Man reading
Posted: November 1, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 16 Comments »Drawing someone in a cafe is a delicate dance. You start drawing, hoping that you won’t be noticed, hoping that your gestures are surreptitious, your glances casual. Gradually the person being drawn gets the sense that they may be the object of your study. They look up and you quickly look away. They think that perhaps they are mistaken, that you are simply writing some notes in a book. This goes on for some time until they catch a glimpse of your page and realize that the likeness is of them. The charade is up so they choose to ignore you or possibly get up and leave. The dance has ended.
That is a lovely sketch. I like your description of the dance. Yes, sketching strangers is always filled with such tension and suspense. I once sketched a man from the back who suddenly spun around and caught me looking! I wish I could get away with wearing sun glasses year round!
Thanks Vicky. It has taken me a long time to get up the courage to sit facing someone I don’t know and draw them. Sunglasses would certainly work well for this.
Beautiful sketch… the pencil is going really well.
But, perhaps it would be easier if you didn’t position yourself sitting directly in front of the guy, like you obviously did this time… then maybe you wouldn’t have to dance so much. I also wonder whether this poor man might think that this was your pick-up technique… has that ever crossed your mind? : )
I was sitting there first and the man sat opposite me. Glad you like the sketch.
Well, that changes things. Perhaps this was actually his pick-up technique… look around the room for a woman with a Moleskine, sit down directly in front of her, strike a good pose and hope for the best. : )
It’s fun though. And exhilarating when you’re finished.
It is fun Steven. Although you are always doing it from behind the glass, right?
Not all the time…. but the stuff I post is. Stuff in my pocket sketchbooks is almost always like this. I just don’t have enough time to post that stuff.
Do you mean to tell me that there is a hidden stash of Sketchy Stevens that no one has seen??
Hah, oh yeh… I’ve kept some pocket sketchbooks with me since about July… sketching every chance I get… trying to improve, keeping ideas for big pieces, hoping to catch up with you super fantastic Canadians.
Filled up about 16 books. Got the idea from Pixar’s Matt Jone’s 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge.
http://mattjonezanimation.blogspot.com/2012/07/30-day-sketchbook-challenge.html
You have to scan some of them. I would love to see them. And of course now I have to look up the 30 Day Sketchbook Challenge…
Nice sketch. That concentrated head down pose becomes very familiar in this setting. Your description nicely captures the trepidation and voyeurism of “hide and peek” cafe sketching. You hope there will no confrontation to break the “wall” between you, and if they do come up the sketch you show of them will flatter them and not cause them to get crazy or confrontational.
You must have these situations all the time. What do you do? I guess you are less obvious because you are on the iPad but sometimes people must look over you shoulder, right?
I like his concentration Shari, nice sketch.
Really enjoyed seeing sketchysteven’s work. He’s so talented, versatile and a natural cartoonist with oodles of potential.
I’m so glad you looked him up Mary. Yes, I love his people on the street. He is so good at capturing a pose.
Ok, here area few from today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swfbuilder/8161130305/in/photostream