Draw wherever you are

In my frustration at not having much time to get to life drawing classes, I have been carrying around a thin sketchbook and some pencils in my bag, hoping to draw some faces when I have a moment. I was at a nursing home today and drew some of the people listening to the music. My chair was at the back of the room so most had their backs to me, but I got in a few good profiles.

MusicHour1

MusicHour2

MusicHour3

MusicHour4


32 Comments on “Draw wherever you are”

  1. Marie Ferdais says:

    J’adore ces dessins. Bravo!

    Marie Envoyé de mon iPad

    >

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  2. Karen Cole says:

    You are such an inspiration to me. I am loving your Craftsy class, and look forward to your daily sketches. Thank you for sharing so freely your work and thoughts!

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  3. Suzy says:

    Awesome sketches

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  4. Louise Asselin says:

    Shari,

    J’ADORE ces dessins!
    Et je suis toujours heureuse de vous retrouver à ”mon cours” sur Crafsty. Bravo!

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  5. Soni says:

    Bravo as always – your work and lessons have been such an inspiration for over a year not only to me but my fellow Artists & students as well ; I love both your Craftsy classes. Moreover, you write as eloquently as you paint.
    A big Thank You is long overdue

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  6. Marion Hodge says:

    Your profiles remind me of Kaimon Nicolaides instructions. I am carrying around a little sketchbook with very smooth paper and using only Staedtler pencils picked up at WalMart. Very inexpensive materials but I am having fun, concentrating on what you mentioned the other day, looking at dark to light values, as well as contours.

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    • Always a classic drawing book. And a reminder for me to have a look at it again. I used a sketchbook with very smooth paper for this too. Always nice to run a pencil over a smooth surface.

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  7. Lee Kline says:

    Lovely. I draw at our hospital when I take Jan for her eye examinations.

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    • Thanks Lee. I always wonder if people would be offended if they see me drawing, but most people don’t mind. I used to be so shy, but if they look at me I often turn the sketchbook around for them to see.

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  8. Susan says:

    Nice.

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  9. Monique says:

    We will be all those beautiful people one day..perhaps..you have shown each personality..in your sketches..

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  10. Dee says:

    Excellent!

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  11. SusanA says:

    Wow, these are wonderful! Between these and your Alice sketch, you are inspiring me to draw more wherever I am!

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  12. TonyU says:

    Hi Shari. Hope you get to life drawing soon. Meanwhile these are a different skill altogether and truly wonderful. I can almost see you looking at the faces and letting your hand / pencil find its way around the paper. Great to have such characterful subjects too. Hope they liked them! Best, Tony

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    • Hi Tony. Thanks. It is a different skill, that’s true. These are just quick sketches but I hope to get back to life drawing soon to work on a longer portrait. For some reason I am in the mood to draw faces. That doesn’t happen often…

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  13. Mary McLaughlin says:

    I absolutely LOVE these sketches – so full of life and personality! Whenever I know I’m going to be sitting in a waiting room for awhile I bring along a sketch book and pen to sketch the others who are also waiting. My favorite are the elders because their faces tell such interesting stories. I attempt to be surreptitious but sometimes people look up from their reading or their phones because they seem to sense my staring. I like to use a pen because it forces me to not be lazy in my observations since I can’t erase. Actually sketching like that feels like a meditation – completely focused, the mind chatter is silent. It’s always a highlight of my day to open your posts. You keep me going!

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    • You are very kind Mary. It’s interesting to hear that you prefer using the pen. I am never successful with pen portraits. There are so many subtleties in a face, and I have trouble capturing that using hatching. I much prefer pencil shading. But that is just me. Many people are really successful with pen.

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  14. These are so well done. wow.

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  15. joantav says:

    Great sketches! I would think that a nursing home would be a great place for models. That’s the good part about always having a sketchbook with you…you never know when the opportunity will strike.

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  16. Ross says:

    So much character in all those faces. Good work in capturing them.

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