Men enjoying technology

A couple recent sketches I've done -- one is of a man playing Solitaire on his iPad on a flight to Minneapolis over Memorial Day weekend. I was in awe of how large his fingers were!

The other is of two young guys on their laptops at Pound coffee shop on Capitol Hill, done earlier this afternoon. I felt like I captured the slouch of the closer guy really well, more so than the other guy -- whose proportions are a bit off (my fault, not his!)

Two men enjoying quiet time, one on the Metro, and another at Pound Coffee

Solo commuters on the Blue line toward Largo

Sometimes I make notes of how long I spent on the sketch, and what metro I'm on (BL = blue line). Both of these were done in three stops, but on two separate days in October, 2010.

Two women commuting

I drew these two women on the way home on two separate occasions -- the younger woman on the metro, and the older on the bus.

Meet the sketcher: CAPITOL HILL, DC > Erin Malick Thompson

"A Philly native, I have been living in DC since 2000. I'm a graphic and web designer and love it.

When I'm urban sketching, my interest is in the people. I started figure drawing through the first-Sunday gatherings at the MOCA Gallery in Georgetown, and over the past few years, I've enjoyed a few sessions of life drawing at the Capital Hill Arts Workshop.

But what I really enjoy is non-posed, spontaneous pen sketches of my fellow commuters and coffee shop goers. Because my subjects are unaware that I'm drawing them and naturally move so frequently, I don't have time to be fussy, as I would be on long-pose drawings of a paid model. The result is always more free and expressive. And it's been really surprising and rewarding how many people show interest as I'm sketching and how many ask whether I draw for the courts!"

Erin's portfolio
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