995 had onze dochter een kerstman getekend en toen heb ik ons gezin er omheen getekend.

We make every year a christmas card of our family. Sometimes a photo, sometimes a drawing and sometimes a combination of the two. In 1995 our daughter made a drawing of father christmas and I drew our family around him.

Paul Harrison
http://www.pinterest.com/paulfh/paul-harrison-illustrator/
http://instagram.com/figment_factory
This one is for Linda… Good suggestion
I love trying to draw the way the boy sits when he is glued to something on tv or computer. Hard to believe I was that bendy once.
You know I do love drawing Charlie but I never feel I capture him, hard as I try.

Maaike Putman
http://www.maaikeputman.eu/
Julia boekenwurm sinds ze een paar maanden was.
Julia bookworm since she was a few months old.

Af en toe slapen, maar met moeite…
Now and then asleep, but with difficulty…

Herwolt van Doornen
http://herwolt.wordpress.com/
Heel herkenbaar, Linda, die aarzeling om je kind te willen (denken te kunnen) tekenen.
Heb er maar een paar…
Grappig al die slapende kinderen.

Very recognizable, Linda, the hesitation to want (thinking you can) to draw your child.
Only have a few…
Funny all the sleeping children

Acht jaar en slapend
Eight years and sleeping

Juliette de Wit
http://www.juliettedewit.nl/
Beiden herkenbaar; inspiratie, welk tekenonderwerp is mooier dan je eigen kind? Frustratie omdat je er te weinig aandacht voor had/hebt en het niet altijd lukt.
Recognise both; inspiration, what drawing subject is more beautiful than your own child? Frustration because you never had/have enough time and you don’t always get it right.

Almost 26 years ago, some drawings of my son Buster

Almost 2 years ago, I made a comic for Buster’s birthday.

Maartje Jaquet
http://maartjejaquet.wordpress.com/
yes, actually even in my mind i am always drawing what i see.

Waking up with Spongebob

Jim and Oscar on the DS

Sketchbook

Gertie Jaquet
http://gertiejaquet.wordpress.com/
I think Gerties answer to my questions were these beautiful delicate watercolours and drawings she made of her daughter Maria; Gertie was totally inspired!

Gijs Sierman
http://www.gijssierman.nl/
http://www.rotring.blogspot.nl/
http://www.someshirt.com/
Serie of pen drawings of Gijs daughter M.

Magda van Tilburg
http://booxalive.nl/magdavantilburg/
….je zegt wel precies wat ik ook heb ervaren: de werkdruk van een kleine zelfstandige, altijd in gevecht met deadlines of de angst niet genoeg opdrachten te krijgen om brood mee op de plank te brengen…
…Je wilt geen moment missen, terwijl je toch de tijd voelt wegvliegen. Je zou je liefde voor dat wezentje in je tekeningen willen vastleggen, op papier zetten hoe perfect ze is, maar je weet dat je talent dat nooit allemaal kan behappen.

…you said it exactly as I experienced it too: the pressure of work from a freelancer, always that fight with the deadlines or the fear of not having enough commissions to put bread on the table…
…you don’t want to miss a moment, even though you feel time flying away. You want to put all your love of that little being in your drawings for prosperity, on paper to show how perfect she is, but you know that your talent will never manage to do that exactly.

Hans Frederiks
http://www.hansfrederiks.com/
Met mijn dikke zware Mamya maakte ik heel zelden foto’s van de jongens.Ik nam kiekjes, veel kiekjes met een klein olympus-cameraatje, gewoon, om vast te leggen wat er gebeurde. Niet meer niet minder. Sinterklaas, kerst, de crèche, vakanties. Soms zat er een ‘mooie’ foto bij.

I didn’t take many photo’s of my boys with my big heavy Mamya. I took snaps, lots of snaps, with a small Olympus camera, normal, to record the event. No more no less. Saint Nicholas, Christmas, nursery school, holidays. Sometimes there was a ‘good’ photo in between.

Tycho, about one year old.

Ilias Toufexis
My daughter Lisa’s father was also an illustrator and made these lovely little portraits of Lisa.

Written on the back of the portrait

Lisa Christmas Day one week old.

Written on the back of the portrait

Lisa three years old.

Many thanks to all my colleagues for their honest contributions to this blog!

I would love to hear the opinions of more illustrators and artists on the subject of drawing your own children and see the drawings and artwork you made to document their growing up!

Please feel free to post your thoughts and photos on Drawing your Own Child here in Comments.