Public transport is a great place to draw people. Should I ask first? Well, all spontaneity would be then lost, and people might say no! Sometimes, though, I do ask, just so I can do a more detailed picture and because the person is sitting so close it is going to be obvious. The reaction is then generally a request either to take a picture of the art or to buy it. I have sold a couple of pictures recently, although I do usually like to keep my better work.
I drew what turned out to be pretty much a caricature of one young woman who was travelling with her uncle. Both were drinking Bourbon (Bundi) despite the train prohibition (which the ticket guy seemed to ignore). It was a quite good drawing - I haven't featured it here. I couldn't resist showing it and she recognized herself. I promised to send a copy to her once she sent me her email as the picture crossed two pages, would be damaged and I wanted to keep it anyway.
They were friends with a group who were getting off the train at Moe. One of these was a middle-aged woman with heavily caked makeup, pursed lips, scratchy, loud voice and no teeth, who loudly proclaimed that they could take me to court for drawing without asking, as if that was a regular recourse for someone like herself, a woman of obvious means to pay expensive lawyers (but not a dentist). I suddenly felt a little like Jane Goodall or Dian Fossey would feel if their subjects for study suddenly turned.
Below: Some other people I drew on that trip.
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