I enjoy sketching people in libraries and coffee shops. I do it quickly and discreetly. It's a challenge to nail down a pose, even a very rough and quick pose, because people are constantly moving, shifting, and fidgeting. I sketch fast but sometimes I need to wait for my subject to return to the original position I first started sketching them in. I have learned that people fidget in patterns or cycles: nose scratch, lean back, hand on chin, lean forward, nose scratch, hand

In August my wife convinced me to pick up a handsome set of four sketch books manufactured by Studio. Normally I refrain from buying more art supplies than I can use at any given time but of the four unique cover designs only one complete set was in stock and I knew I would regret not grabbing them when I had the chance. While all four sketch books (roughly 8 x 11) offer 30 sheets of cream coloured paper bound in black cloth tape, each dark blue cover sports a different patte

With the two portraits below I was trying to produce a very quick but accurate likeness of my subjects, and to achieve this goal I chose to use either conté or grease pencil. I am pleased with the likeness rendered in this first portrait. The conté glided across the paper in a trail of it's own debris, and although the subject's chin and bottom lip is a little too large, I managed to correct them somewhat by softening the lines (for the lip) and darkening the surrounding area