Exposed

11/19/14 Diamine Sargasso Sea ink, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

You know I’m not the kind of sketcher who shies away from ugly or unpleasant subject matter. It’s not that I seek out things like cell towers or dead bunnies, but sometimes the unappealing still has a story to tell.

At the Wedgwood Starbucks this afternoon, I was enjoying sketching a young man’s hand, which he repeatedly put back in the same place against his face after taking sips of coffee. His overgrown hair was a good shading opportunity, as was his T-shirt. Overall, he was an ideal model – seated in good light, close enough that I could see him well yet unaware of me sketching him, and staying stock-still most of the time.

I was fully into the sketch when I saw that a good two or three inches of his butt crack were exposed above his jeans. Repulsed and yet somehow compelled, I couldn’t resist. What I was really tempted to do was take a picture with my phone and show it to him as I walked by to leave. Instead, I’m just posting this sketch of him on my blog.

On the upside, I’d forgotten how much I like using icy Diamine Sargasso Sea ink, especially during the cold months.