Heads and Toddlers

Here are some of my recent doodles turned into cartoon heads. I've been kind of busy with non-art things lately, but had made a couple of doodles between errands. Drawing little by little is better than no drawing at all. I just filled the sketchbook page with a few head shapes and went at it as inspiration and time coincided. My favorite would be that top corner lady because of her expression, and her "wig" :) It looks more like a caricature than a cartoon. I tried exaggeration with all the others, to a point.

Today at the park, there were none of the usual friends to play with my daughter, so I did most of the entertaining. It was kind of rainy, and Fridays at the park are usually off days. Just a couple of regulars, and two families with toddlers trying to enjoy the semi-muddy jungle gym. The toddlers were hilarious, and I had to capture their proportions. Something I had not tried before.

The little boy kept running after his dad, who was actually exercising around the running loop. The little girl on the left was hilarious. She walked with that typical new walker gait. Her arms up for balance, and the diaper sticking out from behind, and that falling forward action was too much. I couldn't help but smile while attempting to sketch them both, and trying not to be too conspicuous at the same time. Parents of little tykes like these are usually extra protective, and even though I was well identified as a father with daughter, someone with a sketchbook, scribbling away, stealing quick glances at their children may not be welcome. A good distance is prudent in these situations, unless you come straight up to the parents and tell them what you are doing. Sort of like shooting photos of lions in the wild. Of course, I'm ready to offer any sketches I make to the parents, which can be seen as an homage for them, and is also very satisfying in terms of the smiles one gets in return. Being a parent myself, and having done this exact thing before, I know there is no danger at all, but respect for others is very important in any sketching situation. After all, you wouldn't like any regular Joe with a camera to snap photos of your children, would you? My advantage over a photographer here is the ready gift of a sketch that can be gladly turned over to the proud parents. The smiles are always worth any piece of art in this case.
Hope you liked these. Thanks for dropping by, and have a great art time!