Cafe Sketches
Note: Cafe sketches are on hold at the moment, and have been for some time. I keep meaning to get back to them one day, and that day may be approaching since I rarely get out of my studio (ahem, back bedroom) these days.
These drawings are a series of quick sketches of people in public places, mostly cafes. I'm doing these drawings to sharpen up my speed and accuracy, to get some good practice in with drawing people, and also because I need to get out more. The only problem I find with drawing in cafes so far is that by the time I've had my third coffee I'm so wired I can't control my hand properly. And no, decaf is not an option.
Since I'll be producing a number of drawings on each visit, I'm doing a page for each visit rather than one for each drawing.
9th September 2006
Latest - Cafe Nero 09/09/2006
Something changed today. Why, I'm not entirely sure, but today I let go. I stopped trying to produce little portraits and I just - sketched.
In all my previous cafe trips, I've done one drawing per page, and each one has been an attempt at a complete, albeit quick drawing. Many, many times I've told myself that I shouldn't be trying to do that, that these trips to the cafe are just practice, nothing more, nothing less. But despite my best intentions, I've found myself doing each drawing as if it was a little portrait, worrying about how good a likeness I get. But not today.
Cafe Sketches Kit
I thought it might be useful to post up what I'm using for these little sketching expeditions. A pad, some pencils, a rubber and a knife for sharpening, (and in case anyone attacks me.) Pretty obvious, but a couple of things may be worth pointing out:
The pad is ring bound, which makes it easy to lie flat for drawing. A pad with a hard book-type spine wouldn't be as handy I don't think. Also it's small, A5, which means I can be pretty discrete. I don't want to be sitting in the corner with an easel and palette, inviting people to look over my shoulder. Another advantage of it being small is that I don't get too involved in trying to produce fine, finished drawings. These are quick sketches so a little pad is fine. Last point about the pad, its very good quality paper, thick with a rough key. It might seem wasteful to use good quality paper for sketching, but I think its imperative. Cheap paper produces crap drawings.
These pencils I've just discovered, I have fallen completely in love with them. They're excellent. They're graphite conte pencils, and might be a pound each, but they just glide across the paper laying thick, definite marks allowing a huge variation in tone and quality of line. Michelle had a go with one and said "ooh, its like cream!" Says it all really. Again, even though these are quick sketches, quality of materials is still important. I use a B, 3B and a 6B.
The rubber is a putty rubber, much better than plastic ones. With a plastic rubber you have to rub, which creates smudges and catches things you might want to keep around the area you're rubbing out. With a putty rubber you just touch the rubber to paper and it lifts the graphite, no rubbing required (especially if you use these nice pencils). Also you can knead it into a point, allowing for very precise corrections.
The knife is just a standard craft knife in case I get so productive I wear down the pencils and have to sharpen them 'in the field'. Don't ever use a pencil sharpener. You want a nice long lead so you can work up a nice flat side for broad sweeps of tone.
That's it, all you need. So what are you waiting for? Get down your local cafe and start drawing!