On the subway today, I saw something unusual. So, as I sometimes do—although I haven’t done this in a bit—I drew it on my iPhone with my finger. The train was particularly herky jerky today (the #1 line uptown, for those of you who care to know), en route to Harlem. It wasn’t very crowded.
THanks, Susan. I draw it in an app called Paper. But first, I activate the video screen recording that apple phones and pads have in their system, built-in. Once the drawing is finished, I stop the video screen grab and it goes to my photos. I export it to Videoshop where I can trim it if need be and speed it up. Then export it back to photos and it's ready to show on social media!
While we don't live in NYC, we have visited many times and always use the subway on several different lines. We have not had an occasion to cause us alarm. It's quite a microcosm of individuals mostly just people getting from one place to work, eat, visit friends, go to a ball game or just headed home. I marvel at how you came sketch this in a moving subway car. Not always a smooth ride.
The fly on the wall view of your process (from "seeing something unusual" to trusting your intuition to delivering a cartoon) is as incredible as the questions it raises: What, for instance, was unusual? Her youth? Her disposition? Her confidence? Did you detect a new cohort of homeless or something else? Fascinating in any case.
Great questions!! That she was sitting like that, stretched out and chill. She didn't seem homeless, not in the sense we often think. Maybe she was, and traveling the world....in a very relaxed way!
Now that is amazing. I find it amusing you found any faults in this ad hoc live drawing using a smart phone “Also, it’s not clear to me what I was doing with the railings on the left, I messed that up too.” I’m not much of a cartoonist. No, I’m not any kind of a cartoonist, but I venture to guess that the rail looks just fine and who cares as it’s not a focal point. Watching your work makes me want to give it a try. What have I got to lose. 🙃; well - time - there is that.
Thanks!! Go for it! I know, I am hyper critical sometimes, but with these, I am less so because they are about impression, a feel, and not meant to be an acurate rendering.
THanks, Susan. I draw it in an app called Paper. But first, I activate the video screen recording that apple phones and pads have in their system, built-in. Once the drawing is finished, I stop the video screen grab and it goes to my photos. I export it to Videoshop where I can trim it if need be and speed it up. Then export it back to photos and it's ready to show on social media!
Haha! You can do it!
While we don't live in NYC, we have visited many times and always use the subway on several different lines. We have not had an occasion to cause us alarm. It's quite a microcosm of individuals mostly just people getting from one place to work, eat, visit friends, go to a ball game or just headed home. I marvel at how you came sketch this in a moving subway car. Not always a smooth ride.
For that reason, I kind of like the subway. I also have never had any problems, I'm lucky. It is such a show of humanity!
So NYC. The sketch is perfect. Miss the City. Unless you’re from there the feel of being comfortable as you go from point a to b is hard to describe.
Lovely comment, Patris. It is hard to describe and different for everyone.
Liza, I can’t believe you just banged this out on your phone using your finger on a bumpy subway train. You’re amazing!
Gee, thanks Walt! I have done hundreds of these.
🩷
I love that you never saw her leave, she simply disappeared. Perhaps she was you momentarily visible from an alternate universe. #TwilightZone 😉
Ha! Great observation. It's true. I was caught up in finishing posting the drawing, and poof! She was gone.
The fly on the wall view of your process (from "seeing something unusual" to trusting your intuition to delivering a cartoon) is as incredible as the questions it raises: What, for instance, was unusual? Her youth? Her disposition? Her confidence? Did you detect a new cohort of homeless or something else? Fascinating in any case.
Great questions!! That she was sitting like that, stretched out and chill. She didn't seem homeless, not in the sense we often think. Maybe she was, and traveling the world....in a very relaxed way!
Oh, I like that. So honest and optimistic... and on the 1 Train!
THank you!
Now that is amazing. I find it amusing you found any faults in this ad hoc live drawing using a smart phone “Also, it’s not clear to me what I was doing with the railings on the left, I messed that up too.” I’m not much of a cartoonist. No, I’m not any kind of a cartoonist, but I venture to guess that the rail looks just fine and who cares as it’s not a focal point. Watching your work makes me want to give it a try. What have I got to lose. 🙃; well - time - there is that.
Thanks!! Go for it! I know, I am hyper critical sometimes, but with these, I am less so because they are about impression, a feel, and not meant to be an acurate rendering.