caricature study

I work in a ridiculously small office in Woodland Hills, CA. There exists in this office, no place to escape to for an hour’s worth of recuperation. Lucky for me, there is a Starbucks within walking distance. I know, I know, where isn’t there a Starbucks within walking distance?

So anyway, every Monday through Friday, I unapologetically toddle over to this friendly neighborhood coffee swilling establishment, rain or shine. A triple short bevé cappuccino later, my soul, which has been earlier sucked from me, is reclaimed.

But more importantly, this is the time I can be myself. After braving the morning commute and then having to answer to demanding clients, I can finally, for an hour, do what makes me feel good. Read, journal, sketch, people-watch, or just sit in a stupor (one of my favorites). I’ve recently combined two of these things. I sketch people as they walk by or as they sit at their tables. It’s a bit voyeuristic I suppose. I will admit I am somewhat of a voyeur. People fascinate me. Drawing them fascinates me. I worry that I am being intrusive, so I try to be covert with my drawing exercise, snatching only brief looks and filling in what I don’t actually see, with my imagination. These sketches are also quite caricature in nature, cartoony and exaggerated. That’s part of the fun. I’m hoping to become faster and less futzy with my drawing technique and maybe even develop some characters from these studies.

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