March Metro Riders

Another set of various Metro riders. Notice a pattern here? I've settled into preferences. There is a certain seat I like, facing backwards, avoiding the sun in my eyes, and with people very likely to sit perpendicular to me, so lots of clear profiles. I used up my first Picadilly sketchbook, and bought a Moleskine, but it just gives me the willies. The second to bottom sketch here was done in the Moleskine and it was over a sketch that didn't work. The paper is so "precious" that you don't want to waste it. I went back to a second Picadilly, and I'm much happier, feeling free to waste pages agan.

Metro Riders, February

Metro riders, winter 2010. The Borders on the corner of our building downtown had both Moleskeins ($18.00) and this new sketchbook called a Piccadilly at $4.00. Hmmm, think I'll try the cheaper one, I thought. And even though the paper is thinner, and there is some bleed through with ink sketches, it feels so luxurious to not care much about how much paper you go through. I've been trying to do three or four sketches every ride, and the following posts are some that turned out well enough to post.

Metro Folks, February

The bottom one here is a quick gesture sketch, I really like the effect of a 30 second sketch.

Metro Folks February

People riding the Metro, winter 2010.

Metro Folks in February

My February Metro sketches, these are pencil.

Metro Sketching

I have a new job. It's a FT temporary job, and it happens in the heart of DC. So I'm a Metro girl again. It took me a good week carrying my sketchbook around with me, before I got up the nerve to take it out and do a sketch, but now it's like: "pshaw, not a problem." I can now do about 3 sketches per ride, that's maybe 6 a day. They don't all turn out, so I'll just be posting some of the better ones here.

People are cool. They may see I'm sketching, and they may even get that I'm sketching them, but I've only ever had one seatmate comment that she liked my work, and nobody else has said a word. People really just mind their own on the subway.

The first sketch? I thought it was a girl with earrings at first, until I realized it was earbuds I was seeing on a guy. He really was enjoying his tunes.

These are all done with various pens and pencils, ink and watercolors added afterwards, or not.

Sketching on the Metro

Sketching on the Metro.

You'll be seeing some more of these, as I have gotten up my nerve, and am practicing sketching people on the trips to and from downtown. I manage to get about three sketches in on a "good run." (5 or 6 a day) That would be where nobody gets off the train before I can finish them, and nobody sits down in front of me while I'm only half way through. It also depends on whether I don't mess up the proportions too bad. Trust me, there are lots of sketches that I'm not showing too.