When he looked up from under his cap, this fellow looked a lot like Ridley Scott. Perhaps it was Ridley Scott, although I’m not sure why he’d be on the Dorking to Waterloo train. The hat’s rubbish, a pretty lazy bit of drawing frankly. But the beard, using the same brush I used for those lads’ hair, worked quite well. I don’t really think it was Ridley Scott.

When he looked up from under his cap, this fellow looked a lot like Ridley Scott. Perhaps it was Ridley Scott, although I’m not sure why he’d be on the Dorking to Waterloo train.

The hat’s rubbish, a pretty lazy bit of drawing frankly. But the beard, using the same brush I used for those lads’ hair, worked quite well.

I don’t really think it was Ridley Scott.

10 months ago  Notes (0)
I drew this friendly-looking old fellow on the Tube yesterday. As so often happens, he got off just as I was getting into it, but I go enough to feel quite happy with it. He had a soft, comfortable look about him: an archetypal Grandad in his blue flat cap and enormous glasses. Quiet, still and composed in the way many elderly people are. An aspect of ‘You lot run about and squawk and jabber, you haven’t got a clue yet. I’ve seen most things, and I’m not in any rush.’ (Can we still say ‘elderly’, by the way? Is it ‘older person’ or something now?) 

I drew this friendly-looking old fellow on the Tube yesterday. As so often happens, he got off just as I was getting into it, but I go enough to feel quite happy with it.

He had a soft, comfortable look about him: an archetypal Grandad in his blue flat cap and enormous glasses. Quiet, still and composed in the way many elderly people are. An aspect of ‘You lot run about and squawk and jabber, you haven’t got a clue yet. I’ve seen most things, and I’m not in any rush.’

(Can we still say ‘elderly’, by the way? Is it ‘older person’ or something now?) 

1 year ago  Notes (0)
What a gift: sitting directly opposite me and not just asleep, but also with a hat over his eyes. So even if he’d suddenly woken up he wouldn’t have spotted me.  We got on the train together, and I immediately thought of Raiders of the Lost Ark: that Gestapo agent who does the trick with the coat-hanger. But then he sat down and tipped his hat forward, and went all Indiana Jones.  You don’t see a lot of hats these days, and I’ve always felt that’s a shame. If I had the nerve I’d wear one. Secretly, I wish we could all go back to the look of about 1940, when all men wore fedoras and three-piece suits, and every woman looked like Lauren Bacall or Betty Grable. That’s what it was like in 1940, right? By the way, if you’re interested in what he really looked like, I also took a photo of him (poor bloke) for the #sleepclub hashtag group on Instagram. I may do some more work on this drawing. Not enough of my sketches get finished. And there’s a nascent plan afoot to maybe do something more with these pictures. Maybe something printed. It’s only vague at the moment. If you think that sounds a good idea let me know — I’d be interested to gauge interest…

What a gift: sitting directly opposite me and not just asleep, but also with a hat over his eyes. So even if he’d suddenly woken up he wouldn’t have spotted me. 

We got on the train together, and I immediately thought of Raiders of the Lost Ark: that Gestapo agent who does the trick with the coat-hanger. But then he sat down and tipped his hat forward, and went all Indiana Jones. 

You don’t see a lot of hats these days, and I’ve always felt that’s a shame. If I had the nerve I’d wear one. Secretly, I wish we could all go back to the look of about 1940, when all men wore fedoras and three-piece suits, and every woman looked like Lauren Bacall or Betty Grable. That’s what it was like in 1940, right?

By the way, if you’re interested in what he really looked like, I also took a photo of him (poor bloke) for the #sleepclub hashtag group on Instagram.

I may do some more work on this drawing. Not enough of my sketches get finished. And there’s a nascent plan afoot to maybe do something more with these pictures. Maybe something printed. It’s only vague at the moment. If you think that sounds a good idea let me know — I’d be interested to gauge interest…

1 year ago  Notes (19)