As I haven’t really been sketching people since the One Week 100 People challenge last year Day 1 was all about getting into the rhythm!
I managed to do a little research in the morning and then headed to my local cafe in the afternoon. It’s normally very busy here so I was completely thrown by the fact that there were no customers at all when I arrived.
Sketching staff who not only move a lot, but also are aware of what I’m doing is a hard way to start. So it was all about just having a go. I know from previous years that it gets significantly easier after a few days.
Thankfully the cafe got busy after I had done a few warmup drawings. (BTW I won’t be counting my line drawings this year.)
I’m using a smaller book this year – a Stillman and Birn Softcover Alpha 8.5 x 5.5. I like the layout of this book for sketching people (6 people across a double-page spread) but it means more drying time. As I’m working from right to left (an advantage of being a leftie) I was able to start on the new spread before the previous one had fully dried.
Today I seemed to be drawing first, then adding skin-coloured wash to all faces on the spread, and then painting hair and clothing. Tomorrow I might do something different.
Even though I have easily done this challenge in previous years, I often feel the pressure of doing 100 at the start of the week. Will I be able to fit all this sketching into five busy days? But of course, I know that I can do it! Today I managed to have my coffee, do some warmup contour drawing, hit my target of 20 watercolour people and write this blogpost all in one hour.
I expect that tomorrow I’ll be more relaxed and might spend longer with each sketch.
9 Comments
Lovely to see your first sketches of the week and hear about your process! Liz – how would you rate Barbara Bradley’s book (I’ve just looked it up on Amazon) and could you share some other book recommendations? I do love Roisín Curé’s Drawing Expressive People, but I’d love some more tips on good resources, especially for basic anatomical stuff.
Hi Deborah – the book is fine but as I didn’t mention it in the text (just a note to myself on the page) it’s not a book that I think is essential. I look at a lot of books on the subject… so don’t really have any firm recommendations.
Love your encouraging Oneweek100People2012 post. Even the best have to warm up!
Oops, that’s 2021!
Thanks Barbara! but I’m certainly not in ‘the best’ when it comes to drawing people.
Great start! Your people drawing skills have vastly improved over the years you’ve done this challenge!
Thanks Jamie – still long way to go… it’s the research associated with the challenge that really helps
That’s so encouraging to read that you haven’t sketched a lot of people since last challenge… Neither do I ! Actually, I do remember that I sketched my first pages just before first French lockdown… what a strange remembering…
No more cafes here, but still people walking ! I’ll have to wait for next year challenge to start learning how to draw portraits !
Hi Ludivine, Yes, I stopped sketching people when the first lockdown happened… and for some reason never got going again. So it feels great to be back at it – a push was needed!
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