Sketching from Life in Kentucky

My daughter Penny had her first birthday (if you don't count the birth) on Saturday, and we drove up to Kentucky for a brief visit and party with my in-laws. While there I did sketches any time I went out. I tried to do them as quickly as possible, trying the Walt Stanchfield method of getting a first impression and grabbing it, glancing as you go for cursory details. Most of these drawings were done in under fifteen seconds or so, not counting the dropped-in black; that probably added another fifteen to each. I also like Stanchfield's insistence that each drawing tell a story, tell you something about the person you're drawing. That's something I'm not great about - a lot of times I use my sketchbook simply to grab faces, etc that I can use for reference later. I feel pretty good about 'em this time around.

Liz's grandmother at her rest home

Ordered tacos, waiting for them to come to the counter.  I wish I'd captured how furtively the guy in the upper right leaned over his drink rather than pulling it towards him; I don't think I got it.

 We stop at Cracker Barrel whenever Penny needs changing because the changing tables are always clean and there's a lot for her to look at. Here are some folks in the store part.  Apparently Cracker Barrel on a Sunday afternoon is THE place to go if I ever need to sketch old folks.

Penny eating - one of the first times I felt like I "got" her. I can never draw my own family to my liking.