Summoned to killing time in Court

Last week I was summoned for jury service to the Los Angeles Superior Court. After orientation, here's some fellow prospective jurors in the Assembly Room waiting to be assigned to a case. These were sketched with a Bic Atlantis ballpoint pen.

• update:  using Manga Studio EX5, I added some digital watercolor washes (after converting the blue ink to gray)

Bic ballpoint pen sketches

Some more Bic Atlantis sketches (great pen)--these from a Starbucks. Interestingly, as with my first ones here, there was another side-by-side contrast of reading media (newspaper and iPad [last one]). This time an age contrast too, although the older patron used the newer tablet to get her news.

New Bic Atlantis is a sketching discovery

These are my first sketches (composite from 2 cafe visits) done with the new generation Bic Atlantis ballpoint pen (new to me anyway). The fluidity of the new ink is impressive--almost gel-like but like digital inking, doesn't smear, which makes this a great pen for location sketching. (My favorite is the 2 older men sitting next to each other: one reading a book and the "hipster", a tablet. [lower right])

• more sketches: a pick-up basketball game

Accordian-fold "sketch pads"

These are simple home-made accordian-fold "sketch pads" that evolved from my previous post. Each one is made from a sheet of 17" x 11" bond paper, cut length-wise. With a simple ballpoint pen, this "location kit" fits into a shirt pocket.

Hotel guests 6 x 2

To step away a bit from the glossy, photogenic conventions of advertising and to search for characters and style cues, I went to a nearby hotel to do some location sketching. The modular 6-up folded bond paper format (x2) and half-sized yafa ballpoint pen was an attempt to miniaturize and homogenize with the guests.

Sketches from today's library visit

Returned some books to library and left with some sketches.

Zoo sketches

Sketches at the zoo with a Bic ballpoint pen.

Reading chair calisthenics

Who said that reading is not a physical activity?

Dog

While running errands today, I saw this irresistable subject. Without my sketchbook, I flipped over my "to do" list and used my Starbucks card holder as a "drawing board".

Bic sketches from a 2nd floor perch

Chickens scratches upsets fowl critic

Almost blind-sided by a nasty rooster while sketching these chickens. Fended him off but he still tagged my finger, luckily I used my non-drawing hand. Critics!

Future World Cup players

 
Soccer practice at a park during lunch break. Coach looked tough.

Revisiting ballpoint pen sketching

Quick sketches at a local library using a Bic pen (a favorite), bond paper and foamcore "clipboard". (Bic brand blue ink is the most fluid ballpoint ink I've ever found)