Róisín Curé - The Urban Sketching Handbook Drawing Expressive People: Essential Tips & Techniques for Capturing People on Location

Essential Tips & Techniques for Capturing People on Location

RISN CUR

A director went to shoot a movie in the desert. Theres nothing there! people said. How are you going to make a movie? The director smiled. I have the most interesting thing of all, he replied, the human face.

Humans respond to other humans. We dream of each other and are enthralled by each other. Humans bring life and interest to a sketch and, when expressively drawn, we cant turn away. But drawing people is a challenge: They dont keep still, and we know what theyre supposed to look like, which adds pressure. The reward, however, is worth the effort many times over. Once you get the hang of it, you wont want to stop, and youll see stories unfolding everywhere.

The good thing about drawing people is that you will get lots of enjoyment out of your results, even at the beginning. The minds eye will join the dots. A combination of lots of practice and lots of learning will help you observe and tame those subtle details that bring people to life.

In this book, I share some of the tricks that transformed my sketches from people-free zones to a joyful celebration of the color and life I see all around me. To capture another human in art in a fleeting moment of their journey may be challenging, but it is also a privilege. The fun is in the ride: Come aboard!

Look at the body language of the two barbers. Can you guess which one owns his shop?

Brazilian Barber

A5 (5 8 | 14.8 21 cm) Hahnemhle sketchbook, fude pen, brown ink, and watercolor.

Reflections are hard in a live sketchby the time youve drawn your subject, the reflection has moved.

Ali Concentrates

A5 (5 8 | 14.8 21 cm) Fabriano Venezia sketchbook (double spread), fude pen, black ink, and watercolor.

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All artwork on this spread:
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Youre forced to keep still for the hairdresser, so its a fine chance for a self-portrait.

Urban Lane

11 8 | 29.5 21 cm; fountain pen and watercolor.

The thing about sketching peoplewho come and gois that you never know when an opportunity will present itself, so its good to be always prepared. Drawing people quickly in a candid manner is one of the best ways to get the practice you need to improve. If your bag is always ready, always within reach, and always stocked with paint, pens, paper, brushes, and water, the volume of work you produce will increase dramaticallyand so will your skill.

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On the Plane to London

A4 (8 11 | 21 29.7 cm), brush pen and watercolor.

Because you may need to get to work fast and efficiently, your kit should be as small as possible. Have a bag always packed and ready: I have one with a kit that never changes because it works really well. I can fit everything into a small bag no bigger than my largest sketchbook (A4, or 8 11 | 21 29.7 cm). But I can get away with a really tiny kit, if I find myself in cramped quarters. Its amazing how compact your kit can be! That said, tastes vary as much as sketchers: I have seen marvelous feats of athleticism in the hands of sketchers who use and exchange many different tools all at once, each finger holding a different color. Im not quite so dexterous.

The minimum equipment I can get away with is as follows:

Two waterbrushes, medium-sized (one for dark colors and one for light colors)

An A5 (5 8 | 14.8 21 cm) or A6 (4 5 | 10.5 14.8 cm) sketchbook with 200 gsm watercolor paper, stitched, rather than spiral bound

A tiny metal box containing up to 13 half pans of artists watercolormake your own!

Two bulldog clips with a magnetic surface

A fude pen (55-degree nib brush pen) with waterproof brown ink (or any pen in any color)

A tiny screw-top container for water with magnetic tape or tab on the bottom

Tiniest paint kit.

A6 (418 51316 | 10.5 14.8 cm) sketchbook (small enough for anywhere).

My beloved fude pen (fude meaning brush in Japanese).

A waterbrush can go where no water containers are allowed.

A tiny water container.

A magnetic clip for attaching paintbox.

I was able to draw these guys on a plane to Portugal discreetlynot that they would have noticed anyway.

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The Stag Party

A6 (4 5 | 10.5 14.8 cm) (double spread); Hahnemhle watercolor sketchbook, fude pen, brown ink, and watercolor.

Tip

Make your own mini paintbox. Fill empty half pans with paint from tubes and secure them inside an Altoids tin or a small craft tin with strips of magnetic tape. Paint the lid with enamel paint for a nice mixing surface.

An A5 (5 8 | 14.8 21 cm) and an A4 (8 11 | 21 29.7 cm) sketchbook. I like to have a choice, and an A5 portrait and an A4 landscape format allows for lots of possibilities. Dont forget absorbent paper.