Philadelphia Weirdos part 379.

Yesterday I had 10 free minutes at 11th and Walnut so I sat and drew a couple of strange folks nearby. The last pic is what I call a sketchnote. Most of these people walk by pretty fast so I quickly take sketchnotes to help me remember for when I have time to finish up the sketch. For comparison, below is a photo of the guy who just stood around. See? I don't make this stuff up.

Priorities. Priorities.

I saw this guy about a month ago while making a right onto 5th street. I pulled over and took some quick "sketch notes" to finish it up later.

NYC trip

Here are some second hand sketches from a recent trip to NYC. Sometimes I don't have time to draw so I  try to take mental pictures and draw later. Honestly this probably frees me up a bit. I become less focused on what a person looks like and more with their character traits and the general feel I got from them. Try to some time!

Weirdos in NJ too...

Some summer sketches.

I did these sketches over the summer in Philadelphia, Portsmouth, NH, and Dewey Beach DE. Sorry, I don't have time to clean them up so I'm just going to post them as is. 

The weirdest of the weird.

I have seen some weird stuff in my days of living in Philadelphia but this one takes the cake. If three of my students did not see it with me I really would have thought my mind was making it up. Take a quick look at this sketch and then read the story below.

It was raining and we were walking back from Subway after lunch. To the left of us I see, what I thought at the time, was either a dressed up statue or a man doing spontaneous performance art (a sight usually only seen on our First Fridays). He was perfectly still in this odd position leaning to the right with his left leg extended as far as it could go in the opposite direction. I leaned in to get a better look and that's when I realized that he was peeing. Not with his pants unzipped as you would think but he was peeing down his left pant leg and allowing it to flow out by his shoe! I guess the angle was supposed to help keep his leg from getting wet? Before you judge him, remember he was nice enough to allow the urine to come out onto the roots of a tree because if there is one thing we have learned in school it is that trees LOVE urine. Now I have to say, I may have half-expected this from a homeless man but this guy was in his mid thirties, dressed fairly well and was carrying flowers in his backpack for his sweetheart. I can see it now, "Oh! Thank you, honey! (pause) Why do the flowers smell like urine?"

Sketches of Philadelphia locals.

I managed to draw these three (over about a 5 day period) last week. When I see a person in the street or at the Bourse Building, I stop and quickly take some notes, which are nothing more than quick lines to help me remember a gesture or something about their character. Later, when I find the time I finish them up by memory.

This jazzman had on a thin red plaid suit. I wish I had the time to color it.

This is an example of someone who thought they would never age. By 22 he was covered in tattoos (including his face, neck, and head) and by 35 he realized that it was getting pretty difficult to find a job. My personal favorite accessory is his puffy top-knot.

Philadelphia Weirdos.

There was a time when I would try not to be too obvious when I was drawing people in public. Sometime this year I just stopped caring. I figured if you are weird enough to get my attention, then you want attention so I will happily give it to you. I will stop everything I am doing and pull out my sketchbook and start drawing your weirdness for all of the world to see. I hope you're okay with that, because I am.