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| We sat around the park and sketched together today. |
A few people have commented here about sketching in public. Some are comfortable with it and some not so much. Although I used to be a “closet sketcher” (no I didn’t go so far as to sit in a closet to sketch but I definitely stashed them away where no one could see) I have become more comfortable with sharing my work lately.
One key to raising my comfort level has been sketching with a group. I have been participating in sketchcrawls around town for about a year now, and frankly, I don’t really mind even sketching by myself in public anymore. It’s not that I am utterly unselfconscious about my sketches, or that I am an outgoing person, quite the contrary. It’s just that it is so much fun to sketch with others and to sketch outside, that it is worth taking a deep breath and plunging ahead.
When I am at it, I just think of myself as part of the scenery, like a shrub for instance, and focus on the subject I am trying to capture. Most people just stroll by and ignore me, but when someone glances over my shoulder, I pay no attention. I find that if I look up, it seems to make them uncomfortable. Sometimes they will murmur, “Pretty” or some other nice comment, but often they just walk away, which is fine. On the occasions that someone asks a question or strikes up a conversation, I always enjoy the interaction. What really rings my bells is when a child walks up to watch me draw and admire my sketch. Because I often sit on a little fold-out camp stool, I can talk with them at their eye level. Maybe they will even be inspired to go home and draw something.
Several speakers at the symposium brought out that sketching in public can be a community building activity. I hadn’t thought about that too much before but it does make sense that getting out and mingling with people, being available to chat, relaxing and enjoying the sights of one’s city would make it feel like a friendlier place in some way. Gabi Campanario encouraged us to be open about sketching, don’t sit in a dark corner but be willing to share your sketches and to talk to people. If you sketch someone’s business or house, show your work to them–they will be pleased! Ask someone if you can sketch them–most people don’t mind at all. I haven’t been so bold to do either of these yet but maybe someday. Isabel Fiadeiro talked about using sketching as a way to connect with the people of Mauritania even before she learned the language there. Very inspiring!
How about you, what are your thoughts about sketching in public? Btw, posting my sketches on the internet via my blog and flickr was much more daunting for me than sitting and sketching in a park. After all, what could be more public than the internet? Come to think of it, blogging has been another key step for me in ‘coming out of the closet’ as a sketcher. It has been a lot of fun too.
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
Wonderful and I love the composition!
Well I sketch in public all of the time, mostly because with my time constraints I’d never be able to sketch/paint at all during the week if I didn’t do it at lunch. And today an employee of the place where I ate walked over to me and asked if she could see. Turns out she is a writer and a painter and has a blog! What fun!! Maybe someday I could even drum up a sketchcrawl in this city where nobody seems to do it!
I like the limited palette, and the depth of your elephant!
Thanks peachtreeart!
Dan, What a good sketching in public story! I hope you do get a sketchcrawl going–they are very fun.
Hi, everyone!
About sketching in public I must say that I’ve done it a few times, but the experience was an enriching one 🙂
A man glanced over my shoulder and asked me if he could take a look. It was courius, and I felt good 🙂 The fact is I don’t feel uncomfortable, but I’d like drawing with other fellows, but here, in Cuenca I don’t know anybody to do that … :/
I agree with you about the blog. It has encouraged me to draw more and sharing my work with people all over the world is a pleasure for me 😀
Love your whole work Janene 🙂
It all depends where I am and who I’m with.
I prefer to sit in corner somewhere to avoid people looking over my shoulder. I often sketch from my car as well when the weather is bad. Children are lovely, they stand in front of you and say hello, ask you questions and all the time you can see they are itching to get their hands on your paintbox or pencils!
Thanks for sharing your (& others) thoughts on sketching outside. A very interesting post!
Because people are my ‘thing’ I re-learned to draw by sketching in public (baptism of fire!). I found that actually people noticed me more when I first began and felt horribly self conscious: as I have relaxed and become more a part of the scenery, as you put it, people are less likely to notice me. I find I need to do it regularly – otherwise the self consciousness comes back but I enjoy it now. If people do notice, like you I tend to just carry on – unles it’s children – I consider it my civic duty to expose children to adults drawing in the hope it encourages them to keep drawing as they grow up! I also find children are by far the most intelligent and stimulating critics when it comes to drawing because they are direct and genuinely interested, and they don’t yet have the ‘I can’t draw’ belief that so many of us develop as we get older.
Thanks for the post!
Anais,Maybe you will have an experience like Dan did of meeting a fellow artist when they see you sketching around town. I hope so! Thanks for your comment.
Sue, Kathy and curiouscrow, Thanks for your comments too. It is very interesting to hear others perspectives on this topic.
The blog was a huge step for me. In fact, after I created it, it took three months before I got the courage to actually post anything! As for drawing in public, I tend to think about doing it, and then fret a little about what everyone will think. More often than not, I end up not drawing at all. Sometimes I’ll take a picture and take it home instead. I’m not sure why I still do this, I’ve had several outings now that went very well and I was so ecstatic after. I’m with Dan, I would certainly like to meet some people in my area that like to sketch.
Really love that sketch!
Raena, I am surprised that you would be shy about sharing your beautiful work but glad that you took the step of posting it on your blog. I certainly have enjoyed seeing it!
Thanks for your comment.