Transient Subjects

As a street sketcher I’m often faced with “subject leaves” syndrome.  It could be a car that drives away when I’m drawing it.  I can be a truck parking in front of a store front I’m drawing.  But the most common example comes from people, those exasperating objects that just won’t sit still.

This is the result of subject leaves syndrome.  I was sitting in a food court, waiting for my lunch partner.  I decided to draw this guy on his cell phone and his buddy, sitting bored on the other side of the table.  I began by capturing the cell phone arm as that was the most important part.  I’d mostly captured the outline of the guy when the phone descended from his ear, the other guy became animated, and they both got up and walked away.  I sort of faked a chair under the guy and that was all I could do – my subject was gone.

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9x6), Pilot Prera, Noodler's Lex Gray

Stillman & Birn Alpha (9×6), Sharpie refillable pen