This really sounds like a great approach!!! Now to put that into ACTION and PRACTICE!!!! (I'm talking to me, here, mind you! LOL) .... I am so so glad to see you sketching again! and sharing those with us!

Hi, Danny. I've taken a few courses in figure drawing from life. The courses I took were taught by one of my favorite professors who treats the class like a military drill session at times in that she speedily announces assignments that we have to complete so fast we can hardly look at them sometimes.

We had a lot of exercises where we had to do 5 and 10 second drawings, and they were really helpful for me in developing a shorthand and also in realizing how much potential we really have for drawing things fast AND drawing them accurately at the same time.

I suggest drawing one line first for the general direction, "essence" of the pose. Then draw a couple of structural lines like line of shoulders, line of hips, and lines where the feet rest, and a shape for the head.

All of this can be done really quickly, and if the person has already moved, you still have a great framework of their pose that you can flesh out with your memory to a satisfactory degree.

Danny, that's about the experience that I shared a couple of days ago at Sketchrawl #11 ...
.. standing at a traffic lights at a crossing and at the ones at our central-station ... did YOU even colour them on site?
Mine -- shown below -- still have to be coloured ;-)
thanks for sharing
t.

http://peterpencil.blogspot.com/2006/09/sc-11-big-picture.html

Hi Danny! I like the amount of character your figures are displaying. The hundreds of 20 second to one minute poses in the figure drawing class I took over the summer helped me to catch the basic gesture of a pose but your sketches capture 'attitude'. Thanks for sharing this piece. Once again, you've inspired me to reach for a new level.

Each one of your little figures has a story to tell and that makes them so fun to look at. I can just picture you on your little stool on the street corner. I know the feeling of exposing yourself publicly while doing this sketching business. It forces you to concentrate even harder so as not to draw alot of attention - sort of like making yourself invisible. It's a bit intoxicating.

People moving in the streets are surely difficult to sketch, it's hard to catch a pose or a face in few seconds! I think it's a matter of exercise and memory, I want to try some day!

Danny, I love the people. I think you're capturing nuance and detail (I love the postures and details like the backpack.)

But Danny, it was the Como and Minnesota Zoos. Not Milwaukee we went to. I hear they have a good one though, so I'm happy to meet you there!

your pal, Roz
(who prefers drawing animals to people)

I've been reading your books and find them most inspiring in many ways. Thank you and your family for sharing your life.

You have tackled one of my favortie exercises and have done an excellent job. In the first ever watercolor workshop I attended, we put people in our paintings. Lessons that have stayed with me: Make the heads smaller than they appear and sometimes eliminate the neck, leaving the head floating (in order to avoid the lollypop look) and never show the feet of a walking subject (as the feet are either in grass or shadow and otherwise detract from the gesture).

Thanks again for sharing.

Danny, are you reading my mind:) Since I'm being self taught hear in Pittsburgh, cause classes dont fit in my budget just now. Hear you come along and help me with the problems I'm expericing now drawing out side my safty place and going out to draw. I read books and practiced and still couldnt get ahead. But today is hopeful because of youre comment hear. Hears another reason Danny why I love coming hear. Because you are just you rambling along not even having a clue that you help someone many miles away:) I say youre the best. By the way the people are great.
Youre friend,
Linda

i reaall like your drawlings i have a contest at my school and we have to draw our favorite place and i dont know what to draw