Once a week I have to ride 1.5 hours on the tube, so I always bring a book and a sketchbook with me. Today I will share some of my tips on drawing on the tube, as it is a great way to practice quick poses from real-life people!

TIP 1 – SIMPLICITY IS A KEY

Have a small sketchbook (A5, A6) and use 1 or 2 max. I usually draw with a fountain pen, but a basic biro pen or a pencil is good too (with pencils, don’t bother with an eraser; it’s impractical, and you will most likely lose it). I also used a water-based marker, but only one shade, as there is no space for much more, and the train moves and bounces with you as well.

Tip 2. Have a sketchbook with a hard back.

You will be drawing on your legs, so make sure the back of your sketchbook is as hard as possible to give you a good support. I like to cross one leg over the other or put my backpack on my lap and draw on that.

Tip 3. Don’t  stare at people for too long.

This might be obvious but it always looks wierd if you just stair at someone directly. I always try to pick people a bit further away (not directly opposite). A technique I do is a quick glance then sketch another quick peak and sketch. This way you are also practising your memory as you are trying to remember and draw as much as you can.

Tip 4. FEAR

The lastLast tip is about fear and the stares of people. From my experience it really depends on who sits next to you. Some poeple will be really interested and will posibly compliment your work, while others couldn’t care less. Most people will take a quick sneak peak and them mind their business (especiallyin london, everyone lives their lives). So if you are scared – try drawing something simple. Doodle some shapes, boxes or just simple straight line, or spirals. Whatever you want but keep drawing. I remeber it felt wierd to just pull out my sketchbook and pencil on the tube for the first time, but now it is like a routine. tip is about fear and the stares of people. From my experience, it really depends on who sits next to you. Some people will be really interested and will possibly compliment your work, while others couldn’t care less. Most people will take a quick sneak peek and then mind their business (especially in London; everyone lives their lives). So if you are scared, try drawing something simple. Doodle some shapes, boxes, or just simple straight lines or spirals. Whatever you want, but keep drawing. I remember it felt weird to just pull out my sketchbook and pencil on the tube for the first time, but now it is like a routine.

Here are some more examples – as you can see you will mostly draw people in sitting/ standing posotion, so it can get repetitive after a while.

I recomend switching it up from time to time and draw only certain parts, or focus on the interia of the train and so on…

That’s gonna be all for todays post,

HAPPY TUBE DRAWING!