ROVING JAY

Day 65 of sketching people. Not much time today, but enough time for a quick coffee at a local cafe and a quick sketch, about being in a foreign country but still able to order scones and clotted cream. This was an experiment in reportage and page composition.

An exploration of using distorted perspectives on my people sketches. I did Regina Spector’s Making Sketches Expressive through Proportions Tutorial, and here’s the exercises we did, and some examples of other sketches I’ve done with distorted proportions.

Kick in the Creatives is hosting a month-long challenge called February Faces, so I decided to do month of blind contour self portraits in ink, and then finish them off with watercolour. I’m using their daily prompt list to drive the poses I’m sketching.

Day 64 of sketching people. A sunny day so I headed to the Algarve town of Olhão for a full day of urban sketching. I sketched on public transport there and back, and at the market, and a local cafe. There was also a surprise Carnaval parade that had taken place, and that greeted me when I arrived. Another interesting sketching opportunity.

Day 63 of sketching people. Urban Sketching at a local cafe at the end of the street. Today the focus was just about sketching people, and I didn’t get too hung up on communicating a story. Although for the dapper gent in his sports coat, a story evolved as I sketched him.

Day 62 of sketching people. An Urban Sketching trip to Tavira. Captured the Uber driver in a photo booth sketch series. Sketched in two cafes to finish one sketch. And drew a man in the park because I liked the way he posed his legs, but I ended up cutting his feet off.

Day 61 of sketching people. Urban Sketching at a cafe, I used a comparison between objects to build a composition and plan the story I want my sketches to tell. Then Urban Sketching at a Pétanque game, where I had to rely on capturing a scene that developed organically into a pleasing composition. On this sketch I also used a collage element to fill some negative space.

Day 60 of sketching people. An erratic collection of people sketching today, including speed portraits from the Drawing is Free zoom event online, with collage and using my photo booth format. A timed portrait from a YouTube video. And a sketch from a photo of a fellow sketcher, using a distorted perspective to make the sketch more dynamic.

Day 59 of sketching people. A reportage sketch with a restaurant bill as some collage fodder, and a Valentine’s Day Poem to develop a story around a scene I only saw for a couple of minutes. Sometimes you need to invent your own story, when you have no idea what’s going on.

Day 58 of sketching people in ink and watercolour. A visit to the Tavira Municipal Museum with the Urban Sketchers Algarve chapter of the Urban Sketchers Org. A warm-up sketch of Tavira rooftops and washing line, and while other sketchers were sketching the Tile Exhibition, I focused on sketching my fellow sketchers.

Day 57 of sketching people. Pencil Sketches during the Pencils4tea speed sketching event on zoom, where every pose is the length of a music track.

Day 57 of sketching people. A visit to a local bar in Cabanas to sketch in the sunshine to sketch groups of people, to practice compositions with a group of people. And also try out a new sketchbook format in the shape of a photo booth strip of images.

Day 56 of sketching people, and today I attended the second half of the speed sketching portrait zoom event called Musink. Each pose is the length of a music track. I sketched in pencil for the big shapes and then sketched in ink.

Day 55 of sketching people in ink and watercolour. Speed Sketching Portraits for the Drawing with Dylan live Zoom event. 6 minute poses with tonal shading and primary colour Tombow brush pens. Experimented using my Noodlers Flex Nib Pen and Carbon Ink, which didn’t dry quick enough for my liking.

Day 54 of sketching people. Drawing is Free speed sketching event on zoom. Sketched a series of portraits, where every pose is the length of a music track. Experimenting with pencil gesture sketch, ink, and tonal shading. Also sketched urban sketchers who are hosting workshops at Toulouse in July.

Day 53 of sketching people in ink and watercolour. A quick jaunt down to a neighbourhood bar to urban sketch a couple sitting outside, huddled up against the weather on a chilly Sunday afternoon. This sketch taught me a couple of valuable lessons about ink lines and the use of colour.

A blind contour sketch of Urban Sketcher and Illustrator Lis Watkins, to illustrate this post about her sketchbook Tour of Toulouse, where she uses bright and vibrant colours to capture the essence of this French city that’s hosting the new Urban Sketchers Symposium in 2026

An in-depth post about how to evaluate whether your people sketch is successful. Discussing the merits of technical accuracy vs. the value of finding and conveying the story in your sketch. Peppered with examples, this article talks about how to get your sketch to show a story, rather than telling a story. And using text to turn your sketch into reportage.

Day 52 of 365 Days of Sketching People. A couple of urban sketches of people in Tavira, and the sketches I did while attending two tutorials about sketching people with distorted proportions and perspectives.

Day 51 of sketching people and portraits at a local clinic. Using gesture sketches, and added ink lines and watercolour. Created colour harmony with a vivid colour triad opera pink, hansa yellow light, and phthalo blue. Used the colour to create a visual hierarchy within the page layout.

Day 50 of sketching people in ink and watercolour. Speed Sketching Portraits for the Drawing with Dylan live Zoom event. 6 minute poses with tonal shading and primary colour Tombow brush pens.

Day 49 of sketching people. Drawing is Free 8am speed sketching event on zoom. Sketched a series of portraits, where every pose is the length of a music track. Experimenting with colour pencil and biro sketches, as well as fineliner and watercolour. Simple lines, gesture sketches, and loose watercolour.

Day 48 of sketching people. Used the daily prompt from Urban Sketchers Org to sketch a couple of Toulouse-inspired sketches to minimise being overwhelmed by sketching complex buildings. Also a selection of ink sketches with tonal shading.

Urban Sketchers Org daily prompt list calendar for February 2026