Where do you draw people?

[madeyes]

Hello!
I have been hanging out in this forum for a while reading posts and it is a great place with some cool and dedicated people.
Now I have a question.
I draw a lot at home just for fun...and trying to learn to draw the human figure as a lot of people are. A lot of the books I read give the advice that I should draw people in public. However I find this quite scary! I tried sitting in a park drawing people but I felt like people thought I was staring, and I didn't want people to come and look at my crappy beginners drawings and so I didn't do it again. I think I would also be scared that I wasn't good enough to go to a nude life drawing class - a lot of the ones here require some experience e.g. an A-level in art. I am determined I will find a life drawing class to go to though.
So now I am just drawing from photos which I heard was a bad idea.

So my question is where do you guys go to draw people? Are there places you hang out with your sketchpad and draw people without being noticed too much? Or do you manage to learn enough from other means?

[rsoffar]

where do you live?

if youre in new york i would recommend the life drawing classes at the art students league, in my class there are all dif levels of ppl in there so you def would not feel outta place.

[madeyes]

That sounds cool, but I live in Cambridge in the UK.
Do most people just go to classes like this rather than public drawing?

[rsoffar]

oh i see how that wouldnt work out then lol.

i try to draw in parks some. i understand where your coming from about it. i would just recommend finding a life drawing class to go to, an instructed one if you can. it helped me tons.
and maybe when your in parks just start out by doing some quick gesture sketches, that way you dont have to stare at the same person for too long.

[madeyes]

yeh lol would be quite a long trip just for an evening...not *that* dedicated.
Thanks for the tip on doing gesture drawings. I think I might try that and then maybe I'll get quicker at adding some more detail.
Thanks for the replies.

[dose]

I draw every day on the subway to and from work.

Something that has helped me greatly to get over the scariness of drawing others in public is to have two or three drawings of different people going at once. Keep working on one until the person shifts positions or looks up- then move to one of the others. This has a nice advantage in that besides avoiding the awkward eye contact, people will often eventually shift back to the position you were drawing them in and you can continue the old drawing.

Hope this helps

Tim

[FlameDragon]

I draw every day on the subway to and from work.

Something that has helped me greatly to get over the scariness of drawing others in public is to have two or three drawings of different people going at once. Keep working on one until the person shifts positions or looks up- then move to one of the others. This has a nice advantage in that besides avoiding the awkward eye contact, people will often eventually shift back to the position you were drawing them in and you can continue the old drawing.

Hope this helps

Tim


Hey I see you live in NYC. What places do you go to to do life drawing? I just started going to Tompkins Square Library, where they have it for free. I've also been to Spring Studios in lower Manhattan, and the Art Student's League on 57th

[arttorney]

Some school art departments or local art groups have life drawing workshops (as opposed to classes) they offer. The good part is that everybody can be at whatever level they are at. The downside is that there will not be anybody who will tell you anything, or do anything else to help you get better. If you call the art department of local schools and ask about this, you may find that you do not have to be an official student to attend, but just have to pay something. Here it might be $5, but I don't know how much that is for you. Perhaps 2 Pounds or something.

[Art_Addict]

let's not forget the mirror

[prairiedream]

I have no problems drawing people in public, though I do look away when they look up. When I lived in Chicago, my subjects often walked away when they saw what I was doing, but where I live now, people seem more curious and sometimes come up and ask me what I'm doing.

I also brought my sketchbook to my job and drew people there. Only once has someone asked me to stop drawing them. If you carry a small sketchbook you'll be pretty inconspicuous.

[dose]

Hey I see you live in NYC. What places do you go to to do life drawing? I just started going to Tompkins Square Library, where they have it for free. I've also been to Spring Studios in lower Manhattan, and the Art Student's League on 57th

I just heard about Tompkins Square Library a couple weeks ago from some dude on the subway, but haven't made it there. I used to go to ASL when I was working part time, and I hope to be making it to Spring Street somewhat regularly now that I have a life again post-wedding.

There are zillions of other places to do figure drawing in NYC. Some are through the art schools & museums, some are through random places like Tompkins Square Library, and some are just groups of people that get together and hire a model. Here's a somewhat outdated list:

http://www.nyfew.com/information/ateliers-figure-drawing/workshop.html

Aside from that, if you're near Williamsburg I know of a group that used to meet in a coffee shop Monday nights that has since moved to someone's apartment. If interested in that one, PM me and I can give you the info.

The Society of Illustrators also has figure drawing Tuesdays and some Thursdays.

The 110th Street Cathedral in Manhattan also has a bunch of free drawing and sculpture classes (you just have to tip the model a couple bucks). However they're in the process of remodeling the crypt (yes, the crypt) where the classes are held so they're postponed for another couple months. I took portrait drawing classes there from David Kassan, whom I highly recommend along with Leonid Lerman (who I believe is still teaching there).

There's also Dr. Sketchy, which I've never been to but has always intrigued me. It's held in a bar in Brooklyn, and the models are mostly burlesque dancers. It's always non-nude since it's held in a bar, but they wear some great costumes. Not sure if that one's open to people under 21. http://www.drsketchy.com/

If you're interested in meeting up at one of those places, PM me.

Tim

[FlameDragon]

I just heard about Tompkins Square Library a couple weeks ago from some dude on the subway, but haven't made it there. I used to go to ASL when I was working part time, and I hope to be making it to Spring Street somewhat regularly now that I have a life again post-wedding.

There are zillions of other places to do figure drawing in NYC. Some are through the art schools & museums, some are through random places like Tompkins Square Library, and some are just groups of people that get together and hire a model. Here's a somewhat outdated list:

http://www.nyfew.com/information/ateliers-figure-drawing/workshop.html

Aside from that, if you're near Williamsburg I know of a group that used to meet in a coffee shop Monday nights that has since moved to someone's apartment. If interested in that one, PM me and I can give you the info.

The Society of Illustrators also has figure drawing Tuesdays and some Thursdays.

The 110th Street Cathedral in Manhattan also has a bunch of free drawing and sculpture classes (you just have to tip the model a couple bucks). However they're in the process of remodeling the crypt (yes, the crypt) where the classes are held so they're postponed for another couple months. I took portrait drawing classes there from David Kassan, whom I highly recommend along with Leonid Lerman (who I believe is still teaching there).

There's also Dr. Sketchy, which I've never been to but has always intrigued me. It's held in a bar in Brooklyn, and the models are mostly burlesque dancers. It's always non-nude since it's held in a bar, but they wear some great costumes. Not sure if that one's open to people under 21. http://www.drsketchy.com/

If you're interested in meeting up at one of those places, PM me.

Tim

Those place sound interesting, especially the coffee shop one. Is that the re bar? I remember seeing an advertisement for life drawing at such a shop or bar, michael something art.

The Society of Illustrators one, what times are those held? Thats the closest to my college and on those days I get out at 5:30

[rsoffar]

I just heard about Tompkins Square Library a couple weeks ago from some dude on the subway, but haven't made it there. I used to go to ASL when I was working part time, and I hope to be making it to Spring Street somewhat regularly now that I have a life again post-wedding.

There are zillions of other places to do figure drawing in NYC. Some are through the art schools & museums, some are through random places like Tompkins Square Library, and some are just groups of people that get together and hire a model. Here's a somewhat outdated list:

http://www.nyfew.com/information/ateliers-figure-drawing/workshop.html

Aside from that, if you're near Williamsburg I know of a group that used to meet in a coffee shop Monday nights that has since moved to someone's apartment. If interested in that one, PM me and I can give you the info.

The Society of Illustrators also has figure drawing Tuesdays and some Thursdays.

The 110th Street Cathedral in Manhattan also has a bunch of free drawing and sculpture classes (you just have to tip the model a couple bucks). However they're in the process of remodeling the crypt (yes, the crypt) where the classes are held so they're postponed for another couple months. I took portrait drawing classes there from David Kassan, whom I highly recommend along with Leonid Lerman (who I believe is still teaching there).

There's also Dr. Sketchy, which I've never been to but has always intrigued me. It's held in a bar in Brooklyn, and the models are mostly burlesque dancers. It's always non-nude since it's held in a bar, but they wear some great costumes. Not sure if that one's open to people under 21. http://www.drsketchy.com/

If you're interested in meeting up at one of those places, PM me.

Tim

wow thanks for that info. that dr. sketchy one does look interesting