More sketches in pubs and cafes

Thankfully, it doesn't take long for the fluency to return (see last post). These likenesses are a lot better. And at this very moment, as I write, I'm in the middle of drawing another one, waiting for the guy to return to the position I started drawing him in.

These were drawn in 'Far From the Madding Crowd', an Oxford pub (with free wi-fi, woo-hoo), and the last one in the Starbucks in Borders, Oxford; in, I think, an A6 moleskine booklet, which makes it easy to stay discreet. Except now, instead of looking like I'm quietly sketching, I look like I'm just staring intensely at people and doing something in my lap with my wrist... Mmm

Sketches in pubs and cafes

I did these after a significant gap in drawing. As a result I didn't feel particularly fluent. I must practice regularly. The last drawing, I don't feel is a good likeness of the model. I find I have a tendency to 'blandify' the features of the people I draw; somehow they resemble the model, but seem less pronounced; like I'm over-compensating for the risk of caricature.

Sketches during a lecture

Two sketches I did of participants at a philosophy meeting I attended at the weekend. As usual, I was glancing surreptitiously and drawing discreetly, which cramped my style somewhat. The second model had a fascinating face and frail body, over which hung a baggy suit. I found out later he was called Weedy.

More sketches

A portrait done of a friend for her birthday - from a photo. And some doodles done during work downtime.

Cafe sketches

Two sketches done at Waterstone's cafe, Oxford, and one of the speaker at a philosophy talk in London. The latter looks nothing like the subject, and as a consequence I hadn't paid enough attention to ask an interesting question about his paper (on why torture is always wrong). Next week I will be attending a life drawing class, where my drawing will be rubbish because I spend the time discoursing on aesthetics. That would make as much sense anyway.

Beautiful woman, not done justice to

This young woman was in front of me at the local S'bucks, studying. I couldn't take my eyes off her beautiful arms. Unfortunately, my drawing makes her look like a rugby player in drag.

Cafe sketches.

Waterstones and Starbucks, Oxford. Finally found a couple of reasonably immobile punters. The second one was with a ball-point on a Starbucks napkin. They're reasonable likenesses but the first was an effort and seemed like an extended exercise in hiding its flaws as a drawing. You see such fascinating characters out and about; I wish I could capture them quickly on the hoof.