Drawing a Child's Portrait

                                                                  By Lauren Davis

Another topic to bring up is the challenge of drawing children. They have different proportions then adults and take completely different techniques to accurately portray. With rounder cheeks, larger features and sweeter faces, they are an entirely new and difficult task for any artist. Even the hairstyles can be harder. The author recommends remembering many different points while drawing kids. He reminds the artist in include wider eyes, larger ears, thinner brows and longer lashes in young children. (Hamm 36) Here is the picture I came up with by using these techniques. I used Scarlett Estevez who is a ten-year-old actress as my model. (You may know her as Trixie from the TV show Lucifer on Fox.)

Step 1- Outline and Eyes 

I took the outline of the features from a photo of the actress I got from the show. In the book, the author said "The face is smaller in proportion to
the rest of the head. The back of the

head sticks out farther and the neck is smaller." (Hamm, 36) After the face is outlined, you need to perfect the eyes. the wider, brighter eyes have a sense of childlike wonder. Next get the precise eyebrow hairs and shape, ear size and hair. Then it's on to the shading.

                                                  Step 2- Shading 

             

After the outline looks how you want it to, you need to add

depth to the face. The shadows will be different than those on an adult face. With rounder cheeks and a more upturned nose, you have to change the places of light and dark. Author Jack Hamm said, " the early nose is usually upturned; the chin is less prominent and recedes; the mouth has more indentation in the corners." (Hamm, 36)  All of these crucial details can be achieved through careful and precise shading. It is very important to blend everything thoroughly to keep the illusion of roundness in the face. 

                                             Step 3- Hair and Final Touches 

With this particular photo, Scarlett was wearing pigtails. Nothing portrays youth and cuteness like a little girl hairstyle. Unfortunately, they proved to be insufferable to draw nicely. I was shocked at the difficulty of the adorable hairstyle. My technique of choice with hair is to start by picturing it as a shape. after getting the shape correct, then the tricky part is adding in hair strand textures. Then you can blend it out. I generally use a tissue for blending because it picks up less of the pigment than my usual finger blending. Then I just had to shade the shirt and neck and fix the jawline and I was done.

                                                       Final Thoughts

Overall, I did like the book's advice on children's portraits. It had helpful tips for shading and face shape. I'm happy with the finished product but I wish it looked more like the photo I based it off. So what do you think? Do you like the techniques the book's tips and tricks or do you have your own? 

Leave it in the comments below. 🔹

                                                          Citations 

Hamm, Jack. Drawing the Head and Figure. Time Warner International, 1963.

How to Reheat your Meals

How to Reheat your Meals

If you have partaken in harvesting (hopefully from inspiration from my blogs) then you may have run into the issue of needing to reheat certain meals. I want to tell you that you can reheat leftovers and make them taste just as good as when they were fresh!



I personally need on the go meals, and infant meat is perfect for this. You can just put it in a tuber-ware container with some kind of vegetable (I chose some potatoes) and bring it with you for lunch. Nobody will suspect its not an ordinary meat. I absolutely love the meat of young children, and for lunch today I brought a roast, as the author recommends: "a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout." (Swift)

If you are not in a rush and you still want a delectable dinner, this video by Nick and grant Crilly from ChefSteps will show you the best way to reheat meat for the exact same flavor as you had when it was fresh. It will work just the same with human flesh. 

Preparing Meats: A Kid-Friendly Recipe

Sweet and Savory Ribs

A Kid-Friendly Recipe

In my reading, I have found numerous inspirations for my next meal. I have been engaged in preparing such meals for 3 years now. Ever since my first taste of this type of meat, I could not go back to eating normal public grocery store meats. This book I have inherited written by Jonathan Swift, was from a relative and the book contains delightful recipes to prepare for all who have the taste for this flesh. Jonathan Swift proposed the idea of “buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.” (Swift) Unfortunately there are not many Night Feasters in this city to purchase from, so I ventured to find a vulnerable child past 6:00pm roaming about behind the Fred Meyer. The darkness at this time was enough to be undetected. I particularly chose this child for his small yet stocky stature for the proportions of fat and muscle for a more delicious meal. 

Back in my garage I butchered and separated the ribs and put them into an aging barrel, for Swift recommends " seasoned with a little pepper or salt will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter.” (Swift) During preparations I kept the seasonings simple with salt and pepper, but also added rub seasoning to give a nice steak flavor. I prepared the meat as recommended and had a delicious feast many nights in a row. The savory yet partially sweet taste of the child was like no other I had tried before, normally if the meat is harvested past 20 years, it is more gamy. 

For the person who is reading: I assume you have not tried the flesh of a human (or at least not intentionally). Who in your family do you think would taste the best? Please leave your full name in your comment so I know you are not a threat, and perhaps we could discuss more in person if you find this intriguing. 

Ingredients:
Salt 
Pepper
Ingredients: 
Child Ribs
Salt 
Pepper
Steak Rub

Recipe:
1. Age meat for 4 days
2. Bring water to a boil and place ribs in water
3. Boil for 10 minutes
4. Rub salt, pepper, and steak rub onto ribs to marinate
5. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes
6. Pressure cook on high for the last 15 minutes