Quick Sketches in Graphite

These past months' posts have mostly featured digital drawings, but that's mostly because they're quick to do, easy to post and forgiving as the dickens. But there is also a great deal to be said for using a pocket-sized sketchbook, a stub of a pencil, and a kneaded eraser for real convenience. In day to day situations, it's actually pretty easy. The equipment fits in a pocket, no electronics to keep charged up, and it's easily modified. I often sketch in airports, waiting areas, and restaurants.

"The Airport," graphite, 2019

Here are two very quick graphite sketches of fellow travelers I encountered during a recent trip. These are in a 5x8 sketchbook of toned pages. Each of these was done quickly in basic outline, gesture, and (in the case of the fellow in the cap) at least some attention to value. But inevitably, sketching people in public is difficult because everyone tends to move, readjust, change head angles or gaze. So my strategy is to capture the gesture first, make certain of angles and measurements, then fill in details as necessary. You can adjust various aspects of course, but once a pose is set those changes should be small.

In the second drawing I chose to omit broad areas of low values (darks) in favor of a more linear approach. Besides that, the subject was lighted from above and behind and I wanted to be faithful to that.

"The Airport, 2" graphite, 2019

Of course, sketching doesn't have to be limited to people. Sometimes a quick sketch provides a chance to think out a possible future composition, or capture a detail or two of the object observed.

"Monaco, Le Rocher," graphite, 2019

In the next few sketches, the intent was to either capture the look of an object or sometimes just to serve as an aid to memory. These were done in a 3.5x5.5 sketchbook filled with creamy-white medium-weight paper. These were done in Monaco, during our most recent trip abroad, just last month

The first drawing is one of a number of sentry boxes along the walls of Le Rocher, the seat of the Grimaldi royal family that rules Monaco. These can be seen all along the staircases and ramps that lead to the summit. The tiny principality and it's opulent harbor are just beyond and below. A sketch like this might occupy only 10 minutes (good opportunity to rest during the climb).

The final sketch in this post (below) is a hookah that I sketched while waiting for food in a Moroccan restaurant one day in Monaco. Although you'd suppose that most of the cuisine is French (it is) there's no shortage of good restaurants of all sorts. We had a wonderful lunch of traditional Moroccan dishes in the authentically-decorated main dining area. The hookah loomed over us on a shelf above an adjoining table. Although the outdoor terrace was open despite the time of year, it was considerably more hospitable indoors. After finishing the basic lay-in I put the drawing aside in favor of the lovely tajine (lamb, potato, carrots, leeks, slow-cooked) and warm mint tea. When the food was retired, I inked and tinted the drawing using a tiny pocket watercolor palette.
A great memory of a fine time.

"Hookah," graphite, ink, watercolor, 2019