Learning to Walk Again

4/9/14 Diamine Chocolate Brown and Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi inks, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

As I mentioned in my review of Thomas Thorspecken’s book, Urban Sketching: The Complete Guide to Techniques, I think the small diagram showing the five-part breakdown of what a walking step looks like is worth the price of the book! Two years ago when I had been sketching only for a few months, I tried to do this kind of visual breakdown myself at Green Lake, just by observing, but it would have been so much easier had I had Thorspecken’s diagram. I studied it carefully, and then I again headed for Green Lake, where I knew this mostly sunny day would call more than a few walkers to its path.

Thorspecken says, “You need to pay attention to how people hold themselves – a person’s slumped shoulders or proud stance will say more about them than their facial features.” It’s true – even when they’re doing nothing but the simple act of walking, everyone has a unique gait, posture and rhythm. For about a half-hour, I watched all the strollers, runners, dog walkers, bike riders and skateboarders go by and made tiny stick-figure sketches of as many as I could.

4/9/14 Private Reserve Black Velvet ink, Canson XL 140 lb. paper