If you ever go by train, know that probably someone is watching you even during that moment when you safely pick your nose. He's sketching and having a blast out of your vulnerability. From an artist's point of view, that is one of the moments of greatest joy and plain fun, at least when you are "safe" yourself, protected from peers over your shoulder. When you are the predator and you aren't stalked by a conscious victim just about to switch the roles and become the hunter (and punch you in the nose, or even worse, gently ask you to show him the sketch).
Anyway, sketching on the train is something I just love to do, and I've kinda developed a pretty stimulating exercise (probably
stimulating due to being my comfort zone, anyway). Since I hate it when people notice they are being drawn, I just have a 5 seconds peek at any stranger who catches my attention, and never looking at him anymore I sketch a character based on a totally invented story about that guy. Needless to say they don't resemble at all the persons they are inspired by (not even remotely close) but it is a very nice way to come with fresh ideas and let the mind loose.
All of them are pencil on sketchbook. Any resemblance to actual persons or facts is mere coincidence.
Bought a new sketchbook yesterday, and I love the earthly tone. I normally sketch over white paper, but I hate how scanning it washes all the subtle paper grain out to a flat white, losing a lot of its "charm". So, after having a look at someone else's awesome Daley Rowney "earthbound" sketchbook, I found something kinda similar (yet thinner and more expensive, though) right in Madrid.
