twist to listen

Two women, on their lunch break, sitting and talking, or rather one talking and one following intently. I liked how she had sat sideways and was leaning in to follow every point.

Men never listen that focused, we are always too busy thinking what we are going to say next to trump the other person, to actually register what they are saying to us. Conversation, for women, is inclusive and empathic, for men it is information and status.

Am off on the road for the next few days, and not sure when the internet will rise up to meet me. So until then...

Folded specs.

I like it when people are absorbed by reading as they hold reasonably still, and, more importantly, keep their heads in roughly the same place long enough to draw them properly.

This girl was reading a very dense text book of unfathomableness to me. ( I once tried to read a book on tree theory - I liked the title - and, honestly, struggled to get beyond the first sentence ) So I could have done her in oils for all the signs she showed of moving.

Quick post

Very quick sketch for a very quick post. Got to be elsewhere in, ahhh... ( pause to look at clock ) 35 mins time.

Gotta go.

Tube profile

This one made me smile. Had tried a few versions of this guy as he stood opposite me on the Tube, but all failed to catch anything. Then this flew onto the page. And I was happy.

The last few days have been rich in sketching opportunities, but not time. So the characters I have seen will have to stay in my head.

Goodbye summer - 292 - 293

Two from the hot days behind us.

When I left for work on friday morning there was a whole sense of autumn on the way. The sky was what I call seaside sky. Grey and flat, but with a few gaps of washy blue in the distance. You know, when you were a kid and had a week by the sea, and the weather was crap, but every morning you focused on that distant patch of possible, as if by sheer kid's willpower you could bring it your way, and get a day on the beach.

These two guys were from that day of everyone in the fountain.

Never underestimate willpower.

Music to my ears

La la la, de de dum, la lal laaaaaa. Ohh ohhh. Mmmmm. La la laaaa Ohhhhhhh  La la laaaa

Late today

Never posted this late in the day.

Been so busy these last few days, and no let up in the near future.

This guy was on the train last week, looking knackered as he lay back in the seat. 

Liked the angle I had on him.

Beads.

Saw this man who sat, deep in thought, as his hand worked it's way repeatedly around a string of beads. 

I became almost hypnotised by the way the join on the beads edged anti-clockwise round and round, And it didn't occur to me to sketch him until it was almost too late. Just managed to get his face, and the hand with the beads. 

And it turns out that is all that was needed. 

Gripped

Sometimes I can get so lost in drawing the thing in front of me I loose sight of what I am actually doing.

Loved how this girl's hair was bunched and caught by her hair grip. And only after I had finished did the thought occur that that might have been a bit suspect and odd to look at it/her in quite such detail.

We should all LOOK at each other more that we do. Just enjoy the sight of people. I've said it before, I love PEOPLE. As individuals and as a collective. We are amazing things, and it never ceases to astound me how we go.

Following the trend of the last post...

May I introduce...

BIG red READING Hood !

In fact I could populate a whole train with these characters by now.

Ruck sack Jack.

Loved this guy's rucksack.

Liked how it was gaping open just a bit. Mine does that all the while, and you don't realise until it has worked itself open fully and all your stuff falls out.

It's a real problem. Think I'll call it "back sack crack syndrome". 

Or is that name taken ?

Someone should write a history of the rise of the rucksack from humble camping essential to universal carry all.

Looks like rain.

The forecast was for rain, so this girl took her coat.

Very wise Love, very wise.

A sort of P.S. ( not counting this one )

A policeman got on the train and took his helmet off. And all I could see was this much of him, and had to draw this just so as I could call it...

The Long Arm of the Law.

Groans and complaints at the next desk please.

The view from the window

So this guy spent a huge chunk of the journey with his mobile propped up at the window, ( with a very camp finger ) recording the world outside speeding by, and then sitting and watching it back over, then doing it again. 

A little something for the folks back home ? 

The background for an animation sequence ? 

Playing with a new phone ?

Tick as you feel appropriate.

Lady in a hat

Looking at a book on the history of... hats !

cow lick and spit

Although this guy was in his 30's, he had a sticky up lick of hair at the back of his head that made him look about 12.

Further compounded by the fact that he was cleaning his Blackberry with his own spit.

It's an institution x 5

Was in town for meetings, and stumbled ( as you do ) on the Antiques Roadshow, in the courtyard of the British Museum.

Had to stop a while and see if I could pin down the quintessential Roadshow sketch. Something like an old lady gamefully clutching an tatty heirloom wrapped in newspaper, or two people struggling to get an ENORMOUS sideboard out of a Taxi.

No such luck. So had to content myself with camera crew, and production people lounging in the sunshine.

This guy was using a poly reflector to bounce the sunlight on something very small that people were crowding around to look at. Couldn't see what it was...

But the camera crew were getting good shots...

While the sparks waited in their ubiquitous shorts...

The Jimmyjib operator stood patiently for a cue...

And Production sat around talking, and looking cool.

( Biased, me ? )

Green - the wannabe

Not on the same green paper this time, but he had a green army style sweater on, and the watercolour box was close at hand.

It's not easy being green - 274 & 275

Especially when it is this dark. Green is a tough colour as a base for a sketch of someone. Was surprised it scanned as well as it did. Have several done on green paper. Interesting.

This guy was on the opposite platform, waiting for the train to St. Albans.

And this girl ( who I have given a seriously sharp nose ) was on the train I got on, going in the other direction.

So this is the only place these two will probably ever meet.

Courtesy of Lining a Drawer online dating. - matching profiles since 2009