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  • Writer's pictureLaura

People Watching - or Sketching

Airports are great places to people watch - they're also a great place to sketch people. For one, there's often time to kill waiting for your flight or between layovers. But also, there's all kinds of people walking around, sitting with a cup of coffee, working on their computer, napping, or just sitting there bored like you would be if you weren't drawing.


After drawing a plant, they skyline, and my dad with charcoal pencil, I realized I had a lot of fun with this medium and wanted to keep sketching with it. As a pencil, it's cleaner for traveling than a charcoal stick and can make precise details, but as charcoal, it also has this beautiful looseness to it.


So on a trip in March, I got my sketchbook and pencil out of my bag and quickly sketched these two people sitting at a table on their computers.


Later in April, we took a shorter trip to another city, and I was able to sketch a lot more people - and a dog! - while we waited at our gate to board.


I especially loved the old woman and the little boy who was fascinated by the dog and stood mostly still staring at it long enough for me to draw him. The dog, however, kept moving all over the place, so that one didn't turn out as well.


Airports aren't the only place to sketch people though - I went to the beach with some friends a couple weeks ago and thought I'd bring my sketchbook along. After a while of looking for sea glass, I brought my sketchbook out and drew one of my friends digging in the sand looking for more. Even though the sketch doesn't look exactly like her, I love the overall feel of it.


Lastly, I've continued using charcoal to sketch places and objects. For example, we went to this incredible tulip festival in Istanbul. We walked around a huge park covered with bright, colorful tulips, arranged into beautiful patterns. A large pond in the middle was home to several ducks and geese, and from the top of the hill we could see the Bosphorus and the other side of Istanbul. I sat up on the hill and drew this scene. As I was drawing, a dad and some kids walked by, and one of the little girls said, "Daddy, look, there's an artist!" Made me smile.


I also went down to the popular Kadıköy region one day to draw, and I stood by this landmark bull sculpture. I had a hard time getting some of the forms right since people kept walking in front of it, but overall I like it.


Lastly, I sat by the docks, and this boat slowly came in to let people off and take more on. It was stopped long enough for me to draw. I really love the overall scene of this one and how much it captures Istanbul - the Bosphorus, the ferries, and the seagulls.


The charcoal pencil has definitely become a favorite sketching tool - I think I'll keep on seeing what I can do with it!

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