So Who Snuck into My House...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 ... and gave my kid drawing lessons? Seriously. When they say that if you blink you miss your kids growing up, they're not kidding. I'm on my laptop the other day blogging away. Fury asks me if he can draw. I give him an old notebook. With nothing more than his box of markers, he gets to work.
"Hey Dad, look. The Ben 10 guys!"
It's not that I doubt his crazy talent in everything he touches, but the last time I really looked at his drawings, he was churning out stuff like this by the ream:
So you can understand my total amazement when I saw these (actual subjects provided as a reference).
Ok, so he used the same concept in different colors for the last two, but the kid is 5 and he did these with zero reference. I'm dumbfounded. I guess he was serious when he told mom that when he grows up he wants to be a "show draw-er."
Does Cartoon Network take interns? What if I plug this cool contest?
The Ben 10 "Ultimate Alien Hangout" Sweepstakes
One lucky kid will win a room transformation that will feature Ben 10 decor and a messload of toys. You know, basically a prize that will make the kid's head explode if he or she is half as into Ben 10 as Fury is. Deadline is April 10 (Fury's birthday is April 15, by the way, Bandai/Cartoon Network/Ben 10 corporate executives). Winners will be announced April 20. Always wanted to see what a Ben 10 room makeover consists of? Check out this clip from Designing Spaces.
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Reader Comments (42)
I know exactly what you mean about an art ability explosion, my daughter has gone through something similar recently. Not quite as talented as your son mind you.
and i love Ben 10, but my daughter won't let me watch it because it's a "fighty show"
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[BusyDad] ha I love it - Fighty Show... they should make that a category at the video store. It is amazing that they can now represent something in real life on paper, isn't it?
Those are fantastic!
He draws better than me!
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[BusyDad] ... and me!
Well look at that! And OBVIOUSLY the technique in the last two is to express their transparency and...um...heat...er....ness. I think that youngin will be drawing shows in no time!
Oh, but don't break it to him that they have to draw 8 gozillion frames at a time. That might poo-poo on the fun. Keep the dream alive!!
And I'd like to be the Autumnator in my cartoon version - k, thanks.
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[BusyDad] The way he goes through paper, 8 gazillion frames will be nuthin! I'd like to see how he interprets the name Autumnator!
Hey, he's really getting good...
but I gotta say, I like the earlier more abstract work too. ;)
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[BusyDad] ha, I've got reams n reams of Fury abstract originals. maybe they do have ebay potential after all. College tuition, kid!
Both of my girls did that too. Now my 4 year old is a critic of the other kids work at daycare. Take yesterday. I was picking her up when she spotted one of her friends creations dropped and forgotten on a bench, "Daddy, I don't think he even tried. He just scribbled it to get it done. It doesn't look very good."
This from a girl that emptied the paper tray in my printer not 4 months earlier to create a series of 1 page master pieces, each with one blob of scribble. The entier series took her, maybe 10 minutes to create. Did I mention it was a fully stocked paper tray?
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[BusyDad] That's great! What a critic - hilarious. She even evaluated the effort behind the piece. And yes, I now understand the value of scrap paper!
Fury had some mad art skillz! It really is amazing when you start to see these things emerge from our tiny beings!
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[BusyDad] Seriously amazing. Especially when it's something you didn't teach nor notice. What? He's autonomous???
I think you may have a mini-michelangelo....ok...maybe Picasso....on your hands! My little 5 y/o girl can color a pretty impressive picture but when she hands me a drawing I've learned to ask questions before commenting on it. "Oh honey, I like the birdie in the sky"..."MOOOOM! Thats not a birdie, it's a flower" OOPS!
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[BusyDad] hahaha! I did the same thing just two days ago. I said "wow! cool sandcrawler (that Star Wars Jawa vehicle) and he said "that's a dog." oops. Educated guess.
Wow! He draws better than I've ever dreamed of drawing. My kids have not yet reached the realization that crayon scratchings are supposed to represent anything. They just like making a permitted mess. I can't wait until they're drawing recognizable things. Fury's work is pretty incredible!
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[BusyDad] Thanks - I'll tell him! Don't turn around Sadia. You'll miss the day those scribbles start looking like dogs or fish or people. It just happens. It's amazing.
Thos are some pretty good drawings! Better than I could do for sure! Kids got some talent... :D
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[BusyDad] Thanks Jared! If I had them in front of me to copy I could probably draw them ok. But with no reference? Whole different story. That's what amazed me the most. These are freehand.
Wow! I'm thoroughly impressed!
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[BusyDad] I'm so proud o my boy! thanks!
I'm impressed! I didn't see the full collection until now. PROUD MAMA!
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[d Hubby] Now you know why I just had to stay up late posting these :)
I love Wildmutt and Upgrade the best
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[d Hubby] I like upgrade and grey matter. Grey Matter cracks me up and was the first one I noticed.
That is impressive! He draws better than I do!
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[BusyDad] hahaha - you're not alone, me included. He probably got my sister's art talent. My grandma is a painter too, so that gene lurks throughout the family.
Those are pretty darn good. You did a great job on the pictures in the article.
--Tyler
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[BusyDad] Tyler, I am very happy you gave me props because finding those pictures was the hardest endeavor ever!! Not even kidding. To find the perfect pic for each of his took forever. I even had the Ben 10 PR firm help me. I'm not kidding. I really did. Thanks man!
What the Hades is Ben 10? I have toddler girls... I guess I have to wait a year or two to know.
Start him on graphic design. He'll make you rich in a few years.
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[BusyDad] You will know. Soon. Oh yes. You will. Fury making me rich is very encouraging. Draw like the wind, son!
That's pretty neat!
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[BusyDad] :) totally. I think they're pretty funny.
Very cool. I friend of mine is attending Full Sail University near Orlando studying computer animation... there is a huge market for this kind of talent. Start saving now for college. =)
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[BusyDad] I think Photoshop lessons would be a good investment right about now, ya? We can take them together and he could do my homework for me.
Oooh I hope he wins! From the looks of his drawings, he'll be SUPERB as he gets older as he nurtures this talent. Way to go Fury!
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[BusyDad] :) Maybe he can join my friend Jeff and launch the BusyDad Cartoon. And give me cool special powers.
I have no idea who or what Ben 10 is, but the drawings are so great! I rmember when my middle son was in the process of being screened for pre-school, the big drawing milestone was actually putting a FACE on stick figure; Fury is a veritable genius! LOVE the frog-looking one, BTW.
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[BusyDad] Ben 10 is a cartoon that's been around for about 2 or 3 years I think? Fury is an OG fan. We watched the premiere together. Ha, Grey Matter is also my favorite drawing. He'll laugh when I tell him you called it the frog-looking one!
The kiddo is a budding artist! What a great job for 5! :] I think you need to frame some of those!
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[BusyDad] Fury thanks you! I will definitely save them. Who needs a professional Ben 10 room makeover when he can draw his own? He'll beg to differ of course...
It's amazing the transformation in their drawing skills; it's almost instantaneous sometimes.
That being said, Fury's drawings are really exceptional!
Ben 10 seems to have passed by our household (although the boy is still into the odd Bionicle and Bakugan).
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[BusyDad] Really - these totally took me by surprise. If he wasn't there doing it right in front of me, I wouldn't have believed it. I have no idea what Bakugan is - I am surprised that there's a toy I don't know about!
Dude!! Cute, likes Girl Scouts, and has some mad drawing skills. You're making this up. I simply don't believe you anymore!!!
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[BusyDad] Haha Karen you are funny! I may have to get Fury on video doing half these things to squash any future doubts.
rooting for fury! Perfect timing for your home redo too! *sniff* he takes after his auntie ;) heheh.remember all those reams of consulate paper I went through from dad's office? scibble scibble! I hope the ben 10 people see this post! Go fury!!
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[d Bro] hahaa! The Visa Application papers. We both honed our art skills on those.
Oh yea that was me, I taught him. He CAN pop open a beer like its nobody's business. You really shouldnt leave him unattended for so long. Oh and? Comfy couch!
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[BusyDad] I'll let it go this time, Miss, since it turned out so well. BTW, can you teach him how to shake me up a proper Dry Gin Martini next time?
Hey, you are welcome! You are totally in my top 13 bloggers. So nice of you to check me out too. My link for you wasn't there yesterday (don't know why, since I linked everyone else), but I added it today.
I hear ya on the kids growing up in a blink of an eye which is totally why I call my other blog just that.
He shows major talent there in the drawing department. Also, never heard of Ben 10, thanks for the education.
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[BusyDad] It was awesome to discover I was on your Thursday 13. Good lurking! I had no clue...
Wow. Those are great! I see a comic strip in his future.
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[BusyDad] Hey Jeff, you need to take him under your wing! [Jeff Day, of BusyDad Tales (wish-we-had) fame.]
Very impressive work. So I assume you entered him into the contest. After displaying such talent, he SHOULD be the winner.
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[BusyDad] haha I was trying to explain to him tonight that the chances are a million-to-one. He kept saying "hey Dad, when I win..."
Fury rocks the crayola house! The thing that gets me is that he did it without looking at the real guys. Dude, seriously. He has talent.
Also, I nominated you for an award at thebestofblogs.com (under Dad blogs category) -- hope you're okay with that. I'll vote for you 1000 times, once voting starts. Promise.
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[BusyDad] You are awesome! Thanks!!! Of course I'm ok with it! No need to vote 1000 times. Maybe just 100...
He has your genes, eh? I think my sons, both of them can be Fury's good friends. They are just as crazy over Ben10. So, you got yourself 2 participants, I guess. Going to ask them if they are interested.
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[BusyDad] Nah, I can't really draw well. But my sister and grandmother can. Good luck to your boys in the contest!
Whoa, cool! I'll have to recommend him to my friend at the Cartoon Network (he used to draw Johnny Bravo in the day....)
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[BusyDad] That is so cool! Fury would flip. He opens a good beer, if that's what they need over there.
Excellent. He's already a way better artist than I am. Of course, that's not saying much.
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[BusyDad] I think he put alot of us to shame with that there set. I need to have him bumble through a spreadsheet or something just so I feel better about myself.
Picasso...Matisse....and Fury! Very nice!
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[BusyDad] or is it Furiee? :) thanks man!
Wow! That is awesome!
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[BusyDad] Thanks! (I'm thanking you because he's asleep and can't thank you himself, and I kinda made half of him anyway...)
heheh! Great drawings! It's great when you get to see a kid start grasping the concept of actual shapes.
And on what Tammy said, I learned while working at a preschool it's best to go with "Wow, this looks great!What can you tell me about it? I see you used the color..." lol saved my butt many a times! Kids have this uncanny ability of looking at you like you are a moron if you can't tell what their scribbles are!
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[BusyDad] Haha - there are actually a couple that I did not include on here. I could not tell which hero they were supposed to be, so I just said "oh cool! It's that guy... oh what's his name again?" But of course these were just random ones he made up. Ooops.
Brilliant plug.
I have begun drawing with The Ambassador lately, and so has Hubby. For the first time, I have to admit that Hubby is better at something than I am. My rendering of the dogs was not flattering to them or me. Hubby's -- pretty fantastic. It's okay. I'm a big person. I can give him this one. Mainly because I kick his butt at every Wii game ever invented.
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[BusyDad] Pictures are cool. But in today's society, I have to say that mad Wii skillz may carry more weight with the younger set.
He really got a lot of variety in there - cool!
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[BusyDad] I love how he captured the main "thing" for each guy so well.
you should check out the book Cartoon Cool - you'll be amazed at what Fury can accomplish if he catches on with this book!
www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Cool-Draw-Retro-Style-Characters/dp/0823005879
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[BusyDad] I definitely should start cultivating that. Cool book!
Fury: YOU ROCK, KID!
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[BusyDad] :D I'll tell him the Secret Agent Family sends him a rock on.
Grey matter rocks my socks!
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[BusyDad] I love Fury's froggy rendition of him.
Wow. He is really talented. To be his age and to take all those drawings and create his own similar images. Those need to be framed or saved.
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[BusyDad] These really did amaze me. When and how kids pick up skills like that just dumbfounds me. It's not like I ever sat him down and taught him any of this. And they are definitely going up in his room.
Awesome he is quite the artist! The other day my year old handed me a piece of paper and it was Plankton. Like a perfect Plankton. I was thinking that little girls should be drawing butterflies, not Spongebob characters.
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[BusyDad] You know, the ability to draw Spongebob characters may be better for her future vocational assets than drawing butterflies. Think about it that way.
He did awesome! My son loves Ben 10, so I was able to ID some of the characters without the help of the photos.
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[BusyDad] Very cool! Fury will be happy to hear that :) Thanks.