One day, while my daughter was happily distracted in her own marker drawings, I decided to risk pulling out a new sketchbook I had special ordered. It had dark paper, and was perfect for adding highlights to. I had only drawn a little in it, and was anxious to try it again, but knowing our daughter’s love of art supplies, it meant that if I wasn’t sly enough, I might have to share. (Note: I’m all about kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share.) Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off.
Ahhh, I should’ve known better. No longer had I drawn my first face (I love drawing from old black & white movie stills) had she swooped over to me with an intense look. “OOOH! Is that a NEW sketchbook? Can I draw in that too, mama?” I have to admit, the girl knows good art supplies when she sees them. I muttered something about how it was my special book, how she had her own supplies and blah blah blah, but the appeal of new art supplies was too much for her to resist. In a very serious tone, she looked at me and said, “If you can’t share, we might have to take it away if you can’t share.”
Oh no she didn’t! Girlfriend was using my own mommy-words at me! Impressed, I agreed to comply. “I was going to draw a body on this lady’s face,” I said. “Well, I will do it,” she said very focused, and grabbed the pen. I had resigned myself to let that one go. To let her have the page, and then let it go. I would just draw on my own later, I decided. I love my daughter’s artwork, truly I do! But this was MY sketchbook, my inner kid complained.
Not surprisingly, I LOVED what she drew. I had drawn a woman’s face, and she had turned her into a dinosaur-woman. It was beautiful, it was carefree, and for as much as I don’t like to share, I LOVED what she had created. Flipping through my sketchbook, I found another doodle of a face I had not yet finished. She drew a body on it, too, and I was enthralled. It was such a beautiful combination of my style and hers. And she LOVED being a part of it. She never hesitated in her intent. She wasn’t tentative. She was insistent and confident that she would of course improve any illustration I might have done. …And the thing is, she DID.
Soon, she began flipping through my sketchbook, looking for more heads. “Do you have any heads for me today?” she would ask me each morning. So I began making a point at night to draw some faces for her (which was my pleasure–faces are my favorite part, anyway). She would then pick up a pen with great focus, and begin to draw. Later, I would add color and highlights, texture and painting, to make a complete piece. Sometimes she filled in the solid areas with colored markers, but I would always finish with acrylics later on my own.
Sometimes I would give her suggestions, like “maybe she could have a dragon body!” but usually she would ignore theses suggestions if it didn’t fit in with what she already had in mind. But since I am a grownup and a little bit (okay a lot) of a perfectionist, I sometimes would have a specific idea in mind as I doodled my heads. Maybe she could make this into a bug! I’d think happily to myself as I sketched, imagining the possibilities of what it could look like. So later, when she’d doodle some crazy shape that seemed to go in some surrealistic direction, or put a large circle around the creature and filled the WHOLE THING in with marker, part of my brain would think, What is she DOING?!? She’s just scribbling it all up! But I should know that in most instances, kids’ imaginations way outweigh a grownup’s, and it always ALWAYS looked better that what I had imagined. ALWAYS.
For example, the filled-in marker of the one above, she told me, was a chrysalis, for the caterpillar to transform into a butterfly. Of COURSE it is. I never would have thought of that. And that’s why kids make awesome artists.
Later, I would show her what I had done with our drawings–the painting and coloring. She seemed to critique them pretty harshly. “That’s silly, mama.” or “you put WATER behind her?” But for the most part, she enjoyed them. I enjoyed them. I LOVE them.
And from it all, here are the lessons I learned: to try not to be so rigid. Yes, some things (like my new sketchbook) are sacred, but if you let go of those chains, new and wonderful things can happen. Those things you hold so dear cannot change and grow and expand unless you loosen your grip on them a little. In sharing my artwork and allowing our daughter to be an equal in our collaborations, I helped solidify her confidence, which is way more precious than any doodle I could have done. In her mind, her contributions were as valid as mine (and in truth, they really were). Most importantly, I learned that if you have a preconceived notion of how something should be, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTED. Instead, just go with it, just ACCEPT it, because usually something even more wonderful will come out of it.
SIDE NOTE: As an idea (mainly for myself) I decided to put just a few of our collaborative prints up for sale on a site called Society 6. I purchased one myself (the space beavers, called “Outer Face”) to see how they would turn out, and I’m pretty happy with it. We’ve done dozens and dozens of collaborative sketches, but I only put a few up as prints. I’m not sure what to do with the others. Maybe make a children’s book out of them? Make poems to go along? I’m not sure, but I love them with a very large portion of my heart, and they need a special place.
busy mockingbird 
You could totally write a children’s book! Just from your pics here I can already think of at least one. I bet if the two of you sat down together, you could come up with an awesome story VERY quickly!
So lovely! Can’t wait to try it myself!
Do you sell the originals? I’d be interested in getting a few. Your project is wonderful.
Can we order prints of the mermaid?
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Super Cool! What pride to be able to look at your unique art and know it was done together!
Loved this, love it. A good reminder to allow the “flow” 🙂
[…] Collaborating with a 4-Year Old – This is what happens when a grown-up bound by rules and techniques and a child with care-free and wild imagination work on the same piece of art. Another source of inspiration. […]
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This is amazing — I teach four year olds and love to see their minds and hearts at work! I’m sharing this post with my class parents, in hopes they’ll be inspired to collaborate with their own children on something (anything!) creative. Thanks for sharing!
Thank YOU for sharing it! Love to see what kids come up with!
Amazing!!!!! I so much love it!! kids are so great artists! I recently found a site where they make soft toys out of children’s drawings!! It’s called http://drawyourtoy.blogspot.com/
Oh I’ve seen a few sites like that. Awesome!
Oh my goodness! I love, love, love your projects! As an early years teacher I could so see these being made into nonsense rhymes. And young children would love to know the story (your collaboration) behind the rhymes. I’ve written one for your mermaid: Dear Ms Mermaid with your lovely brown hair, splashing and having fun. Please remember the golden rule of putting sunscreen on in the sun. I’m afraid your lovely tail, usually shiny and blue, has turned lobster pink and looks yummy – and now I want to eat you!
That’s cool! Thank you so much!
[…] Angela Hendricks collaborates with her 4-Year-Old daughter creating stunning illustrations. Each drawing begins with Hendricks drawing a detailed head, after which her daughter adds on her […]
Congratulations on going ‘viral’! Wonderful pictures, so thrilling to see your daughter so involved in your work and making something so wonderful that so many people enjoy! I think you should list more prints, they are becoming iconic! And maybe a book of individual drawings, rather than a cohesive storyline, to start with, with a paragraph or two written by you and your daughter describing the scenario: ‘The mermaid wonders what is for dinner, hoping for chicken and waffles, but thinks she can smell meatloaf, which she doesn’t like as much’…
I like that idea! I’ve started writing some words for it, and working on collaborating with her on them. Thanks!
Can’t wait! I’m assuming you are familiar with ‘Convos with my 2 year old (as acted out by me and a full-grown man)’… I see your works as along utterly divine artistic lines, love the way children reflect things! Your (both of your!) work is so unique, as you can tell from the interest, it’s wonderful!
These speak to me in such a huge way!! Maybe it’s a mother-daughter thing but it’s such powerful imagery to have the contrast of such skilled and precise illustrations with the whimsical, care-free and self-assured drawings of a child.
Just bought a dinosaur girl print on society 6 🙂
These are so magical!!!
Ah thank you so much!
Great
I’m not sure if anyone has already asked you this (I’m sorry if they have!!), but are you at all willing to do commissioned collaborations? These are absolutely amazing!
Yes thank you! Yes lots of people have asked, but I don’t think we want to put the pressure of performance on her. She does it for fun, and I’d hate for her to stop enjoying it. I hope you understand!
Would you consider making these available as aluminum metal prints? I’d buy them in a hot second. Please say yes!
I admit, I don’t know anything about those kinds of prints….I’ll have to see what that is…
This is just so amazing. Thank you for sharing with the world!
[…] 4-year-old Myla asked her mom, illustrator and graphic artist Mica Angela Hendricks, if she could draw the bodies onto her mom’s portraits, Hendricks was skeptical at first – […]
vraiment très belle idée; les dessins sont superbes
[…] är bara underbart: Busy Mocking Bird collaboration. Mamma och 4-åring dotter skapar […]
J’aime!Je viens de découvrir votre travail via facebook et je suis fascinée!Le mélange du monde enfant avec votre univers est fascinant!
Awesome Concept!
I just scooped up the four prints I adored the most, it was a difficult decision! It’s rare that I’m interested on art involving portraits or humans in general, I think it’s the surrealistic quality your daughter brought in combination with your colors that makes them so appealing to me. 🙂
Your daughter is very creative. I loved the way you both created all those wonderful pictures. Keep going.
[…] Collaborating with a Four-Year-Old. […]
she’s already an artist, she’s been born with the gift,keep her doing what ever she wants,that’s the only way for her to develop and grow as a great one, give us her name and in a few years we’ll see her outstanding, congrats, Isabel Gomez Gallardo, painter from méxico, daughter of a great architect, painter, poet and designer and mother of a great sculptor.
very nice!
Very sweet post. I love how you embraced your daughter’s creativity and let her take you places you wouldn’t have imagined. Isn’t that what creative arts are all about?
You are exceptionally talented, and your daughter has inherited your creative gene…but the most amazing thing is the connection you have together and attitude…thank you so much for sharing…would love to buy prints…
[…] Collaborating with a 4-year Old: One day, while my daughter was happily distracted in her own marker drawings, I decided to risk pulling out a new sketchbook I had special ordered. It had dark paper, and was perfect for adding hi… […]
Are you willing to do commissioned pieces? I love this SO MUCH and would love to see what you could do with my family’s faces!!!!!
[…] zu der Aktion “Collaborating with a 4-year Old“ gibt es auf The Busy Mockingbird. Ich hoffe es kommen noch ein paar Gemälde dazu, […]
[…] resultaat is een hele collectie aan bijzondere wezens. Dit willen wij ook wel eens met onze nichtjes […]
Big Kid’s Magazine has awesome artist-child collabs, would love to see you on a cover http://www.bigkidsmagazine.com/
Reblogged this on Flippitygibbit.
[…] Collaborating with a 4-year Old. […]
[…] G-R-O-S-S-A-R-T-I-G, was Mica Angela Hendricks da mit ihrer Tochter macht! Da wünscht man sich doch gleich mehr Illustratorenfähigkeiten. Hätte man wohl mehr zeichnen müssen seit dem Kunst-LK. […]
[…] COLLABORATING WITH A 4 YEAR OLD … what happens when an artist lets her 4 yr old daughter finish her sketches … […]
So clever!
Reblogged this on Kaboom and commented:
I love this. Collaboration at its best.
[…] A Great Lesson in Collaborative Thinking Graphic artist Mica Angela Hendricks was working in a brand new sketchbook when her four-year-old asked her if she could work on the drawings too. See what resulted below… Collaborating with a Four-year-old […]
Wow that is really awesome 😮 Love it 😀
This is so true! I have three girls aged 6, 4 & under two – both older girls are amazing artists, and we are constantly surprised by their talent for creativity which makes us as artistic parents very proud.
Yours is the first post I’ve seen where there is active collaboration between adult artist and inspirational child. I’ve been experimenting along the same lines and it’s so great spending that time with your child and letting go of your inhibitions/expectations/pre-conceived notions of what art should be. I’ve also been wondering what to do with such artworks; since it’s not purely my own, and I also want to show the works to the world, the thought of them as ultimately collaborative is such a relief!
Love your work – both of you. If you’re curious to see some of mine & my daughter’s, please visit my artists’ profile on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DancinDan13
Cheers!
[…] can’t be a coincidence that three friends recently sent me the link to the most beautiful blog post ever, by Mica Angela Hendricks. I’m inspired and in love with the collaborative work that Mica creates with her […]
I’m so sure someone has said this, but dude, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” By Eric Carle has sold 30+ million and grossed 88 million thus far in sales. Don’t be dumb, write a book with your daughter, your/her work is beautiful, and I just showed this to my niece (whom is 5) and now all she wants to do is draw with me (I am no where near as talented as you and I think she’s disappointed…).
I think it’s wonderful that you’re doing this with your daughter, but I also think it’s important to set some ( or atleast 1) boundarie(s) so she doesnt grow up thinking that everything must be shared with her if she wants to and says it. It makes for weird social moments with other people who aren’t her family.
Thank you for your concern, but she has MANY boundaries. My daughter hears me say no quite often, which is why this experience was a little freeing for us both.
I am sorry to be skeptical, but I have a masters in child development and have worked with 4yo children for many years. From the photos I can see you child has a palmer grasp, which does not allow good control over the pen. Therefor I cannot see how the ‘child extension’ were done by the child at all, let alone without heavy guidance and instruction-which in my view is the opposite of what artist expression is. Most children would be wanting to add their own details to the faces, which are void of the childs input. Add on ‘childish aspects’ such as stars, trees and mushrooms have certainly been completed by an adult. Non the less it is a nice idea, id love too see some examples of where the child has been allowed free reign
Did you read the post? She adds bodies and extra things. Then I paint on them later. Shes done when shes done. Some of the ones we’ve been doing lately she’s begun to add onto the noses and even beaks on the side. I share them on my Facebook page. But don’t worry, cynicism is natural….I just find it takes the fun out of life.
[…] saw a fabulous idea online this week. An artist, Mica Angela Hendricks, was approached by her daughter who wanted to […]