My Goals: #oneweek100people2017

March 6, 2017 | 12 Comments

LizSteel-0neweek100people-trial-run
So the big 100 people week has begun! When this article goes live I will have already completed my people sketching for Day 1, but I am planning to delay my posts this week so that they align better with the end of the day in the US.

Are you doing it? Are you a little anxious? 100 people is a lot, isn’t it?

Ah, part of the fun of this challenge is that the goal is an insanely big number. The benefit is to push ourselves more than usual and see how we all go.

A few things that I want to achieve personally in this challenge:

  • I have done this challenge before so I know its achievable, but that fact actually adds a little pressure as I remember how much time it took and I am really busy this week with work. Do I really have that amount of time to sketch this week? I plan to schedule 30-60 minutes of sketching into each day (which is something I should do regularly anyway!) so I am interested to see how that goes.
  • I am also glad that this challenge is forcing me to get people into my main sketchbook. The little book has been great but I know that I have gotten a little too comfortable using it, and I am ready for another challenge.
  • I know that I will be doing a lot of dud sketches this week, but that is all part of it, so I want to make a feature of the composition of each page and my numbering system.
  • I want to start adding some watercolour to my sketches and possibly try other media. My White Joy is definitely the pen I feel most comfortable with at the moment, but it is time to experiment!
  • I also want to start drawing more context rather than just isolated head sketches (as I have been doing in my little book) so that they are true Urban Sketches – telling a story about time and place.
  • Finally, I am hoping that I will get back to doing nightly research. I have been a bit overwhelmed post-move lately and my regular research has dropped away.

Well, that is a long list, isn’t it? But in many ways these specifics are more important than the race to a three digit number.

The cover image is my trial run on Friday morning. I managed to do 10 sketches in 8 minutes! So that has eased my anxiety a little bit. However I want my sketches to be more developed than those. But if pushed for time, simple line drawings and especially continuous line contour drawings are hard to beat!

The other aspect of this challenge is getting a better feel for the logistics of sketching people on location. Some locations are easier than others if you are able to draw people without them noticing you as much. My favourite spot to sketch people is on the train (sitting in the front right corner of the carriage) sketching ‘iphone people’ opposite me. They don’t move much and rarely notice anything that is happening around them.

Anyway, time to get sketching! Stay tuned for my account of Day 1.

Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts, challenges … and results!


For more explanation and articles on this challenge – click here

12 Comments

  • Michael Geissler says:

    End of day one and I’m up to … nine. This will be hard going.

    Look out anyone who gets stuck in a meeting with me tomorrow!

    • Liz Steel says:

      well done Michael! I had to laugh about your meeting tomorrow. I am loving reading everyones comments almost as much as the sketches. So much fun!

  • Bridget Greer says:

    I’m going to give it a whirl. Just curious Liz – what nib do you use in your Joy when you sketch with it?

    • Diana Wood says:

      Did Liz answer your question? I’m curious too.

    • Liz Steel says:

      Hi bridget and Diana….for any tool question….go to my sketching tools section – might also want to check out the fountain pen series…. its a fancy gold nib that is somewhere between a F and M now. Most sketchers like using a EF nib, but I like my lines to be thicker.

  • BWoody says:

    Just finished my 20 for today…you learn quickly less is more. I also used a fountain pen that the ink would move a little when damp. Used an aqua brush to add some shadows….it was fun. I used on line pics to draw from since this is just for me.

  • Amy Samin says:

    I started with an (almost) continuous line portrait after seeing your post on Instagram – thanks for the inspiration. I’ve done my 20 for today, plus a few extras. I think tomorrow I will use a pencil instead of a pen, and see what happens.

  • Annette Meglino says:

    Okay I’m trying it as well but keeping my sketches really quick. Finished my twenty for today while starting to watch The Good Wife.

  • steve krapek says:

    Days one and two and I hit 20 people a day, only faces though. Now I understand that challenge is broader than just faces. However I logged another ten sketches at figure drawing, so I did do full bodes. I am posting on Flickr. Is adding the #oneweek100 people at the comments box allow others to fined the drawings?

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