Out of my element

Drawing people in action is not my forte but I seem to have forgotten that when I accepted an invitation from my friend Marc Holmes to draw at an Urban Sketchers Montreal event at the Centaur Theatre, as part of the Wildside Theatre Festival.  A group of us were invited post-show to draw the actors from “Poutine Masala” and “A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup”. My fellow sketchers were so good at capturing the actors from the first play even while they were moving, talking, sitting and standing. As for me, no luck. One minute into the event I remembered that I am really awful at this. I’m too slow or I’m just missing the technique required to put down the essential lines. Fortunately after the second show Japanese mime Miss Hiccup posed for us and I was able to get a little sketch with my coloured pencils. I think I need to get back to some life drawing classes… quickly!

Miss Hiccup


10 Comments on “Out of my element”

  1. Monique says:

    I love this one!!Full of charm and whimsy.

  2. Louise, Montréal says:

    With all this grey outside at this moment, your drawing is absolutly perfect!
    Perfetto! Parfait ! Joyeux, coloré avec une pointe d’espièglerie.(mischievous?).
    Bon retour Shari et Bonne Année 2013.

    • Merci Louise!! C’est vrai qu’on a besoin de couleurs pendant ces jours ci!
      Bonne année à toi aussi. Et merci pour la traduction d’un mot que je connais pas…

  3. Mrs. P says:

    Love the color and brightness in this one!

  4. Fleet Woodley says:

    I’ve seen peoples’ posts about the techniques for doing people sketches on the fly – but I cannot do it – AT ALL!

    I love this one!! Great pose, love the gestures in the rendering of the gloves and the hair.

    SUPER!

    Fleetwood

  5. Lee Kline says:

    Shari, this is lovely. You probably know this, but if you want to capture things FAST, try this: hold an ebony pencil at the opposite end from the graphite point. Then go strictly for contour. You will be surprised after a few times at how quickly you can get the essence of something or someone. Use a stump to incorporate the line already on the page to effect a bit of tone – if you want it. I love that you are always willing to go wherever and do whatever to catch a moment.

    • I know that Lee but it is something I always forget. I think I do hold the pencil too tightly so I have to remember this next time. That will certainly help to loosen up the line. Thanks, as always, for your good advice.


Leave a Reply

Discover more from Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading