I filled the last few pages of a Crescent Rendr  Sketchbook yesterday and will start in on a fresh one today.  The Crescent Rendr brand sketchbooks are my go-to sketchbooks because they feature:

  • bleed-proof, wrinkle-free pages which allow you to draw/paint on both sides of each page
  • discreet size (perfect for a pocket or purse)
  • sewn binding for open-flat access

I’ve discovered that I’m sort of addicted to sketching in public (or, to be more precise, sketching THE public.)  I find it immensely appealing and gratifying because it:

  • forces you to get faster with your gestures
  • puts you in the moment
  • makes waiting for the subway/train/plane fun
  • gives you lots of free subject matter
  • provides a record of your travels

As I flip back through this particular sketchbook I’m transported to our flight to Paris in June and walks along the Seine and in the Jardin du Luxembourg, then back to the cafes along Central Park, then to our hotel room in Saratoga, NY (for lots of TV watching of the Democratic and Republican conventions) and on to a very relaxing week spent in NH at my mom’s cottage.  The last few pages are filled with my favorite subject – fellow commuters on the subway as I make my way around NYC.

Enjoy!Thin Asian man checking his cellphone

Quick sketch of bald man on the subway

Middle aged woman concentrating

Man in sunglasses riding the subway

Old man on the subway

Comments

  1. Denise Pellegrino says:

    Hi Joana… I throughly get what you mean… Spontaneity has to be more exciting for an artist having your subject right there and you trying to capture their expressions and persona!

    Sent from my iPad

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    • Joana says:

      Hi Denise,

      Plus, since people rarely stay still for long, you are forced to capture only the most important lines (which is challenging, to say the least!)

      I did an incredibly bad sketch in my new sketchbook yesterday, and then followed it up with a better sketch on the following page. Even so, I was miffed to start off on page 1 with a bad sketch. Some days it feels like two steps back…

      Hope you having a great weekend! Joana

      On Wed, Aug 24, 2016 at 8:10 AM, JOANA MIRANDA STUDIO wrote:

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