Painting Children: Lessons from Joan Walsh Anglund

SOLD In The Sand 2, 6 x 6 oil on canvas
by Mary Hubley

I remember reading in an article years ago about how difficult it is to follow a child long enough to draw him. In the article, which profiled one of my favorite childhood illustrators, Joan Walsh Anglund, she said that it was difficult for her to capture a child's features because they move too quickly. You can't get a child to pose. Before you even draw your first line, the child has moved on as fast as a rolling wave. Joan said that that's why she never drew childrens' actual facial features -- thus, her trademark emerged as children with just a couple of eyes, no nose or mouth.

From A Friend is Someone
Who Likes You,
by Joan Walsh Anglund

My style is much different from Joan's, as I often include facial features (although I love my paintings where the child is turned or has her head down). I guess my point is that artists who do the same subject matter face similar challenges, whether illustrating children for books or selling our paintings of children in galleries -- children as subjects just don't lend themselves to long plein air work lasting all afternoon.

Children on the Beach

I'm always amazed at the reaction little ones have when they experience the ocean for the first time. The little ones take it as if it's just another amazing day of many amazing days. Their short lives have brought treasure troves of new experiences and new awesome places.

The beach may be scary for some at first, but for this little one, she tiptoed into the edge of the water in the protective grasp of her mum. She giggled and stomped her feet and splashed in the shallow waves.


Tiptoe, 12 x 12 oil on canvas
by Mary Hubley