Day 1-sketches 1-7/100 by Meera Rao
I took up the challenge #Oneweek100sketches2017 organized by Marc Taro Holmes who blogs as 'citizensketcher' and Liz Steel. Sketches 1-32 were from my own photographs - photos that I wanted to paint and saw this as an opportunity to practice sketching before I attempted to paint them. I could not go out and sketch people live because of lots of other things I was busy with. These sketches were breaks I was taking from doing those other things - mostly unpacking and getting things in order after a long trip to India. The sketching also was an opportunity for me to put my feet up and rest the slowly healing ankles from a bad fall back in October of last year!!! I also felt safe working in the privacy of my home while working on improving people sketching skills.
Day 1-sketches 8-14/100 by Meera Rao
Day 2-sketches 15-23/100 by Meera Rao
These 9 sketches were of scenes that I had seen during my trips to India begging to be sketched! I encountered them during my daily errands and had not yet sketched them out.
Day 2-sketches 24-32/100 by Meera Rao
Lots of people in India take public transportation --buses mainly and can be seen waiting at the bus-stand. Bus stops are like airports these days where passengers are mostly waiting, some people watching or chatting or on their digital devices :)
Day 3-sketches 33-63/100 by Meera Rao
On this day, I received a poster in the mail from the UN Refugee agency. I was reminded of the devastation facing so many families around the world and the chances they take for a chance at safer, better life. This particular boat load had only men filled to capacity. I know for sure there are other boats filled with women and children making similar perilous journeys. Sketching them was emotionally draining making me wonder what it was like to be fleeing like that! And I stopped at 100 unable to sketch the rest of the people in the boat.
Day 4&5-sketches 64-100/100 by Meera Rao
Boat People 2-Page spread by Meera Rao
I only sketched using a #4B pencil. I had planned on using watercolor but liked the sketches as they were. I did not time myself but did not spend more than 45 minutes at a time each day. My sketch book was 12x16" and the two page spread was 12x33" . I am pleased with the sketches and felt sure of my lines and marks the more I drew. I quickly learned less is more! My goal was to draw 100 people, draw without overthinking every line like I seem to do while I sketch people. I wanted to work on getting the proportions and perspectives correct, and draw people in all different angles, sitting, standing, walking, crawling, front, back and sides :)
This was a challenge I really relished by the time I was done with 100 people!
