Secret drawing
Well, it was very exciting being on the radio, I must say. What other excuse do you get to blather on about yourself, uninterrupted? Thanks to the fabulous bingomcdingo, you can hear the interview for yourself here (for seven days only, or until the first 100 downloads. I’m betting on the seven days, myself).
I was a wee bit nervous, so I set out early, and having time to kill, I popped into a pub for a glass of wine. And then I thought I’d better practice what I preach, so I got out some paper and started drawing. That’s when I realised: I had stumbled across a perfect spot for unobserved people-watching. Directly outside the pub window there’s a bus stop for several of the town’s major routes. All sorts of people come and stand directly in view, and stay there. Of course, then a bus comes and they all move, but if you’re quick, it’s a fantastic opportunity.
In just twenty minutes or so, I had covered several pages of my small notebook. And for once I hadn’t felt nervous that my subjects knew what I was doing! I got fascinated with the different ways people wear their bags, and the many different styles of bag there are. And as usual, I noticed things I didn’t even know I knew: the way a bald head often displays a cleft, for example; the shape long hair takes if it’s pushed back by sunglasses.
So, today’s task for you: can you find a similar spot? It might be the balcony of a shopping ‘mall’ (as we don’t call them in England), the corner of a coffee shop, or just the window of your office. Do some secret drawing!
See more on drawing people here.
Posted: July 5th, 2007 under About drawanyway, Confidence, Me, Drawing people.
Comments: 11
11 Comments
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What a great excuse to sit in a pub! Myf told me to!!
I shall have to go out later….
fred
And a great way of loosening up your line is that third pint ;)
I do highly recommend the Quadrant for this purpose.
I haven’t been since it reopened! Great interview BTW and great choice of music — I’ve seen both Nick Cave (on Gardner Street) and The Handsome Family (on stage at the Old Market) in Brighton!
what’s bingomcdingo?
fred
I hadn’t, either, but it seemed largely unchanged, thankfully.
I had to play Nick Cave as he is my all-time favourite artist. It came as a bit of a surprise to me when he moved to Hove! And I have seen him too, at the Sunday Market, and in Carluccio’s (not very Goth, that, is it?). Come to think of it I saw Brett Sparks in the North Laine too! And was also at the Old Market Place gig. What a fabulous deep voice he has.
Radio Reverb asked me to bring in something ‘upbeat’ as it was a drivetime show. I was so tempted to bring in something mellow and maudlin so that all the cars in Brighton would slow to a halt…
Bingomcdingo is a ‘who’ rather than a ‘what’, and one of your fellow commenters on Drawanyway.
That guy you drew on the left looks exactly like one of my friends! I have no pictures at the mo though cos i’m not on my home pc.
Secret drawing is the best kind of drawing. I personally haven’t found anywhere actually yet; I’m up in Wolves at the mo and it’s raining so no chance today :P Although I did go to Wagamama’s in Brum today and watching people eat japanese is fascinating; especially if they can’t really use chop sticks all that well. Hehe.
Oh no! I’ll never eat with chopsticks again! The shyness!
Hehe. Sorry :P
No good for drawing; but I did do some observing while squashed on the Tube yesterday. I got to make a close examination of one man’s hand, which was shoved up in front of my face while holding on to a pole. I now know what hairy knuckles look like; the hair sprouts out in all directions, which is something I didn’t know before.
I also got an idea for something that might make a good drawing; someone seen through the frame of other people’s backs/arms/whatever, in rush hour, doing something nice like smiling. Not quite sure how to pull it off though.
I agree, that’d be a great subject if you could get it right - an unusual framing. I would try out a few thumbnail sketches before you start to try and work out the best shapes and configurations.
Yep, have already started trying a few things out; not managed to get anything working yet, but I’ll keep trying.
One of my sketches featured this gentleman, which I was quite pleased with (not from life; he’s completely made up). I know his shoulder is wrong, but for a 5-second sketch I really liked the way it turned out.
Oh, yes — the thing on the right-hand side is a vertical pole that he’s leaning against, and the clumsy circular thing is someone’s hand on the pole.