In honor of Galentine’s Day and Black History month, I decided to draw the little girl depicted in the short film Hair Love as a gift for my nieces. I was originally inspired by a lovely drawing done by the doodle artist Diane Bleck on Instagram. The moment I saw her picture, I knew I had to recreate it for Noelle and Ayla.
What Is Hair Love?
The short film Hair Love, written by Matthew A. Cherry, is a sweet story of how a father attempts to style his daughter’s hair for the first time. Initially, he struggles to style her hair and is at a lost. Then, he watches a video and successfully molds it into a beautiful style. It’s a lovely bonding moment between the father/daughter duo.
This short black film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film on February 9, 2020. A first for an animation directed and produced by two African Americans.
How I Created My Drawing?
To make my version of Diane’s original drawing, I had to dust off some of my art supplies that had been sitting in storage for a while. I chose to draw it on sketch paper with a no. 2 pencil, outline it with a fine tipped pen, and fill it in with colored pencils.
I also attempted to make my drawing different from the original by giving each child different facial expressions, skin tones, and clothing. Additionally, I added a variety of hair tools to fill out the extra spaces on the paper.
The Final Result
I think the final result was absolutely adorable. Even though I am an amateur artist, I feel my drawing does a good job of representing the essence and spirit of this wonderful film.
My nieces and their mother were thrilled to receive it in the mail along with the other Galentine’s Day gifts. They were so impressed that they actually framed it in order to place it on the art gallery wall in their office area.
The Look On Her Face Is Priceless
I’m thrilled that I was able to create another piece of artwork that represents my nieces and is unique. Hopefully, they will cherish it for many years to come.
