Rather rashly, I decided to try out the #OneWeek100People challenge created by Marc Taro Holmes and Liz Steel. I believe this is year 5 and I have not tried it before.

The idea, for those who have not come across it before, is to spend a little time each day for a week, sketching people wherever you find them (while also being socially responsible this year). You can share your work on the facebook group page or any social media using the hashtag #OneWeek100People.

Normally I would have been quite happy to settle down somewhere with a cup of tea or coffee and and sketch other people, which would have been the better option as at least my ‘models’ would have been relatively anchored for a while.

However, life being what it is, sitting in a cafe is not yet an option this year, so where could I find people and observe them safely?

How about from the car park outside a supermarket? It sounded a good idea. Normally there are any number of people standing around chatting. Not today! Today, people Bustled. Not surprising really as it was distinctly chilly. Too chilly to stand around outside. Probably not the best day to try out this project for the first time.

I soon realised I was not going to achieve many full figures, so I began with a few heads, which was about all I had time for before they disappeared inside the store. I managed a bit more when a couple of people stopped to use the cash machine. Then there was a while where nothing much happened at all, which is why I included a trolley. I don’t know if that counts as one of my people, but I’m counting it any way for the moment. Then suddenly, there were people everywhere and I only had time to put in a few lines while I could and then go back and join some of them up later. Only two of these people were actually together. The others were, as far as I’m aware, unknown to each other and in reality were more socially distant than appears on the page (in case you were worried).

All of them were sketched from life and the bits of colour were added at the end of my session while still in situ, but from memory. I don’t know how the rest of the week will go. I think I will have less time towards the end, but at least I have made a start.

Sitting in the car outside a supermarket early this morning, I hoped to sketch some more figures. At first there were not so many people and I wondered if I was too early, then all of a sudden people came thick and fast and I had no time to manage a whole figure before they disappeared from view. Here are a few who came and went in a short space of time. I added watercolour later.

Random figures seen today while out for some exercise. None of these figures were actually in the same place at the same time, although they were there within about an hour of each other. Some were scribbled in with a pencil and inked over after they had gone. The man with the wheelbarrow kept stopping for a rest. I leant against a wall most of the time but the larger figure was walking in front of me, talking to a companion and I was able to follow at a safe distance unnoticed. I tried to use the ink pen (make unknown) loosely, but turned out not as loose as I’d like. It also smudged a bit which made me think it wouldn’t take a wash, but when I applied some colour later on it didn’t move as much as I thought.

I really miss being able to sit somewhere with a cup of tea and sketch people when they are not moving so much!